There is not one soul whose conscience does not testify that in this day
there is no more important matter in the world than that of Universal
Peace. Every just one bears witness to this and adores that esteemed
Assembly(5) because its aim is that this darkness may be turned into
light, this bloodthirstiness into kindness, this torment into bliss, this
hardship into ease and this enmity and hatred into fellowship and love.
Therefore the effort of those esteemed souls is worthy of praise and
commendation.
But the wise souls who are aware of the essential relationships emanating
from the realities of things consider that one single matter cannot, by
itself, influence the human reality as it ought and should, for until the
minds of men become united, no important matter can be accomplished. At
present Universal Peace is a matter of great importance, but unity of
conscience is essential, so that the foundation of this matter may become
secure, its establishment firm and its edifice strong.
Therefore His Holiness Baha'u'llah fifty years ago, expounded this
question of Universal Peace at a time when he was confined in the fortress
of Akka and was wronged and imprisoned. He wrote about this matter of
Universal Peace to all the great sovereigns of the world, and established
it among his friends in the Orient. The horizon of the East was in utter
darkness, nations displayed the utmost hatred and enmity towards each
other, religions thirsted for each other's blood, and it was darkness upon
darkness. At such a time His Holiness Baha'u'llah shone forth like the sun
from the horizon of the East and illumined Persia with the light of these
teachings.
Among his teachings was the declaration of Universal Peace. People of
different nations, religions and sects, who followed him, came together to
such an extent that remarkable gatherings were instituted, consisting of
the various nations and religions of the East. Every soul who entered
those gatherings saw but one nation, one pathway, one teaching, one order;
for the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah were not limited to the
establishment of Universal Peace. They embraced many teachings which
supplemented and supported that of Universal Peace.
Among these teachings is the independent investigation of reality, so that
the world of humanity might be saved from the darkness of imitation and
attain to the truth; might tear off and cast away this ragged and outworn
garment of one thousand years ago and put on the robe woven in the utmost
purity and holiness in the loom of reality. As reality is one and cannot
admit of multiplicity, therefore different opinions must ultimately become
fused into one.
And among the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah is the oneness of the
world of humanity; that all human beings are the sheep of God and He is
the kind Shepherd. This Shepherd is kind to all the sheep, because He
created them all, trained them, provided for them and protected them.
There is no doubt that the Shepherd is kind to all the sheep; and should
there be among these sheep ignorant ones, they must be educated; if there
be children, they must be trained until they reach maturity; if there be
sick ones, they must be healed. There must be no hatred and enmity, for as
by a kind physician these ignorant, sick ones should be treated.
And among the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah is that religion must
be the cause of fellowship and love. If it becomes the cause of
estrangement, then it is not needed, for religion is like a remedy: if it
aggravates the disease, then it becomes unnecessary.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religious, racial,
political, economic and patriotic prejudices destroy the edifice of
humanity. As long as these prejudices prevail, the world of humanity will
have no rest. For a period of six thousand years history informs us about
the world of humanity. During these six thousand years the world of
humanity has not been free from war, strife, murder and bloodthirstiness.
In every period war has been waged in one country or another, and that war
was due to either religious prejudice, racial prejudice, political
prejudice or patriotic prejudice. It has, therefore, been ascertained and
proved that all prejudices are destructive of the human edifice. As long
as these prejudices persist, the struggle for existence must remain
dominant, and bloodthirstiness and rapacity continue. Therefore, even as
was the case in the past, the world of humanity cannot be saved from the
darkness of nature, and cannot attain illumination, except through the
abandonment of prejudices and the acquisition of the morals of the
Kingdom....
And among the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah is the origination of
one language that may be spread universally among the people. This
teaching was revealed from the pen of Baha'u'llah in order that this
universal language may eliminate misunderstandings from among mankind.
And among the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah is the equality of
women and men. The world of humanity has two wings-- one is woman and the
other man. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly.
Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of
woman becomes equal to the world of man in the acquisition of virtues and
perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is voluntary sharing of one's
property with others among mankind. This voluntary sharing is greater than
equality, and consists in this: that man should not prefer himself to
others, but rather should sacrifice his life and property for others. But
this should not be introduced by coercion so that it becomes a law and man
is compelled to follow it. Nay, rather should man voluntarily and of his
own choice sacrifice his property and life for others, and spend willingly
for the poor, just as is done in Persia among the Baha'is.
And among the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah is man's freedom: that
through the Ideal Power he should be emancipated and free from the
captivity of the world of nature; for as long as man is captive to nature
he is a ferocious animal, as the struggle for existence is one of the
exigencies of the world of nature. This matter of the struggle for
existence is the fountain-head of all calamities, and is the supreme
affliction.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religion is a mighty
bulwark. If the edifice of religion shakes and totters, commotion and
chaos will ensue and the order of things will be utterly upset, for in the
world of mankind there are two safeguards that protect man from
wrongdoing. One is the law which punishes the criminal; but the law
prevents only the manifest crime and not the concealed sin; whereas the
ideal safeguard, namely, the religion of God, prevents both the manifest
and the concealed crime, trains man, educates morals, compels the adoption
of virtues and is the all-inclusive power which guarantees the felicity of
the world of mankind. But by religion is meant that which is ascertained
by investigation and not that which is based on mere imitation, the
foundation of divine religions and not human imitations.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that although material
civilization is one of the means for the progress of the world of mankind,
yet until it becomes combined with divine civilization the desired result,
which is the felicity of mankind, will not be attained. Consider! These
battleships that reduce a city to ruins within the space of an hour are
the result of material civilization; likewise the Krupp guns, the Mauser
rifles, dynamite, submarines, torpedo boats, armed aircraft and bombing
aeroplanes--all these weapons of war are malignant fruits of material
civilization. Had material civilization been combined with divine
civilization, these fiery weapons would never have been invented. Nay,
rather human energy would have been wholly devoted to useful inventions
and concentrated on praiseworthy discoveries. Material civilization is
like a globe of glass. Divine civilization is the light itself, and the
glass without the light is dark. Material civilization is like the body.
No matter how infinitely graceful, elegant and beautiful it may be, it is
dead. Divine civilization is like the spirit, and the body gets its life
from the spirit, otherwise it becomes a corpse. It has thus been made
evident that the world of mankind is in need of the breaths of the Holy
Spirit. Without the spirit the world of mankind is lifeless, and without
this light the world of mankind is in utter darkness. For the world of
nature is an animal world. Until man is born again from the world of
nature--that is to say, becomes detached from the world of nature, he is
essentially an animal, and it is the teachings of God which convert this
animal into a human soul.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the promotion of education.
Every child must be instructed in sciences as much as is necessary. If the
parents are able to provide the expenses of this education, it is all
right; otherwise the community must provide the means for the teaching of
that child.
And among the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah are justice and right.
Until these are realized on the plane of existence, all things will be in
disorder and remain imperfect. The world of mankind is a world of
oppression and cruelty, and a realm of aggression and error.
In fine, such teachings are numerous. These manifold principles, which
constitute the greatest basis for the felicity of mankind and are of the
bounties of the Merciful, must be added to the matter of Universal Peace
and combined with it, so that results may accrue. Otherwise the
realization of Universal Peace in the world of mankind is difficult. As
the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah are combined with Universal
Peace, they are like a table provided with every kind of fresh and
delicious food. Every soul can find at that table of infinite bounty that
which he desires. If the question is restricted to Universal Peace alone,
the remarkable results which are expected and desired will not be
attained. The scope of Universal Peace must be such that all the
communities and religions may find their highest wish realized in it. At
present the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah are such that all the
communities of the world, whether religious, political or ethical, ancient
or modern, find in the teachings of Baha'u'llah the expression of their
highest wish.
For example, the people of religions find, in the teachings of His
Holiness Baha'u'llah, the establishment of Universal Religion--a religion
that perfectly conforms with present conditions, which in reality effects
the immediate cure of the incurable disease, which relieves every pain and
bestows the infallible antidote for every deadly poison. 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 mankind, it
is impossible and impracticable: for example, the enforcement of the laws
of the Old Testament 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 His Holiness Baha'u'llah in the most perfect presentation.
Similarly, with regard to the people who clamor for freedom: the moderate
freedom which guarantees the welfare of the world of man, is found in the
teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah.
So with regard to political parties: that which is the greatest policy
directing the world of mankind, nay, rather the divine policy, is found in
the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah.
Likewise with regard to the party of "equality" which seeks the solution
of the economic problems: until now all proposed solutions have proved
impracticable except the economic proposals in the teachings of His
Holiness Baha'u'llah, which are practicable and cause no distress to
society.
So with the other parties: when ye look deeply into this matter, ye will
discover that the highest aims of those parties are found in the teachings
of Baha'u'llah. These teachings constitute the all-inclusive power among
all men, and are practicable....
For example, the question of Universal Peace, about which His Holiness
Baha'u'llah says that the Supreme Tribunal must be established; although
the League of Nations has been brought into existence, yet it is incapable
of establishing Universal Peace. But the Supreme Tribunal which His
Holiness Baha'u'llah has described will fulfill this sacred task with the
utmost might and power. And his plan is this: that the national assemblies
of each country and nation--that is to say, their parliaments--should elect
two or three persons who are the choicest men of that nation, and are well
informed concerning international laws and the relations between
governments and aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in
this day. The number of these representatives should be in proportion to
the number of inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who
are chosen by the national assembly--that is, the parliament--must be
confirmed by the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the
president or monarch so that these persons may be the elected ones of all
the nation and the government. From among these people the members of the
Supreme Tribunal will be elected, and all mankind will thus have a share
therein, for every one of these delegates is fully representative of his
nation. When the Supreme Tribunal gives a ruling on any international
question, either unanimously or by majority rule, there will no longer be
any pretext for the plaintiff or ground of objection for the defendant. In
case any of the governments or nations, in the execution of the
irrefutable decision of the Supreme Tribunal, be negligent or dilatory,
the rest of the nations will rise up against it, because all the
governments and nations of the world are the supporters of this Supreme
Tribunal. Consider what a firm foundation this is! But by a limited and
restricted League the purpose will not be realized as it ought and should.
This is the truth about the situation which has been stated....
Today nothing but the power of the Word of God which encompasses the
realities of things can bring the thoughts, minds, hearts and spirits
under the shade of one Tree. He is the potent in all things, the vivifier
of souls, the preserver and the controller of the world of mankind. Praise
be to God, in this day the light of the Word of God has shone forth upon
all regions; and from all sects, communities, nations, tribes, peoples,
religions and denominations, souls have gathered together under the shadow
of the Word of Oneness, and have in the utmost fellowship united and
harmonized!