Universality: a concern wide enough for everyone

But in this wonderful Dispensation, philanthropic undertakings are for all humanity, without any exception, because this is the manifestation of the mercifulness of God. Therefore, every universal matter -- that is, one that belongs to all the world of humanity -- is divine; and every matter that is sectarian and private is not universal in character -- that is, it is limited.

Does Abdu'l-Baha wish the believers to take part in charitable or political affairs, or should they interest themselves in spiritual things only? Answer: Any movement that is for the benefit of mankind should be joined by the Baha'is. If they are not asked to help, they should offer their services, especially in all kinds of charitable work. They must not be exclusive but general and serve believers and unbelievers alike.

Stranger and friend alike are seated at the table of His favor. 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.

In every dispensation, there hath been the commandment of fellowship and love, but it was a commandment limited to the community of those in mutual agreement, not to the dissident foe. In this wondrous age, however, praised be God, the commandments of God are not delimited, not restricted to any one group of people, rather have all the friends been commanded to show forth fellowship and love, consideration and generosity and loving-kindness to every community on earth. Now must the lovers of God arise to carry out these instructions of His: Let them be kindly fathers to the children of the human race, and compassionate brothers to the youth, and self-denying offspring to those bent with years. The meaning of this is that ye must show forth tenderness and love to every human being, even to your enemies, and welcome them all with unalloyed friendship, good cheer, and loving-kindness. When ye meet with cruelty and persecution at another's hands, keep faith with him; when malevolence is directed your way, respond with a friendly heart. To the spears and arrows rained upon you, expose your breasts for a target mirror-bright; and in return for curses, taunts and wounding words, show forth abounding love. Thus will all peoples witness the power of the Most Great Name, and every nation acknowledge the might of the Ancient Beauty, and see how He hath toppled down the walls of discord, and how surely He hath guided all the peoples of the earth to oneness; how He hath lit man's world, and made this earth of dust to send forth streams of light.

Before my departure for America the poor of all nationalities came to me, Persians and Turks, Arabs and Syrians, Greeks and Europeans etc. belonging to all religions and faiths. I helped gladly every one without any distinction of race or color; but this year I cannot do to the same extent, because our American and European expenses totalled a great sum, beyond our endurance; even now I am under a heavy debt.

A Cause in this age must be Universal and man must embody the universality of the Cause, otherwise it will yield no fruit.

Be ye kind to all people, loyal to all the governments and deal fairly with all humanity. Be faithful, truthful, merciful, compassionate and serve the world of humanity. Consider the oneness of the world of humanity, because ye are all of one tree and the fruits of one branch.'

Today the greatness of the believers of God depends upon delivering the Cause of God, diffusing the fragrances of God, self-sacrifice in the love of Baha'u'llah, and attainment to attraction, love, knowledge and wisdom. This door is open before the face of everyone and this arena is spacious for the skill of all. Everyone must think of this alone, and know that success and prosperity depend upon it.

Baha'u'llah is the universal Shepherd. All mankind are His sheep, and the adherents of all religions are welcome in the Mashrekol-Azkar to worship the Father of all humanity with perfect freedom and reverence and obedience.

Abdul-Baha: "Don't forget this, that this is a Universal Temple, - advertise it so; announce that this is for all and every religion and that whoever wished can come and worship."

It is good that this church [Pembroke Chapel] is open to everyone, and is the cause of fellowship among every sect and creed, inasmuch as whatever is universal is of God, and that which is particular is of humanity.

'Abdu'l-Baha answered: "It makes no difference what school we enter or where we send our children. There are schools in Persia in which there are children from all religions. Whatever is universal is heavenly and whatever is personal is satanic. Then everything ought to be universal. It is clear and evident among the Baha'is that whatever is universal is heavenly and whatever is personal is human.

Today is a day when particular thoughts, whether from individuals or nations, cause great misfortune and ultimately lead to evident loss. What is universal today is divine and causes the progress of all humanity, while what is particular is pure detriment and sheer loss.

Therefore, one must consider the universal in all degrees. Consider a lamp that humans light - at most it illuminates 100 steps, but the sun, which is the divine lamp, illuminates this entire solar sphere and bestows bounty upon all horizons, for the sun is the divine lamp. Thus human endeavors must relate to humanity as a whole.

Every universal matter is from God; and every limited matter is from man. Therefore, if people's services and efforts are undertaken for the benefit of all, they are acceptable to God and leave lasting traces.

They expected us to be servants and propagators of their old dogmas and customs, not knowing that we are obliged to serve humanity and spread universal love and harmony.

The True One is aware and bears witness that whatsoever hath flowed and continueth to flow from the Most Exalted Pen hath been and ever shall be for the elevation of humanity and for their freedom and deliverance.

As this century is the century of light and the Cycle of the revelation of Mysteries undoubtedly these glorious aims will be fully established and the influence of this great Cause will encircle the East and the West."

Sixty years ago, Baha'u'llah, through heavenly power, proclaimed the unity of humanity in Iran and addressed all humanity saying: "O humankind! You are all fruits of one tree and leaves of one branch." And forty years ago in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, He commanded universal fellowship and invited all governments to universal peace, stating that the boundaries of all nations should be determined through an international assembly which no nation could transgress, and if a dispute arose between two nations, it would be adjudicated in the international assembly and resolved like disputes between individuals. Should one party rebel, all nations would rise against it. He wrote that this universal peace would be the cause of rest for the world of creation.

Such Baha'i members having drank from the pure fountain of the Universal Teachings of Baha'u'llah, are in reality cosmopolitan in spirit, mind and soul and have arisen above the stultifying limit of nationality and patriotism. They exert all their moral, religious and intellectual powers for the progress of the world and the perfection of mankind.

A much greater difficulty confronts us today when we endeavor to establish unity between the Orient and the Occident. Baha'u'llah through the power of heaven has brought the East and the West together. Erelong we shall know that they have been cemented by the power of God. The oneness of the kingdom of humanity will supplant the banner of conquest, and all communities of the earth will gather under its protection. No nation with separate and restricted boundaries -- such as Persia, for instance -- will exist. The United States of America will be known only as a name. Germany, France, England, Turkey, Arabia -- all these various nations will be welded together in unity. When the people of the future are asked, "To which nationality do you belong?" the answer will be, "To the nationality of humanity. I am living under the shadow of Baha'u'llah. I am the servant of Baha'u'llah. I belong to the army of the Most Great Peace." The people of the future will not say, "I belong to the nation of England, France or Persia"; for all of them will be citizens of a universal nationality -- the one family, the one country, the one world of humanity -- and then these wars, hatreds and strifes will pass away.

Therefore, a divine universal good cause cannot be confined to either East or West, for the Sun of Reality sheds its rays upon both East and West and its heat penetrates both South and North. It is not specific to one region rather than another.

As to the significance of the Cause of Baha'Ullah, know that everything which belongs to the universal is divine and all that is divine is certainly for the universal good. Therefore, a divine cause, for universal good, cannot be limited to the Orient nor to the Occident, because the flame of the sun of Truth illumines the East and the West and its heat is felt in the south as well as in the north; there is no difference between the two poles.

Although in this blessed Day there is neither East nor West - all directions are His directions - yet outwardly that land is the native place of the Luminary of Lights and from there He appeared and became manifest.

The Master replied,

"I wish you would become heavenly and not Japanese nor Arab, English, Persian, Turk, and American. You would become divine and would act according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah.

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O thou maid-servant of God! This celestial music hath moved the hearts of the people in the world and the Blessed Tree embraced all communities and nations under its shade!

The Baha'i Cause is like unto a garden in which one finds all kinds of flowers. In this garden you will find the flowers seen in others; and beside, there are other rare flowers here that are not extant anywhere else. It includes the Teachings of other revelations and has revealed numerous, distinct principles adaptable to the requirements of this age...

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His Holiness Baha'u'llah likened the religions of the world to musical instruments, each divine messenger having been sent to sound a different key, but the instruments have become out of tune and discord has resulted. Therefore Baha'u'llah brought a new musical instrument and put it into our hands, saying: "Play on this. It includes all notes, all harmony. This harmony will exhilarate even the angels and will set them to dancing. The Supreme Concourse will rejoice, for this harmony will be never-ending. The melody will be eternal."

We are commanded to strive with the utmost oneness, love, harmony and fellowship with all the governments and peoples of the world, nay even with individual souls.

The Blessed Beauty has provided the means for the unification of the world of humanity and has removed religious and social conflicts. No longer is a person to be defined by such labels as Jewish or Christian. All are embraced by the effulgence of the Faith, and all dwell beneath the tabernacle of unity.

The purpose is the sun itself and not the dawning points. For though the sun is one sun, its dawning points are many. We must not adore the dawning points but worship the sun. We must adore the reality of religion and not blindly cling to the appellation Christianity. The Sun of Reality must be worshiped and followed. We must seek the fragrance of the rose from whatever bush it is blooming -- whether oriental or western. Be seekers of light, no matter from which lantern it shines forth. Be not lovers of the lantern.

"There are prepared souls in every religion. Today God is working in all the religions, instructing a number of souls in the school of Celestial brotherhood. These souls are related together by the invisible tie of the Spirit.

Christ sacrificed His life for this glorious purpose and taught by His actions that you too should do likewise. Moses strove for forty years, Abraham endeavored for this purpose, that day by day we might strive in fellowship and love. For human comfort lies in love and fellowship, and the illumination of the world depends on love and unity. There was a time in Iran when various peoples and religions - Persians, Turks, Arabs, Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians and Muslims - different sects and faiths were in utmost opposition to one another. They considered each other unclean and would not sit together at the same table. At such a time, Baha'u'llah appeared like the sun from the East and raised the banner of the unity of mankind. He brought such fellowship among these diverse communities that if someone were to enter their gatherings, they would not know who was Christian, who was Muslim, who was Jewish, and who was Zoroastrian.

At a time when the East was immersed in diverse forms of bigotry, when blood flew readily in the streets and the world of humanity was surrounded by the thickest clouds, at such a time, His Holiness Baha'u'llah, like the morning star, shone over the horizon of Iran. In His dazzling brilliance, all manners of intolerance and prejudice disappeared to the point that diverse people from the East, West, North, South, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Zoroastrian, all embraced each other with the utmost spirituality and fraternity, considering each another as members of the same family. They dealt with each with the utmost equity, to the point that when someone enters their gathering, they see no difference whatsoever between all assembled.

In the Orient the various peoples and nations were in a state of antagonism and strife, manifesting the utmost enmity and hatred toward each other. Darkness encompassed the world of mankind. At such a time as this Baha'u'llah appeared. He removed all the imitations and prejudices which had caused separation and misunderstanding and laid the foundation of the one religion of God. When this was accomplished, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Buddhists all were united in actual fellowship and love. The souls who followed Baha'u'llah from every nation have become as one family living in agreement and accord, willing to sacrifice life for each other. The Muslim will give his life for the Christian, the Christian for the Jew and all of them for the Zoroastrian. They live together in love, fellowship and unity. They have attained to the condition of rebirth in the Spirit of God. They have become revivified and regenerated through the breaths of the Holy Spirit.

Were you to enter into any (Bahai) gathering in the Orient, it would be very hard for you to discover who is a Christian and who is a Jew, or who is a Zoroastrian, for they are just like so many flames which have become one big flame. (Applause) All these different faiths are merging into one great faith.

For if we wish to arrange and organize the world of mankind in accordance with the present religious imitations and thereby to establish the felicity of the world of mankind, it is impossible and impracticable--for example, the enforcement of the laws of the Torah and also of the other religions in accordance with present imitations. But the essential basis of all the Divine Religions which pertains to the virtues of the world of mankind and is the foundation of the welfare of the world of man, is found in the teachings of Baha'u'llah in the most perfect presentation.

The foundation of divine religions is one - that foundation will become universal through the power of Baha'u'llah.

The teachings specialized in Baha'u'llah are addressed to humanity. He says, "Ye are all the leaves of one tree." He does not say, "Ye are the leaves of two trees: one divine, the other satanic." He has declared that each individual member of the human family is a leaf or branch upon the Adamic tree; that all are sheltered beneath the protecting mercy and providence of God; that all are the children of God, fruit upon the one tree of His love. God is equally compassionate and kind to all the leaves, branches and fruit of this tree. Therefore, there is no satanic tree whatever -- Satan being a product of human minds and of instinctive human tendencies toward error. God alone is Creator, and all are creatures of His might. Therefore, we must love mankind as His creatures, realizing that all are growing upon the tree of His mercy, servants of His omnipotent will and manifestations of His good pleasure.

… Do not question the practicability of this, and be not astonished. It has been accomplished and effected in Persia. In that country the various religionists have conjoined in investigating reality and have united in complete fellowship and love. No traces of discord or differences remain among them; now affection and unity are manifest instead. They live together in harmony and accord like a single family. Antagonism and strife have passed away; love and agreement have taken the place of hatred and animosity. Furthermore, those souls who have followed Baha'u'llah and attained this condition of fellowship and affiliation are Muslims, Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Nestorians, Sunnites, Shiites and others. No discord exists among them. This is a proof of the possibility of unification among the religionists of the world through practical means. Imitations and prejudices which have held men apart have been discarded, and the reality of religion envelops them in a perfect unity. When reality envelops the soul of man, love is possible.

The first postulate is the Oneness of the world of humanity; that all mankind represents the servant of God the All-Glorious; that the Lord has created them all; and that He is kind and clement to all humanity, to all of His creations. If He did not have love for all then He would not have been kind. Now inasmuch as we see expressions of His kindness to all humanity, regardless of distinction, all mankind must be conceived of as being immersed in the sea of His mercy. And man must emulate the policy divine. He must love all humanity and he must see all humanity submerged in the ocean of God's mercy. At most, it is this: Some are weak; they must be strengthened. Some souls have weak perceptions; they must be trained, in order that their perceptions may become acute and keen. Some souls may be sick; they must be treated, in order that they may attain to the state of maturity. But to all LOVE must be shown; to all kindness must be exercised. Baha'u'llah, addressing all humanity says: "We are all the life of one tree, the blossoms of one tree, the fruits of one tree, and that is the Tree of Humanity." For all humanity is honored in its capacity to attain to humanitarianism. Where do you find a foundation so broad and liberal? Is there a book which considers all the world of humanity as integral, proclaiming its Oneness? This is the foundation laid by Baha'u'llah.

All the teaching of the Prophets is one; one faith; one Divine light shining throughout the world. Now, under the banner of the oneness of humanity all people of all creeds should turn away from prejudice and become friends and believers in all the Prophets. As Christians believe in Moses, so the Jews should believe in Jesus. As the Muhammadans believe in Christ and Moses, so likewise the Jews and the Christians should believe in Muhammad. Then all disputes would disappear, all then would be united.

Truly, the divine Revelation in its Manifestations is not tied to chronological points in the history of the world, to place or time; a true Prophet not only has to cause the rebirth of His people gone astray, He also has to create 'new life'. It is true that a Prophet - considered physically, materially, springs from the loins of a particular people, but the emanation of His prophetic spirit radiates beyond the inhabited world, and it is suitable and destined not only to embrace and vivify His compatriots, but also to have a lasting influence beyond.

In the past, although their missions were universal in scope, yet owing to many reasons well known to men of understanding they were nationalized. But in this century those reasons do not exist and therefore the religion of Baha'u'llah will retain its universal aspect and purity.

The Faith of God hath in this day been made manifest. He Who is the Lord of the world is come and hath shown the way. His faith is the faith of benevolence and His religion is the religion of forbearance. This faith bestoweth eternal life and this religion enableth mankind to dispense with all else. It verily embraceth all faiths and all religions. Take hold thereof and guard it well.

It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared - and Our Word is the truth -: 'Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.' Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been revealed: 'Love of one's country is an element of the Faith of God.' The Tongue of Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: 'It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world.' Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse and set a new direction to the birds of men's hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy Book.

Now concerning our social principles, namely the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah spread far and wide fifty years ago, they verily comprehend all other teachings. It is clear and evident that without these teachings progress and advancement for mankind are in no wise possible. Every community in the world findeth in these Divine Teachings the realization of its highest aspirations. These teachings are even as the tree that beareth the best fruits of all trees. Philosophers, for instance, find in these heavenly teachings the most perfect solution of their social problems, and similarly a true and noble exposition of matters that pertain to philosophical questions.

But the Collective Center of the Kingdom, embodying the institutions and divine teachings, is the eternal Collective Center. It establishes relationship between the East and the West, organizes the oneness of the world of humanity, and destroys the foundation of differences. It overcomes and includes all the other collective centers. Like unto the ray of the sun, it dispels entirely the darkness encompassing all the regions, bestows ideal life, and causes the effulgence of divine illumination. Through the breaths of the Holy Spirit it performs miracles; the Orient and the Occident embrace each other, the North and South become intimates and associates, conflicting and contending opinions disappear, antagonistic aims are brushed aside, the law of the struggle for existence is abrogated, and the canopy of the oneness of the world of humanity is raised on the apex of the globe, casting its shade over all the races of men.

They are heavenly, paying no attention whatsoever to this world. They work, practice their crafts, and engage in earning their livelihood with utmost effort, yet their hearts are turned toward God, their spirits are gladdened by the glad-tidings of God, and their character has greatly progressed. No blameworthy traits remain among them. They are kind to all the peoples of the world, they love all humanity, and they regard all as their kith and kin. They see the human world as a single tree, and consider all human beings as its leaves, blossoms and fruits. Their supreme desire is universal peace, and their conviction is the oneness of humankind. They yearn for the advancement of sciences and arts, and strive for all that leads to the exaltation of the human world. They harbor no prejudices--no religious prejudice, no racial prejudice, no national prejudice, no political prejudice, no linguistic prejudice--they are free from all these prejudices. They regard the earth as one homeland and all humanity as one nation. They consider all souls as servants of God and know God to be kind to all humanity; therefore, they too are kind to all humanity. They have no purpose save the good-pleasure of God, no desire save the love of human hearts.

Therefore the Cause of Baha'u'llah and the heavenly teachings encompass all perfections, including the education of children, including the unity of the human world, including the harmony of religion with science and reason, including equality between people, including the breaths of the Holy Spirit, including the unity of women and men, including the elimination of religious prejudices, including heavenly virtues, including divine fragrances, including universal peace.

Some of their teachings are close to this Cause, but the Cause of God encompasses all divine matters and possesses the requirements and needs of different nations and peoples.

In brief, that spiritual Physician hath now appeared in the world and diagnosed the maladies of all regions. Through His teachings, counsels, and admonitions He hath prescribed a swift remedy and declared a wondrous medicine, that warfare and strife may cease and concord and peace be established; that enmity and dissension, which are the grievous sickness of the world, may be healed; that hostility and conflict may be uprooted from the foundation; that war may be changed into peace; that cruelty may vanish and faithfulness unveil its face; that religious prejudice, sectarian contention, national rivalry, and racial estrangement and disparity may remain no more; that all parties may become one party; that all tribes and nations may drink from one fountain; that the whole earth may become the beloved homeland of all; that no distinction of roots and branches may endure for humankind; and that the unity of the world of humanity may pitch its tent upon the pole of existence, while the universality of mankind, through divine confirmations and heavenly bestowals, may raise its banner upon hills and mountains, plains and palaces, towers and strongholds, and wave in the spiritual winds.

This Cause embraces the aspirations of all souls. It is for the spiritualists, the theosophists and all the peoples of the world, that they might have no argument before God. The Cause must needs be all-embracing, that every afflicted one may find therein his remedy - a divine elixir.

The Manifestation appeared not for a few, but for all. To the simple, as to the great, he is the same: but some see him in one light, some in another, according to their capacities to perceive.

But these people are pure in heart and simple in spirit; therefore, though not intellectually advanced, they are capable of grasping their portion of truth, for truth is for all.

Every Person more or less is interested in some school of Thought, he will find the principles of that school highly developed in the Baha'i Revelation.

The heavenly teachings of the past are loved and praised, but the minds and thoughts have developed. There is a need for universal teachings and those are the teachings of Baha'u'llah, which encompass all teachings.

Regarding the organizational matters you wrote about - the divine teachings and exhortations and counsels of Baha'u'llah are explicitly clear. Those are the heavenly organizations and following them is obligatory. If there is even a mustard seed's deviation, it becomes void.

"Besides this, the Baha'i movement is not an organization. It is the fresh Breeze of the Garden of God. You can never organize the Baha'i Cause. It cannot be located in one single place or centered in one individual. The Baha'i movement is the spirit of this age. It is everywhere. It has no geographical limits. It is the essence of all the highest ideals of this century. A person may claim to be a Baha'i or may be known as a Baha'i for all his life and may not know at all what a Baha'i means. Another person may never have heard the name Baha'i and may at the same time practice all the attributes which are necessary to make one a Baha'i. That is why his holiness Christ says, those who are not against us are with us.

… "In the world of existence every undertaking is dependent upon the realization of three things. First, knowledge. Second, decision. Third, executive power.

He answered me that his father had not really founded a new religion, but a Bahauistic Organization (Bahauïstische Organisatie). This derives its name from the prophet Bahaulah, his father. For six thousand years, he continued, there has been intolerance and struggle among the various religions themselves, and also fanaticism, hate and political discord among the various peoples and countries.

The Baha'i message is a call to religious unity and not an invitation to a new religion, not a new path to immortality, God forbid!

It is the ancient path cleared of the debris of imaginations and superstitions of men, of the debris of strife and misunderstanding and is again made a clear path to the sincere seeker, that he may enter therein in assurance, and find that the Word of God is one Word, though the Speakers were many.

Therefore, Baha'u'llah appeared from the horizon of the Orient and reestablished the essential foundation of the religious teachings of the world. The worn-out traditional beliefs current among men were removed. He caused fellowship and agreement to exist between the representatives of varying denominations so that love became manifest among the contending religions. He created a condition of harmony among hostile sects and upheld the banner of the oneness of the world of humanity. He established the foundation for international peace, caused the hearts of nations to be cemented together and conferred new life upon the various peoples of the East. Among those who have followed the teachings of Baha'u'llah no one says, "I am a Persian," "I am a Turk," "I am a Frenchman," or "I am an Englishman." No one says, "I am a Muslim, upholding the only true religion," "I am a Christian, loyal to my traditional and inherited beliefs," "I am a Jew, following talmudic interpretations," or "I am a Zoroastrian and opposed to all other religions." On the contrary, all have been rescued from religious, racial, political and patriotic prejudices and are now associating in fellowship and love to the extent that if you should attend one of their meetings you would be unable to observe any distinction between Christian and Muslim, Jew and Zoroastrian, Persian and Turk, Arab and European; for their meetings are based upon the essential foundations of religion, and real unity has been established among them. Former antagonisms have passed away; the centuries of sectarian hatred are ended; the period of aversion has gone by; the medieval conditions of ignorance have ceased to exist.

Originally we were Mohammedan, but since the declaration of Baha'u'llah we love all humanity.

You can be a Baha'i-Christian, a Baha'i-Freemason, a Baha'i-Jew, a Baha'i-Muhammadan. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them.

A.B. This Cause is comprehensive. Every community finds the reality of its principles in this Cause. The Baha'i Cause is like a tree and these various communities, or gatherings or societies, are branches. When you compare the tree with the branches you find every branch in the tree, and this is the Baha'i Cause.

In public gatherings expound the heavenly teachings, but avoid speaking of religious doctrines, for the teachings of Baha'u'llah are a universal grace and will establish the oneness of the world of humanity.

O thou who art turned toward the Creator of earth and heaven!

This Herald who caused the divine call to reach the ears of East and West made no distinction in His summons and established no differences.

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In the Blessed Cause teaching is universal. All the friends must arise to teach. The work of teaching is not individual or private - all are commanded to it.

O servant of the Lord! In the days when the Sun of the horizons dawned from the East of Iraq and illumined with its brilliant rays the daysprings of the world and the foreheads of nations, He issued a universal call to all the peoples of the contingent world and opened the doors of the supreme gift to the face of all on earth.

All peoples, tribes, religions and paths were present in the Most Holy Court, and all were submissive and humble.

Today the Cause of Baha'u'llah is world-embracing and its call has reached all the countries of the world.

Every limiting and restricting movement or meeting of mere personal interest is human in nature. Every universal movement unlimited in scope and purpose is divine. The Cause of God is advanced whenever and wherever a universal meeting is established among mankind.

These teachings of Baha'u'llah are all inclusive.

But what is strange is that this nameless one desires a hundred thousand crores of partners mixed together in this name, so that waves of partners in this name and fame, title and trace, like waves would encompass East and West, and this crown like a lamp would shine on the heads of all who are on earth like a brilliant sun.

As to the belief of the American Indians in the Great Spirit, this is explained by the fact that worship is inherent in the nature of man, who must have something above himself upon which he may depend. Even men who are unconscious of this and deny it, depend upon it notwithstanding.

Rest assured your child will be assisted by the divine concourse and through this assistance it will exhibit a universal consciousness -- for this cause encompasses the west and the east and children born under these conditions in this day will have the advantages of the universal illumination. Today some children are called prodigies, but the inheritors of this cause will attain to a degree that the others, even though educated in the best schools and with every advantage, know nothing of.

Praise be to God that the sun of reality of religion hath dawned. From all parts of the world, host after host are coming under its radiance and ere long it will become world-spread.

The Baha'is must be in the Baha'i Cause which comprehends all the degrees and is perfect from every standpoint.

Consider how the people bear testimony to the fact that this Religion is universal and its principles are conducive to the welfare of humanity.

The splendors of His bounty follow one after another and the lights of His generosity shine forth in both East and West. No region remains untouched, neither the lands of the Arabs and Romans, nor the climes of Sind and Hindustan, nor the countries of the Turks and Persians, nor the realms of Europe, Africa and America.

Let the believers carry the Glad-tidings of the Kingdom of Abha to every corner of [the] earth.

God is cognizant and all things bear witness that from the beginning of this Revelation until now, this Wronged One hath summoned all the peoples of the world--whether divines or rulers, believer or misbeliever--openly and without any veil, to the Most Exalted Horizon.

Then to those who have believed in God among Arabs and Persians - verily His mercy encompasses all the worlds.

With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it--verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

The whole world hath been created for the knowledge of Him Who is the Ancient of Days, yet when the divine tests came to pass, most of mankind remained deprived, save those souls who detached themselves from all things possible and turned with perfect certitude to the most exalted horizon.

Its 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 clearer apprehension of its purpose. It is neither eclectic in the presentation of its truths, nor arrogant in the affirmation of its claims. Its teachings revolve around the fundamental principle that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is progressive, not final. Unequivocally and without the least reservation it proclaims all established religions to be divine in origin, identical in their aims, complementary in their functions, continuous in their purpose, indispensable in their value to mankind.

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The Faith standing identified with the name of Baha'u'llah disclaims any intention to belittle any of the Prophets gone before Him... to abrogate the fundamentals of their doctrines.... Baha'u'llah inculcates the basic principle of the relativity of religious truth, the continuity of Divine Revelation, the progressiveness of religious experience. His aim is to widen the basis of all revealed religions and to unravel the mysteries of their scriptures.

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It would be indeed difficult to find a creed or a doctrine of any sort in this world that did not possess some facet of truth; this is what Baha'u'llah believed and taught. But everything has a source or focal centre; the focal centres of truth are not broken up or distributed at random, but, like the sun, are concentrated in one mighty source whom we call a Prophet or Manifestation of God. What we find in each other, and in various creeds, are rays from this source -- but the source is the all-important thing, and to recognize and turn to it gives one an infinitely greater degree of strength and enlightenment than to try to find its rays, one here and one there, scattered about among our fellow men.

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The successive Founders of all past Religions Who, from time immemorial, have shed, with ever-increasing intensity, the splendor of one common Revelation at the various stages which have marked the advance of mankind towards maturity may thus, in a sense, be regarded as preliminary Manifestations, anticipating and paving the way for the advent of that Day of Days when the whole earth will have fructified and the tree of humanity will have yielded its destined fruit.

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...this Faith is now increasingly demonstrating its right to be recognized, not as one more religious system superimposed on the conflicting creeds which for so many generations have divided mankind and darkened its fortunes, but rather as a restatement of the eternal verities underlying all the religions of the past...

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...Baha'u'llah has not brought into existence a new religion to stand beside the present multiplicity of sectarian organizations. Rather has He recast the whole conception of religion as the principal force impelling the development of consciousness.

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...refusing to be labeled as a mere philosophy of life, or as an eclectic code of ethical conduct, or even as a new religion, the Faith of Baha'u'llah is now visibly succeeding in demonstrating its claim and title to be regarded as a World Religion, destined to attain, in the fullness of time, the status of a world-embracing Commonwealth...

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The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, whose supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet.

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...the Revelation identified with Baha'u'llah ... readily and gratefully recognizes their respective contributions to the gradual unfoldment of one Divine Revelation, unhesitatingly acknowledges itself to be but one link in the chain of continually progressive Revelations...

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When asked on one occasion: "What is a Baha'i?" 'Abdu'l-Baha replied: "To be a Baha'i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood." On another occasion He defined a Baha'i as "one endowed with all the perfections of man in activity." In one of His London talks He said that a man may be a Baha'i even if He has never heard the name of Baha'u'llah. He added: The man who lives the life according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah is already a Baha'i. On the other hand, a man may call himself a Baha'i for fifty years, and if he does not live the life he is not a Baha'i.

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For a Baha'i has adopted a cause that is all inclusive, that gathers within its folds the essence of all humanitarian principles and the object of all world wide philanthropic movements. The Baha'i Revelation is the spirit and the glory of this age. It is the pure and unadulterated essence of all that is best and highest in this century. In a word it is an inclusive movement. Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muhammadans, Zoroastrians and even Theosophists and Freemasons find their ideals realised in the practice of the principles of the Cause.

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I have learned so much from God that I can no longer call myself a Christian, a Hindu, A Muslim, A Buddhist, a Jew. The Truth has shared so much of Itself with me that I can no longer call myself a man, a woman, an angel, or even a pure soul. Love has befriended Hafiz. It has turned to ash and freed me of every concept and image my mind has ever known. (Hafiz)

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The Cause of God has room for all. It would, indeed, not be the Cause of God if it did not take in and welcome everyone -- poor and rich, educated, and ignorant, the unknown and the prominent -- God surely wants them all, as He created them all.

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