Light is of no value in an empty room, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, and a tree on a mountain top shades no one; the point of a capacity is the relationship in which it becomes a gift. A tree can stand alone on a prairie and a hawk can soar alone, but a human being left solitary in the wilderness will starve, and from that plain fact he draws an ethic. The carpenter who makes a chair for his wages already serves the social body, and that compulsory cooperation is good; help given for God’s sake from heart and soul is better. To care only for oneself is the propensity of the sheep that goes on grazing while the flock is slaughtered, whereas a human being was made to be fair, merciful and unwilling to prosper while others suffer. The circle widens from village to city to country, until no nation can be self-sufficient and the unity of mankind becomes possible. Paul’s image of a body whose members suffer and rejoice together [1] speaks to the same interdependence from another setting. At its furthest reach, reciprocity extends to thoughts, feelings and understanding. The inquiry continues into competition and cooperation, the struggle for existence, the interconnectedness of all things, and the question monasticism raises about living apart.
People must live for one another and not live in seclusion as the monks and nuns. People should not live solitary lives. Light is of no value in an empty room. A tree is of no service to anyone on the summit of a mountain, but should be in a place where it can give shade and where its fruits may be gathered.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Breakwell, Hopper, Brittingham, spoken around 1901-Sep-04 -- ABU1794)
02
People must live for one another, and not live in seclusion as do the monks and nuns. … The believers should be together as much as possible.
Indeed, gathering together and fellowship and companionship and association are among the requirements of humanity. The social body of humanity must gather together at certain times and engage in conversation and discussion and fellowship, so that it may cause hearts to become united and be the cause of connection and joy and gladness of souls, and in unity they may occupy themselves with the holy fragrances, so that spiritual stirrings and divine attractions and heavenly raptures may become manifest and the fruit of existence may be attained.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1900 or <, to Namdar, Rahmatullah et al -- AB02048)
04
Other animals can live in the wilderness, and beasts can dwell in the forests, but humans must live collectively, and social existence is impossible except through cooperation and mutual aid, especially genuine cooperation and mutual assistance that comes from heart and soul. Even compulsory cooperation is good - for example, one who makes this chair is compelled to do so for his livelihood, but in any case it is assistance to the social body. He who farms, he who plants this tree - these too assist the world of humanity, but that cooperation and mutual aid which is for God and in God is divine, it is voluntary, that is good.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1916-Jul-10 in Haifa -- ABU0885)
05
"Consider the animals; - those which are tame associate with each other agreeably; they live in companies. The sheep are loving to each other, hence they live in company as a flock. Tame birds are to be found in flocks, but birds of prey and ferocious animals live separately - such as the lion, tiger, bear, dog - all of these live separately, in solitude, and do not form companies.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Myron Phelps spoken around Jan. 1909 at the home of Mirza Asadu'llah -- ABU0448)
06
Hence it was stated that co-operation and reciprocity are essential properties which are inherent in the unified system of the world of existence, and without which the entire creation would be reduced to nothingness.
… And thus when contemplating the human world thou beholdest this wondrous phenomenon shining resplendent from all sides with the utmost perfection, inasmuch as in this station acts of co-operation, mutual assistance and reciprocity are not confined to the body and to things that pertain to the material world, but for all conditions, whether physical or spiritual, such as those related to minds, thoughts, opinions, manners, customs, attitudes, understandings, feelings or other human susceptibilities.
The foundation of life and existence is cooperation and mutual aid, whereas the cause of annihilation and deterioration is the cessation of aid and assistance. The higher the realm of existence, the stronger and more vital this weighty matter of cooperation and assistance doth become.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1909-Jan-29, to Baha'is of Iran et al -- AB00362)
08
On the contrary, man cannot live singly and alone. He is in need of continuous cooperation and mutual help. For example, a man living alone in the wilderness will eventually starve. He can never, singly and alone, provide himself with all the necessities of existence. Therefore, he is in need of cooperation and reciprocity.
… To look after one's self only is therefore an animal propensity. It is the animal propensity to live solitary and alone. It is the animal proclivity to look after one's own comfort. But man was created to be a man -- to be fair, to be just, to be merciful, to be kind to all his species, never to be willing that he himself be well off while others are in misery and distress -- this is an attribute of the animal and not of man.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at a gathering of socialists on 1912-Sep-03 -- ABU0042)
09
It is evident to the wise, people of thought, and those possessed of knowledge that dispersion in the human world - that is, disunity - is the cause of their abasement, the source of their degradation, the reason for their disorder, and the root of their ignorance. However, if they form a united society, it becomes the cause of their progress and their civilization. This being evident, they say that the human world requires a unifying force to bring individuals together and achieve this progress.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at German hostel in Tiberias, 1916-Sep-23 -- ABU0987)
10
The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity. Without cooperation and reciprocal attitude the individual member of human society remains self-centered, uninspired by altruistic purposes, limited and solitary in development like the animal and plant organisms of the lower kingdoms. … A tree can live solitary and alone, but this is impossible for man without retrogression. Therefore, every cooperative attitude and activity of human life is praiseworthy and foreintended by the will of God.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Second Divine Science Church on 1912-Sep-25 -- ABU0057)
11
But this is impossible for man. In his life and being cooperation and association are essential. Through association and meeting we find happiness and development, individual and collective.
For instance, when there is intercourse and cooperation between two villages, the advancement of each will be assured. Likewise, if intercommunication is established between two cities, both will benefit and progress. And if a reciprocal basis of agreement be reached between two countries, their individual and mutual interests will find great development.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address to Congress of East-West Relations, spoken on 1912-Apr-20 -- ABU0404)
12
For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century -- the century of light -- hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lawh-i-Haft Sham' (Seven Candles), 1903 ca., to Jane E Whyte -- AB00143)
13
When you observe carefully you shall see that the economic prosperity of a community or a nation is maintained by reciprocity and co-operation. In the whole workd you do not find one man, no matter how varied in his accomplishments who is sufficient unto himself. All that he can do is to contribute one thousandth share to the well-being of the nation. He studies for ten or 20 yrs and then he is able to co-operate with other thousands of his fellowmen to make them happier. He supplies them with part of their needs and as a reciprocal action, they supply him with all his needs.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to H.E. Warmeke, spoken en route in train on 1913-May-01 -- ABU0866)
What capacities in your own life resemble a lamp in an empty room or a tree whose fruit cannot be reached? What relationships could allow those capacities to become useful to others?
How does cooperation undertaken for livelihood differ from cooperation offered willingly from heart and soul? What helps necessary exchanges grow into relationships of genuine mutual care?
What do the compilation’s images from nature help us notice about human relationships? Where do those images leave questions unanswered, especially when read beside the subject of competition and the struggle for existence?
If our lives already depend on people we will never meet, what might reciprocity require of a neighborhood, an institution, or a nation? How could that responsibility take form without erasing individual initiative?
What would cooperation in thoughts, feelings, and understanding look like during a serious disagreement? How might the closing passage and Paul’s image of shared suffering deepen our idea of unity?