O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the
preeminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We
have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God's book whatsoever
hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the children
of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential prerequisites of
concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it with
them that keep My statutes.--BAHA'U'LLAH, Tablet of the World.
Sectarianism in the Nineteenth Century
Never, perhaps, did the world seem farther away from religious unity than
in the nineteenth century. For many centuries had the great religious
communities--the Zoroastrian, Mosaic, Buddhist, Christian, Muhammadan and
others--been existing side by side, but instead of blending together into a
harmonious whole they had been at constant enmity and strife, each against
the others. Not only so, but each had become split up, by division after
division, into an increasing number of sects which were often bitterly
opposed to each other. Yet Christ had said: "By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another, " and Muhammad
had said: "This your religion is the one religion.... To you hath God
prescribed the faith which He commanded unto Noah, and which We have
revealed unto thee, and which We commanded unto Abraham and Moses and
Jesus saying: 'Observe this faith, and be not divided into sects
therein!'" The Founder of every one of the great religions had called His
followers to love and unity, but in every case the aim of the Founder was
to a large extent lost sight of in a welter of intolerance and bigotry,
formalism and hypocrisy, corruption and misrepresentation, schism and
contention. The aggregate number of more or less hostile sects in the
world was probably greater at the commencement of the Baha'i era than at
any previous period in human history. It seemed as if humanity at that
time were experimenting with every possible kind of religious belief, with
every possible sort of ritual and ceremonial observance, with every
possible variety of moral code.
At the same time an increasing number of men were devoting their energies
to fearless investigation and critical examination of the laws of nature
and the foundations of belief. New scientific knowledge was being rapidly
acquired and new solutions were being found for many of the problems of
life. The development of inventions such as steamship and railway, postal
system and press, greatly aided the diffusion of ideas and the fertilizing
contact of widely different types of thought and life.
The so-called "conflict between religion and science" became a fierce
battle. In the Christian world Biblical criticism combined with physical
science to dispute, and to some extent to refute, the authority of the
Bible, an authority that for centuries had been the generally accepted
basis of belief. A rapidly increasing proportion of the population became
skeptical about the teachings of the churches. A large number even of
religious priests secretly or openly entertained doubts or reservations
regarding the creeds adhered to by their respective denominations.
This ferment and flux of opinion, with increasing recognition of the
inadequacy of the old orthodoxies and dogmas, and groping and striving
after fuller knowledge and understanding, were not confined to Christian
countries, but were manifest, more or less, and in different forms, among
the people of all countries and religions.
The Message of Baha'u'llah
It was when this state of conflict and confusion was at its height, that
Baha'u'llah sounded His great trumpet call to humanity:--
That all nations should become one in faith and all men as
brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons
of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should
cease, and differences of race be annulled.... These strifes and
this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one
kindred and one family.... (words spoken to Professor Browne).
It is a glorious message, but how are its proposals to be carried into
effect? Prophets have preached, poets have sung and saints have prayed
about these things for thousands of years, but diversities of religion
have not ceased nor have strife and bloodshed and discord been annulled.
What is there to show that now the miracle is to be accomplished? Are
there any new factors in the situation? Is not human nature the same as it
ever was, and will it not continue to be the same while the world lasts?
If two people want the same thing, or two nations, will they not fight for
it in the future as they have done in the past? If Moses, Buddha, Christ
and Muhammad failed to achieve world unity will Baha'u'llah succeed? If
all previous faiths become corrupted and rent asunder into sects will not
the Baha'i faith share the same fate? Let us see what answer the Baha'i
teachings give to these and similar questions.
Can Human Nature Change?
Education and religion are alike based on the assumption that it is
possible to change human nature. In fact, it requires but little
investigation to show that the one thing we can say with certainty about
any living thing is that it cannot keep from changing. Without change
there can be no life. Even the mineral cannot resist change, and the
higher we go in the scale of being, the more varied, complex, and
wonderful do the changes become. Moreover, in progress and development
among creatures of all grades we find two kinds of change--one slow,
gradual, often almost imperceptible; and the other rapid, sudden and
dramatic. The latter occur at what are called "critical stages" of
development. In the case of minerals we find such critical stages at the
melting and boiling points, for example, when the solid suddenly becomes a
liquid or the liquid becomes a gas. In the case of plants we see such
critical stages when the seed begins to germinate, or the bud bursts into
leaf. In the animal world we see the same on every hand, as when the grub
suddenly changes into a butterfly, the chick emerges from its shell, or
the babe is born from its mother's womb. In the higher life of the soul we
often see a similar transformation, when a man is "born again" and his
whole being becomes radically changes in its aims, its character and
activities. Such critical stages often affect a whole species or multitude
of species simultaneously, as when vegetation of all kinds suddenly bursts
into new life in springtime.
Baha'u'llah declares that just as lesser living things have times of
sudden emergence into new and fuller life, so for mankind also a "critical
stage," a time of "rebirth," is at hand. Then modes of life which have
persisted from the dawn of history up till now will be quickly,
irrevocably, altered, and humanity enter on a new phase of life as
different from the old as the butterfly is different from the caterpillar,
or the bird from the egg. Mankind as a whole, in the light of new
Revelation, will attain to a new vision of truth; as a whole country is
illumined when the sun rises, so that all men see clearly, where but an
hour before everything was dark and dim. "This is a new cycle of human
power," says 'Abdu'l-Baha. "All the horizons of the world are luminous,
and the world will become indeed as a rose garden and a paradise." The
analogies of nature are all in favor of such a view; the Prophets of old
have with one accord foretold the advent of such a glorious day; the signs
of the times show clearly that profound and revolutionary changes in human
ideas and institutions are even now in progress. What could be more futile
and baseless therefore, than the pessimistic argument that, although all
things else change, human nature cannot change?
First Steps Toward Unity
As a means of promoting religious unity Baha'u'llah advocates the utmost
charity and tolerance, and calls on His followers to "consort with the
people of all religions with joy and gladness." In His last Will and
Testament He says:--
Contention and conflict hath He strictly forbidding in His book
(Kitab-i-Aqdas); such is the command of the Lord in this
all-highest Revelation--a command which He hath exempted from all
annulment and arrayed with the adorning of His confirmation.
O ye people of the world! The Religion of God is for the sake of
love and union; make it not the cause of enmity and conflict....
The hope is cherished, that the people of Baha shall ever turn
unto the Hallowed Word: "Lo! All things are of God."--the
All-Glorious Word that, like unto water, quencheth the fire of
hate and rancor which doth smoulder in hearts and breasts. By this
one Word shall the diverse sects of the world attain unto the
light of real union; verily the Truth He speaketh, and to the Path
He leadeth, and He is the Mighty, the Gracious, the Beauteous.
'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
All must abandon prejudices and must even go to each other's
churches and mosques, for, in all of these worshipping places, the
Name of God is mentioned. Since all gather to worship God, what
difference is there? None of them worship Satan. The Muhammadans
must go to the churches of the Christians and the Synagogues of
the Jews, and vice versa, the others must go to the Muhammadan
Mosques. They hold aloof from one another merely because of
unfounded prejudices and dogmas. In America I went to the Jewish
Synagogues, which are similar to the Christian Churches, and I saw
them worshipping God everywhere.
In many of these places I spoke about the original foundations of
the divine religions, and I explained to them the proofs of the
validity of the divine prophets and of the Holy Manifestations. I
encouraged them to do away with blind imitations. All of the
leaders must, likewise, go to each other's Churches and speak of
the foundation and of the fundamental principles of the divine
religions. In the utmost unity and harmony they must worship God,
in the worshipping places of one another, and must abandon
fanaticism.
Were even these first steps accomplished and a state of friendly mutual
tolerance established between the various religious sects, what a
wonderful change would be brought about in the world! In order that real
unity may be achieved, however, something more than this is required. For
the disease of sectarianism, tolerance is a valuable palliative, but it is
not a radical cure. It does not remove the cause of the trouble.
The Problem of Authority
The different religious communities have failed to unite in the past,
because the adherents of each have regarded the Founder of their own
community as the one supreme authority, and His law as the divine law. Any
Prophet Who proclaimed a different message was, therefore, regarded as an
enemy of the truth. The different sects of each community have separated
for similar reasons. The adherents of each have accepted some subordinate
authority and regarded some particular version or interpretation of the
Founder's Message as the One True Faith, and all others as wrong. It is
obvious that while this state of matters exists no true unity is possible.
Baha'u'llah, on the other hand, teaches that all the Prophets were bearers
of authentic messages from God; that each in His day gave the highest
teachings of all are essentially in harmony, and are parts of a great plan
for the education and the unification of humanity. He calls on the people
of all denominations to show their reverence for their Prophets by
devoting their lives to the accomplishment of that unity for which all the
Prophets labored and suffered. In His letter to Queen Victoria He likens
the world to a sick man whose malady is aggravated because he has fallen
into the hands of unskilled physicians; and He tells how the remedy may be
effected:--
That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and
mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union
of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This
can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled,
an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the
truth, and all else naught but error.--Gleanings from the Writings
of Baha'u'llah, p. 255.
Progressive Revelation
A great stumbling block to many, in the way of religious unity, is the
difference between the Revelations given by the different Prophets. What
is commanded by one is forbidden by another; how then can both be right,
how can both be proclaiming the Will of God? Surely the truth is One, and
cannot change. Yes, the Absolute Truth is One and cannot change, but the
Absolute Truth is infinitely beyond the present range of human
understanding, and our conceptions of it must constantly change. Our
earlier, imperfect ideas will be by the Grace of God replaced, as time
goes on, by more and more adequate conceptions. Baha'u'llah says, in a
Tablet to some Baha'is of Persia:--
O people! Words are revealed according to capacity so that the
beginners may make progress. The milk must be given according to
measure so that the babe of the world may enter into the Realm of
Grandeur and be established in the Court of Unity.
It is milk that strengthens the babe so that it can digest more solid food
later on. To say that because one Prophet is right in giving a certain
teaching at a certain time, therefore another Prophet must be wrong Who
gives a different teaching at a different time, is like saying that
because milk is the best food for the newborn babe, therefore, milk and
nothing but milk should be the food of the grown man also, and to give any
other diet would be wrong! 'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
Each divine revelation is divided into two parts. The first part
is essential and belongs to the eternal world. It is the
exposition of Divine truths and essential principles. It is the
expression of the Love of God. This is one in all the religions,
unchangeable and immutable. The second part is not eternal; it
deals with practical life, transactions and business, and changes
according to the evolution of man and the requirements of the time
of each Prophet. For example.... During the Mosaic period the hand
of a person was cut off in punishment of a small theft; there was
a law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but as these
laws were not expedient in the time of Christ, they were
abrogated. Likewise divorce had become so universal that there
remained no fixed laws of marriage, therefore His Holiness Christ
forbade divorce.
According to the exigencies of the time, His Holiness Moses
revealed ten laws for capital punishment. It was impossible at
that time to protect the community and to preserve social security
without these severe measures, for the children of Israel lived in
the wilderness of Tah, where there were no established courts of
justice and no penitentiaries. But this code of conduct was not
needed in the time of Christ. The history of the second part of
religion is unimportant, because it relates to the customs of this
life only; but the foundation of the religion of God is one, and
His Holiness Baha'u'llah has renewed that foundation.
The religion of God is the One Religion, and all the Prophets have taught
it, but it is a living and a growing thing, not lifeless and unchanging.
In the teaching of Moses we see the Bud; in that of Christ the Flower; in
that of Baha'u'llah the Fruit. The flower does not destroy the bud, nor
does the fruit destroy the flower. It destroys not, but fulfills. The bud
scales must fall in order that the flower may bloom, and the petals must
fall that the fruit may grow and ripen. Were the bud scales and the petals
wrong or useless, then, that they had to be discarded? Nay, both in their
time were right and necessary; without them there could have been no
fruit. So it is with the various prophetic teachings; their externals
change from age to age, but each revelation is the fulfillment of its
predecessors; they are not separate or incongruous, but different stages
in the life history of the One Religion, which has in turn been revealed
as seed, as bud and as flower, and now enters on the stage of fruition.
Infallibility of the Prophets
Baha'u'llah teaches that everyone endowed with the Station of Prophethood
is given sufficient proofs of His Mission, is entitled to claim obedience
from all men and has authority to abrogate, alter or add to the teachings
of His predecessors. In the Book of Iqan we read:--
How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving
providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from
amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one
hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine
testimony, and, on the other, inflict severe retribution on His
people for having turned away from His chosen One! Nay, the
manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings have, at all times,
through the Manifestations of His divine Essence, encompassed the
earth and all that dwell therein. ...
And yet, is not the object of every Revelation to effect a
transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation
that shall manifest itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall
affect both its inner life and external conditions? For if the
character of mankind be not changed, the futility of God's
universal Manifestations would be apparent.--Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 14,
240.
God is the One infallible Authority, and the Prophets are infallible
because Their Message is the Message of God given to the world through
Them. That Message remains valid until it is superseded by a later Message
given by the same or another Prophet.
God is the great Physician Who alone can rightly diagnose the world's
sickness and prescribe the appropriate remedy. The remedy prescribed in
one age is no longer suitable in a later age, when the condition of the
patient is different. To cling to the old remedy when the physician has
ordered new treatment is not to show faith in the physician, but
infidelity. It may be a shock to the Jew to be told that some of the
remedies for the world's sickness which Moses ordered over three thousand
years ago are now out of date and unsuitable; the Christian may be equally
shocked when told that Muhammad had anything necessary or valuable to add
to what Jesus prescribed; and so also the Muslim, when asked to admit that
the Bab or Baha'u'llah had authority to alter the commands of Muhammad;
but according to the Baha'i view, true devotion to God implies reverence
to all His Prophets, and implicit obedience to His latest Commands, as
given by the Prophet for our own age. Only by such devotion can true Unity
be attained.
The Supreme Manifestation
Like all the other Prophets, Baha'u'llah states His own Mission in the
most unmistakable terms.
In the Lawh-i-Aqdas, a Tablet addressed especially to Christians, He
says:--
Surely the Father hath come and hath fulfilled that which you were
promised in the Kingdom of God. This is the Word which the Son
veiled when He said to those around Him that at that time they
could not bear it. But when the stated time was ended, and the
Hour arrived, the Word shone forth from the Horizon of the Will.
Beware, O Concourse of the Son (i.e. Christians)! Cast it not
behind you, but hold thereunto. It is better for you than all that
which is before you! ... Verily, the Spirit of Truth is come, to
guide you into all Truth. Verily, He speaketh not from Himself,
nay, but rather from the All-Knowing and Wise. He is the One Whom
the Son hath glorified.... Abandon that which is before you, O
people of the earth, and take that which is commanded you by Him
Who is the Powerful, the Faithful.
And in a letter to the Pope, written from Adrianople in 1867, He says:--
Beware lest celebration hinder you from the Celebrated and worship
hinder you from the Worshipped One! Behold the Lord, the Mighty,
the All-Knowing! He hath come to minister to the life of the
world, and for the uniting of whatever dwelleth therein. Come, O
ye people, to the Dawning-place of Revelation! Tarry not, even for
an hour! Are ye learned of the Gospel, and yet are unable to see
the Lord of Glory?
This beseemeth you not, O learned concourse! Say then, if ye deny
this matter, by what proof do you believe in God? Produce your
proof....
Just as in these letters to Christians He announces the fulfillment of the
Gospel promises, so He proclaims also to Muhammadan, Jews, Zoroastrians
and the people of other faiths the fulfillment of the promises of their
Holy Books. He addresses all men as the sheep of God, who have hitherto
been divided into different flocks and sheltered in different folds. His
message, He says, is the Voice of God, the Good Shepherd, Who has come in
the fullness of time to gather His scattered sheep into one flock,
removing the barriers between them, that "there may be one fold and one
shepherd."
A New Situation
The position of Baha'u'llah among the Prophets is unprecedented and
unique, because the condition of the world at the time of His advent was
unprecedented and unique. By a long and checkered process of development
in religion, science, art and civilization the world had become ripe for a
teaching of Unity. The barriers which in previous centuries had made a
world unity impossible were ready to crumble when Baha'u'llah appeared,
and since His birth, in 1817, and more especially since the promulgation
of His teachings began, these barriers have been breaking down in most
astonishing fashion. Be the explanation what it may, about the fact there
can be no doubt.
In the days of previous Prophets geographical barriers alone were amply
sufficient to prevent world unity. Now that obstacle has been overcome.
For the first time in human history men on opposite sides of the globe are
able to communicate with each other quickly and easily. Things done in
Europe yesterday are known in every continent of the world today, and a
speech made in America today may be read in Europe, Asia and Africa
tomorrow.
Another great obstacle was the language difficulty. Thanks to the study
and teaching of foreign languages, that difficulty has already been to a
large extent overcome; and there is every reason to suppose that ere many
years an international auxiliary language will be adopted and taught in
all the schools of the world. Then this difficulty also will be completely
removed.
The third great obstacle was religious prejudice and intolerance. That,
too, is disappearing. Men's minds are becoming more open. The education of
the people is passing more and more out of the hands of sectarian priests;
and new and more liberal ideas can no longer be prevented from penetrating
into even the most exclusive and conservative circles.
Baha'u'llah is thus the first of the great Prophets Whose message has
become known within a period of comparatively few years in every quarter
of the globe. Within a short time the essential teachings of Baha'u'llah,
translated from His own authentic Writings, will be directly accessible to
every man, woman and child in the world who is able to read.
Fullness of the Baha'i Revelation
The Baha'i Revelation is unprecedented and unique among the faiths of the
world by reason of the fullness and completeness of its authentic records.
The recorded words that can with certainty be attributed to Christ, to
Moses, to Zoroaster, to Buddha, to Krishna, are very few, and leave many
modern questions of great practical importance unanswered. Many of the
teachings commonly attributed to these religious Founders are of doubtful
authenticity, and some are evidently accretions of later date. The
Muhammadans possess in the Qur'an, and in a large store of traditions, a
much fuller record of the life and teachings of their Prophet, but
Muhammad Himself, though inspired, was illiterate, as were most of His
early followers. The methods employed for recording and spreading His
teachings were in many respects unsatisfactory, and the authenticity of
many of the traditions is very doubtful. As a result, differences of
interpretation and conflicting opinions have cause divisions and
dissensions in Islam, as in all previous religious communities.
On the other hand, both the Bab and Baha'u'llah wrote copiously and with
great eloquence and power. As both were debarred from public speaking and
spent most of Their lives (after the declaration of Their mission) in
prison, They devoted a large proportion of Their time to writing, with the
result that in richness of authentic scriptures the Baha'i Revelation is
unapproached by any of its predecessors. Clear and full expositions are
given of many truths which were but dimly foreshadowed in previous
revelations, and the eternal principles of truth, which all the Prophets
have taught, have been applied to the problems which are facing the world
today--problems of the utmost complexity and difficulty, many of which had
not arisen in the days of former Prophets. It is evident that this full
record of authentic revelation must have a powerful effect in preventing
misunderstandings in the future and in clearing up those misunderstandings
of the past which have kept the various sects asunder.
The Baha'i Covenant
The Baha'i Revelation is unprecedented and unique in still another way.
Before the death of Baha'u'llah He repeatedly put in writing a Covenant
appointing his eldest son 'Abdu'l-Baha, Whom He often refers to as "The
Branch," or "The Most Great Branch," as the authorized interpreter of the
teachings, and declaring that any explanations or interpretations given by
Him are to be accepted as of equal validity with the words of Baha'u'llah
Himself. In His Will and Testament He says:--
Consider that which We revealed in Our Most Holy Book: "When the
ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is
ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root." The object of this sacred verse
is none other except the Most Mighty Branch ('Abdu'l-Baha).
And in the Tablet of the Branch, in which He explains the station of
'Abdu'l-Baha, He says:--
Render thanks unto God, O people, for His appearance; for verily
He is the most great Favor unto you, the most perfect bounty upon
you; and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whoso
turneth towards Him hath turned towards God, and whoso turneth
away from Him hath turned away from My Beauty, hath repudiated My
Proof, and transgressed against Me.
After the death of Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha had abundant opportunities,
both in His own home and on His extensive travels, of meeting people from
all parts of the world and of all shades of opinion. He heard all their
questions, their difficulties and objections, and gave full explanations
which were carefully recorded in writing. During a long series of years
'Abdu'l-Baha continued this work of elucidating the teachings and showing
their applications to the most varied problems of modern life. Differences
of opinion which have arisen among believers have been referred to Him and
authoritatively settled, and thus the risks of future misunderstandings
have been further reduced.
Baha'u'llah further arranged that an International House of Justice,
representative of all Baha'is throughout the world, should be elected to
take charge of the affairs of the Cause, control and coordinate all its
activities, prevent divisions and schisms, elucidate obscure matters, and
preserve the teachings from corruption and misrepresentation. The fact
that this supreme administrative body can not only initiate legislation on
all matters not defined in the Teachings, but also annul its own
enactments when new conditions require different measures, enables the
Faith to expand and adapt itself, like a living organism, to the needs and
requirements of a changing society.
Moreover, Baha'u'llah expressly forbade interpretation of the teachings by
anyone but the authorized interpreter. In His Will and Testament
'Abdu'l-Baha appointed Shoghi Effendi to be the Guardian of the Faith
after Him and to be empowered to interpret the Writings.
In a thousand or more years another Manifestation will appear, under the
shadow of Baha'u'llah, with clear proofs of His mission, but until then
the words of Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha and the Guardian and the decisions
of the International House of Justice constitute the authorities to which
all believers must turn for guidance. No Baha'i may found a school or sect
based on any particular interpretation of the teachings or any supposed
divine revelation. Anyone contravening these injunctions is considered a
"Covenant-breaker."(25)
'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
One of the enemies of the Cause is he who endeavors to interpret
the words of Baha'u'llah and thereby colors the meaning according
to his capacity, and collects around him a following, forming a
different sect, promoting his own station, and making a division
in the Cause.
In another Tablet He writes:--
These people (promoters of schism) are like the froth that gathers
on the surface of the sea; a wave will surge from the ocean of the
Covenant and through the power of the Abha Kingdom will cast this
foam ashore.... These corrupt thoughts that emanate from personal
and evil intentions will all vanish, whereas the Covenant of God
shall remain stable and secure.
There is nothing to keep men from forsaking religion if they wish to do
so. 'Abdu'l-Baha says: "God Himself does not compel the soul to become
spiritual. The exercise of the free human will is necessary." The
spiritual Covenant, however, clearly makes sectarianism within the Baha'i
community quite impossible.
No Professional Priesthood
One other feature of the Baha'i organization must be specially mentioned,
and that is the absence of a professional priesthood. Voluntary
contributions toward the expenses of teachers are permitted and many
devote their whole time to work for the Cause, but all Baha'is are
expected to share in the work of teaching, et cetera, according to their
opportunity and ability, and there is no special class distinguished from
their fellow believers by the exclusive exercise of priestly functions and
prerogatives.
In former ages priesthoods were necessary, because people were illiterate
and uneducated and were dependent on priests for their religious
instruction, for the conduct of religious rites and ceremonies, for the
administration of justice, et cetera. Now, however, times have changed.
Education is fast becoming universal, and if the commands of Baha'u'llah
are carried out, every boy and girl in the world will receive a sound
education. Each individual will then be able to study the Scriptures for
himself, to draw the Water of Life for himself, direct from the
Fountainhead. Elaborate rites and ceremonies, requiring the services of a
special profession or caste, have no place in the Baha'i system; and the
administration of justice is entrusted to the authorities instituted for
that purpose.
For a child a teacher is necessary, but the aim of the true teacher is to
fit his pupil to do without a teacher; to see things with his own eyes,
hear with his own ears, and understand with his own mind. Just so, in the
childhood of the race, the priest is necessary, but his real work is to
enable men to do without him: to see things divine with their own eyes,
hear them with their own ears and understand them with their own minds.
Now the priest's work is all but accomplished, and the aim of the Baha'i
teaching is to complete that work, to make men independent of all save
God, so that they can turn directly to Him, that is, to His Manifestation.
When all turn to one Center, then there can be no cross-purposes or
confusion and the nearer all draw to the Center, the nearer they will draw
to each other.