It seems as though all creatures can exist singly and alone. For example,
a tree can exist solitary and alone on a given prairie or in a valley or
on the mountainside. An animal upon a mountain or a bird soaring in the
air might live a solitary life. They are not in need of cooperation or
solidarity. Such animated beings enjoy the greatest comfort and happiness
in their respective solitary lives.
On the contrary, man cannot live singly and alone. He is in need of
continuous cooperation and mutual help. For example, a man living alone in
the wilderness will eventually starve. He can never, singly and alone,
provide himself with all the necessities of existence. Therefore, he is in
need of cooperation and reciprocity.
The mystery of this phenomenon, the cause thereof is this, that mankind
has been created from one single origin, has branched off from one family.
Thus in reality all mankind represents one family. God has not created any
difference. He has created all as one that thus this family might live in
perfect happiness and well-being.
Regarding reciprocity and cooperation: each member of the body politic
should live in the utmost comfort and welfare because each individual
member of humanity is a member of the body politic and if one member of
the members be in distress or be afflicted with some disease all the other
members must necessarily suffer. For example, a member of the human
organism is the eye. If the eye should be affected that affliction would
affect the whole nervous system. Hence, if a member of the body politic
becomes afflicted, in reality, from the standpoint of sympathetic
connection, all will share that affliction since this (one afflicted) is a
member of the group of members, a part of the whole. Is it possible for
one member or part to be in distress and the other members to be at ease?
It is impossible! Hence God has desired that in the body politic of
humanity each one shall enjoy perfect welfare and comfort.
Although the body politic is one family yet because of lack of harmonious
relations some members are comfortable and some in direst misery, some
members are satisfied and some are hungry, some members are clothed in
most costly garments and some families are in need of food and shelter.
Why? Because this family lacks the necessary reciprocity and symmetry.
This household is not well arranged. This household is not living under a
perfect law. All the laws which are legislated do not ensure happiness.
They do not provide comfort. Therefore a law must be given to this family
by means of which all the members of this family will enjoy equal
well-being and happiness.
Is it possible for one member of a family to be subjected to the utmost
misery and to abject poverty and for the rest of the family to be
comfortable? It is impossible unless those members of the family be
senseless, atrophied, inhospitable, unkind. Then they would say, "Though
these members do belong to our family--let them alone. Let us look after
ourselves. Let them die. So long as I am comfortable, I am honored, I am
happy--this my brother--let him die. If he be in misery let him remain in
misery, so long as I am comfortable. If he is hungry let him remain so; I
am satisfied. If he is without clothes, so long as I am clothed, let him
remain as he is. If he is shelterless, homeless, so long as I have a home,
let him remain in the wilderness."
Such utter indifference in the human family is due to lack of control, to
lack of a working law, to lack of kindness in its midst. If kindness had
been shown to the members of this family surely all the members thereof
would have enjoyed comfort and happiness.
His Holiness Baha'u'llah has given instructions regarding every one of the
questions confronting humanity. He has given teachings and instructions
with regard to every one of the problems with which man struggles. Among
them are (the teachings) concerning the question of economics that all the
members of the body politic may enjoy through the working out of this
solution the greatest happiness, welfare and comfort without any harm or
injury attacking the general order of things. Thereby no difference or
dissension will occur. No sedition or contention will take place. This
solution is this:
First and foremost is the principle that to all the members of the body
politic shall be given the greatest achievements of the world of humanity.
Each one shall have the utmost welfare and well-being. To solve this
problem we must begin with the farmer; there will we lay a foundation for
system and order because the peasant class and the agricultural class
exceed other classes in the importance of their service. In every village
there must be established a general storehouse which will have a number of
revenues.
The first revenue will be that of the tenth or tithes.
The second revenue (will be derived) from the animals. The third revenue,
from the minerals, that is to say, every mine prospected or discovered, a
third thereof will go to this vast storehouse.
The fourth is this: whosoever dies without leaving any heirs all his
heritage will go to the general storehouse.
Fifth, if any treasures shall be found on the land they should be devoted
to this storehouse.
All these revenues will be assembled in this storehouse.
As to the first, the tenths or tithes: we will consider a farmer, one of
the peasants. We will look into his income. We will find out, for
instance, what is his annual revenue and also what are his expenditures.
Now, if his income be equal to his expenditures, from such a farmer
nothing whatever will be taken. That is, he will not be subjected to
taxation of any sort, needing as he does all his income. Another farmer
may have expenses running up to one thousand dollars we will say, and his
income is two thousand dollars. From such an one a tenth will be required,
because he has a surplus. But if his income be ten thousand dollars and
his expenses one thousand dollars or his income twenty thousand dollars,
he will have to pay as taxes, one-fourth. If his income be one hundred
thousand dollars and his expenses five thousand, one-third will he have to
pay because he has still a surplus since his expenses are five thousand
and his income one hundred thousand. If he pays, say, thirty-five thousand
dollars, in addition to the expenditure of five thousand he still has
sixty thousand left. But if his expenses be ten thousand and his income
two hundred thousand then he must give an even half because ninety
thousand will be in that case the sum remaining. Such a scale as this will
determine allotment of taxes. All the income from such revenues will go to
this general storehouse.
Then there must be considered such emergencies as follows: a certain
farmer whose expenses run up to ten thousand dollars and whose income is
only five thousand, he will receive necessary expenses from the
storehouse. Five thousand dollars will be allotted to him so he will not
be in need.
Then the orphans will be looked after, all of whose expenses will be taken
care of. The cripples in the village--all their expenses will be looked
after. The poor in the village--their necessary expenses will be defrayed.
And other members who for valid reasons are incapacitated--the blind, the
old, the deaf--their comfort must be looked after. In the village no one
will remain in need or in want. All will live in the utmost comfort and
welfare. Yet no schism will assail the general order of the body politic.
Hence the expenses or expenditures of the general storehouse are now made
clear and its activities made manifest. The income of this general
storehouse has been shown. Certain trustees will be elected by the people
in a given village to look after these transactions. The farmers will be
taken care of and if after all these expenses are defrayed any surplus is
found in the storehouse it must be transferred to the national treasury.
This system is all thus ordered so that in the village the very poor will
be comfortable, the orphans will live happily and well; in a word, no one
will be left destitute. All the individual members of the body politic
will thus live comfortably and well.
For larger cities, naturally, there will be a system on a larger scale.
Were I to go into that solution the details thereof would be very lengthy.
The result of this (system) will be that each individual member of the
body politic will live most comfortably and happily under obligation to no
one. Nevertheless, there will be preservation of degree because in the
world of humanity there must needs be degrees. The body politic may well
be likened to an army. In this army there must be a general, there must be
a sergeant, there must be a marshal, there must be the infantry; but all
must enjoy the greatest comfort and welfare.
God is not partial and is no respecter of persons. He has made provision
for all. The harvest comes forth for everyone. The rain showers upon
everybody and the heat of the sun is destined to warm everyone. The
verdure of the earth is for everyone. Therefore there should be for all
humanity the utmost happiness, the utmost comfort, the utmost well-being.
But if conditions are such that some are happy and comfortable and some in
misery; some are accumulating exorbitant wealth and others are in dire
want--under such a system it is impossible for man to be happy and
impossible for him to win the good pleasure of God. God is kind to all.
The good pleasure of God consists in the welfare of all the individual
members of mankind.
A Persian king was one night in his palace, living in the greatest luxury
and comfort. Through excessive joy and gladness he addressed a certain
man, saying: "Of all my life this is the happiest moment. Praise be to
God, from every point prosperity appears and fortune smiles! My treasury
is full and the army is well taken care of. My palaces are many; my land
unlimited; my family is well off; my honor and sovereignty are great. What
more could I want!"
The poor man at the gate of his palace spoke out, saying: "O kind king!
Assuming that you are from every point of view so happy, free from every
worry and sadness--do you not worry for us? You say that on your own
account you have no worries--but do you never worry about the poor in your
land? Is it becoming or meet that you should be so well off and we in such
dire want and need? In view of our needs and troubles how can you rest in
your palace, how can you even say that you are free from worries and
sorrows? As a ruler you must not be so egoistic as to think of yourself
alone but you must think of those who are your subjects. When we are
comfortable then you will be comfortable; when we are in misery how can
you, as a king, be in happiness?"
The purport is this that we are all inhabiting one globe of earth. In
reality we are one family and each one of us is a member of this family.
We must all be in the greatest happiness and comfort, under a just rule
and regulation which is according to the good pleasure of God, thus
causing us to be happy, for this life is fleeting.
If man were to care for himself only he would be nothing but an animal for
only the animals are thus egoistic. If you bring a thousand sheep to a
well to kill nine hundred and ninety-nine the one remaining sheep would go
on grazing, not thinking of the others and worrying not at all about the
lost, never bothering that its own kind had passed away, or had perished
or been killed. To look after one's self only is therefore an animal
propensity. It is the animal propensity to live solitary and alone. It is
the animal proclivity to look after one's own comfort. But man was created
to be a man--to be fair, to be just, to be merciful, to be kind to all his
species, never to be willing that he himself be well off while others are
in misery and distress--this is an attribute of the animal and not of man.
Nay, rather, man should be willing to accept hardships for himself in
order that others may enjoy wealth; he should enjoy trouble for himself
that others may enjoy happiness and well-being. This is the attribute of
man. This is becoming of man. Otherwise man is not man--he is less than the
animal.
The man who thinks only of himself and is thoughtless of others is
undoubtedly inferior to the animal because the animal is not possessed of
the reasoning faculty. The animal is excused; but in man there is reason,
the faculty of justice, the faculty of mercifulness. Possessing all these
faculties he must not leave them unused. He who is so hard-hearted as to
think only of his own comfort, such an one will not be called man.
Man is he who forgets his own interests for the sake of others. His own
comfort he forfeits for the well-being of all. Nay, rather, his own life
must he be willing to forfeit for the life of mankind. Such a man is the
honor of the world of humanity. Such a man is the glory of the world of
mankind. Such a man is the one who wins eternal bliss. Such a man is near
to the threshold of God. Such a man is the very manifestation of eternal
happiness. Otherwise, men are like animals, exhibiting the same
proclivities and propensities as the world of animals. What distinction is
there? What prerogatives, what perfections? None whatever! Animals are
better even--thinking only of themselves and negligent of the needs of
others.
Consider how the greatest men in the world--whether among prophets or
philosophers--all have forfeited their own comfort, have sacrificed their
own pleasure for the well-being of humanity. They have sacrificed their
own lives for the body politic. They have sacrificed their own wealth for
that of the general welfare. They have forfeited their own honor for the
honor of mankind. Therefore it becomes evident that this is the highest
attainment for the world of humanity.
We ask God to endow human souls with justice so that they may be fair, and
may strive to provide for the comfort of all, that each member of humanity
may pass his life in the utmost comfort and welfare. Then this material
world will become the very paradise of the Kingdom, this elemental earth
will be in a heavenly state and all the servants of God will live in the
utmost joy, happiness and gladness. We must all strive and concentrate all
our thoughts in order that such happiness may accrue to the world of
humanity.
"THE QUESTION OF SOCIALIZATION IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT WILL NOT BE..."
The question of socialization is very important. It will not be solved by
strikes for wages. All the governments of the world must be united and
organize an assembly the members of which should be elected from the
parliaments and the nobles of the nations. These must plan with utmost
wisdom and power so that neither the capitalist suffer from enormous
losses nor the laborers become needy. In the utmost moderation they should
make the law; then announce to the public that the rights of the working
people are to be strongly preserved. Also the rights of the capitalists
are to be protected. When such a general plan is adopted by the will of
both sides, should a strike occur, all the governments of the world
collectively should resist it. Otherwise, the labor problem will lead to
much destruction, especially in Europe. Terrible things will take place.
For instance, the owners of properties, mines and factories should share
their incomes with their employees and give a fairly certain percentage of
their products to their workingmen in order that the employees may
receive, beside their wages, some of the general income of the factory so
that the employee may strive with his soul in the work.
No more trusts will remain in the future. The question of the trusts will
be wiped away entirely. Also, every factory that has ten thousand shares
will give two thousand shares of these ten thousand to its employees and
will write the shares in their names, so that they may have them, and the
rest will belong to the capitalists. Then at the end of the month or year
whatever they may earn after the expenses and wages are paid, according to
the number of shares, should be divided among both. In reality, so far
great injustice has befallen the common people. Laws must be made because
it is impossible for the laborers to be satisfied with the present system.
They will strike every month and every year. Finally, the capitalists will
lose. In ancient times a strike occurred among the Turkish soldiers. They
said to the government: "Our wages are very small and they should be
increased." The government was forced to give them their demands. Shortly
afterwards they struck again. Finally all the incomes went to the pockets
of the soldiers to the extent that they killed the king, saying: "Why
didst thou not increase the income so that we might have received more?"
It is impossible for a country to live properly without laws. To solve
this problem rigorous laws must be made, so that all the governments of
the world will be the protectors thereof.
In the Bolshevistic principles equality is effected through force. The
masses who are opposed to the people of rank and to the wealthy class
desire to partake of their advantages.
But in the divine teachings equality is brought about through a ready
willingness to share. It is commanded as regards wealth that the rich
among the people, and the aristocrats should, by their own free will and
for the sake of their own happiness, concern themselves with and care for
the poor. This equality is the result of the lofty characteristics and
noble attributes of mankind.