I have visited your Capitol and its gardens. No other Capitol has such
beautiful surroundings. Just as it is imposing and distinguished above all
others, so may the people of California become the most exalted and
perfect altruists of the world. California is, indeed, a blessed country.
The climate is temperate, the sun ever shining, the fruits abundant and
delicious. All outer blessings are evident here. The Californians are a
noble people; therefore, I hope they may make extraordinary progress and
become renowned for their virtues.
The issue of paramount importance in the world today is international
peace. The European continent is like an arsenal, a storehouse of
explosives ready for ignition, and one spark will set the whole of Europe
aflame, particularly at this time when the Balkan question is before the
world. Even now war is raging furiously in some places, the blood of
innocent people is being shed, children are made captive, women are left
without support, and homes are being destroyed. Therefore, the greatest
need in the world today is international peace. The time is ripe. It is
time for the abolition of warfare, the unification of nations and
governments. It is the time for love. It is time for cementing together
the East and the West.
Inasmuch as the Californians seem peace loving and possessed of great
worthiness and capacity, I hope that advocates of peace may daily increase
among them until the whole population shall stand for that beneficent
outcome. May the men of affairs in this democracy uphold the standard of
international conciliation. Then may altruistic aims and thoughts radiate
from this center toward all other regions of the earth, and may the glory
of this accomplishment forever halo the history of this country. May the
first flag of international peace be upraised in this state. May the first
illumination of reality shine gloriously upon this soil. May this center
and capital become distinguished in all degrees of accomplishment, for the
virtues of humanity and the possibilities of human advancement are
boundless. There is no end to them, and whatever be the degree to which
humanity may attain, there are always degrees beyond. There is no
attainment in the contingent realm of which it may be said, "Beyond this
state of being and perfection there is no other," or "This has achieved
the superlative degree." No matter how perfect it may appear, there is
always a greater degree of attainment to be reached. Therefore, no matter
how much humanity may advance, there are ever higher stations to be
attained because virtues are unlimited. There is a consummation for
everything except virtues, and although this country has achieved
extraordinary progress, I hope that its attainment may be immeasurably
greater, for the divine bounties are infinite and unlimited.
There are some who believe that the divine bounties are subject to
cessation. For example, they think that the revelation of God, the
effulgence of God and the bounties of God have ended. This is
self-evidently a mistaken idea, for none of these is subject to
termination. The reality of Divinity is like unto the sun, and revelation
is like unto the rays thereof. If we should assert that the bounties of
God are not everlasting, we are forced to believe that Divinity can come
to an end, whereas the reality of Divinity enfolds all virtues and by
reason of these bounties is perfect. Were it not possessed of all these
perfections or virtues, it could not be Divinity. The sun is the sun
because of its rays, light and heat. If it could be dispossessed of them,
it would not be the sun. Therefore, if we say that the divinity or
sovereignty of God is accidental and subject to termination, we must
perforce think that Divinity itself is accidental, without foundation and
not essential.
God is the Creator. The word creator presupposes or connotes creation. God
is the Provider. The word provider implies recipients of provision.
Another name for the Creator is the Resuscitator, which demands the
existence of creatures to be resuscitated. If He be not the Provider, how
could we conceive of creatures to receive His bounty? If He be not the
Lord, how could we conceive of subjects? If He be not the Knower, how
could we conceive of those known? If we should say that there was a time
in past ages when God was not possessed of His creation or that there was
a beginning for the world, it would be a denial of creation and the
Creator. Or if we should declare that a time may come when there will be a
cessation of divine bounties, we should virtually deny the existence of
Divinity. It is as though man should conceive of a king without country,
army, treasury and all that constitutes sovereignty or kingdom. Is it
possible to conceive of such a sovereign? A king must be possessed of a
dominion, an army and all that appertains to sovereignty in order that his
sovereignty may be a reality. It is even so with the reality of Divinity
which enfolds all virtues. The sovereignty thereof is everlasting, and the
creation thereof is without beginning and without end.
Among the bounties of God is revelation. Hence revelation is progressive
and continuous. It never ceases. It is necessary that the reality of
Divinity with all its perfections and attributes should become resplendent
in the human world. The reality of Divinity is like an endless ocean.
Revelation may be likened to the rain. Can you imagine the cessation of
rain? Ever on the face of the earth somewhere rain is pouring down.
Briefly, the world of existence is progressive. It is subject to
development and growth. Consider how great has been the progress in this
radiant century. Civilization has unfolded. Nations have developed.
Industrialism and jurisprudence have expanded. Sciences, inventions and
discoveries have increased. All of these show that the world of existence
is continuously progressing and developing; and therefore, assuredly, the
virtues characterizing the maturity of man must, likewise, expand and
grow.
The greatest bestowal of God to man is the capacity to attain human
virtues. Therefore, the teachings of religion must be reformed and renewed
because past teachings are not suitable for the present time. For example,
the sciences of bygone centuries are not adequate for the present because
sciences have undergone reform. The industrialism of the past will not
ensure present efficiency because industrialism has advanced. The laws of
the past are being superseded because they are not applicable to this
time. All material conditions pertaining to the world of humanity have
undergone reform, have achieved development, and the institutes of the
past are not to be compared with those of this age. The laws and
institutes of former governments cannot be current today, for legislation
must be in conformity with the needs and requirements of the body politic
at this time.
This has been the case also with the religious teachings so long set forth
in the temples and churches, because they were not based upon the
fundamental principles of the religions of God. In other words, the
foundation of the divine religions had become obscured and nonessentials
of form and ceremony were adhered to--that is, the kernel of religion had
apparently disappeared, and only the shell remained. Consequently, it was
necessary that the fundamental basis of all religious teaching should be
restored, that the Sun of Reality which had set should rise again, that
the springtime which had refreshed the arena of life in ages gone by
should appear anew, that the rain which had ceased should descend, that
the breezes which had become stilled should blow once more.
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.
Verily, the century of radiance has dawned, minds are advancing,
perceptions are broadening, realizations of human possibilities are
becoming universal, susceptibilities are developing, the discovery of
realities is progressing. Therefore, it is necessary that we should cast
aside all the prejudices of ignorance, discard superannuated beliefs in
traditions of past ages and raise aloft the banner of international
agreement. Let us cooperate in love and through spiritual reciprocity
enjoy eternal happiness and peace.