28 May 1912
Talk at Reception at Metropolitan Temple
Seventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street, New York
Seventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street, New York
(Notes by Esther Foster)
The
Fatherhood of God, His loving-kindness and beneficence are apparent to all. In
His mercy He provides fully and amply for His creatures, and if any soul sins,
He does not suspend His bounty. All created things are visible manifestations
of His Fatherhood, mercy and heavenly bestowals. Human brotherhood is,
likewise, as clear and evident as the sun, for all are servants of one God,
belong to one humankind, inhabit the same globe, are sheltered beneath the
overshadowing dome of heaven and submerged in the sea of divine mercy. Human
brotherhood and dependence exist because mutual helpfulness and cooperation are
the two necessary principles underlying human welfare. This is the physical
relationship of mankind. There is another brotherhood—the spiritual—which is
higher, holier and superior to all others. It is heavenly; it emanates from the
breaths of the Holy Spirit and the effulgence of merciful attributes; it is
founded upon spiritual susceptibilities. This brotherhood is established by the
Manifestations of the Holy One.
The divine
Manifestations since the day of Adam have striven to unite humanity so that all
may be accounted as one soul. The function and purpose of a shepherd is to
gather and not disperse his flock. The Prophets of God have been divine Shepherds
of humanity. They have established a bond of love and unity among mankind, made
scattered peoples one nation and wandering tribes a mighty kingdom. They have
laid the foundation of the oneness of God and summoned all to universal peace.
All these holy, divine Manifestations are one. They have served one God,
promulgated the same truth, founded the same institutions and reflected the
same light. Their appearances have been successive and correlated; each One has
announced and extolled the One Who was to follow, and all laid the foundation
of reality. They summoned and invited the people to love and made the human
world a mirror of the Word of God. Therefore, the divine religions They
established have one foundation; Their teachings, proofs and evidences are one;
in name and form They differ, but in reality They agree and are the same. These
holy Manifestations have been as the coming of springtime in the world.
Although the springtime of this year is designated by another name according to
the changing calendar, yet as regards its life and quickening it is the same as
the springtime of last year. For each spring is the time of a new creation, the
effects, bestowals, perfections and life-giving forces of which are the same as
those of the former vernal seasons, although the names are many and various.
This is 1912, last year was 1911 and so on, but in fundamental reality no
difference is apparent. The sun is one, but the dawning points of the sun are
numerous and changing. The ocean is one body of water, but different parts of
it have particular designations—Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, Antarctic,
etc. If we consider the names, there is differentiation; but the water, the
ocean itself, is one reality.
Likewise,
the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one,
though in name and nomenclature they differ. Man must be a lover of the light,
no matter from what dayspring it may appear. He must be a lover of the rose, no
matter in what soil it may be growing. He must be a seeker of the truth, no
matter from what source it comes. Attachment to the lantern is not loving the
light. Attachment to the earth is not befitting, but enjoyment of the rose
which develops from the soil is worthy. Devotion to the tree is profitless, but
partaking of the fruit is beneficial. Luscious fruits, no matter upon what tree
they grow or where they may be found, must be enjoyed. The word of truth, no
matter which tongue utters it, must be sanctioned. Absolute verities, no matter
in what book they be recorded, must be accepted. If we
harbor prejudice, it will be the cause of deprivation and ignorance. The strife
between religions, nations and races arises from misunderstanding. If we
investigate the religions to discover the principles underlying their foundations,
we will find they agree; for the fundamental reality of them is one and not
multiple. By this means the religionists of the world will reach their point of
unity and reconciliation. They will ascertain the truth that the purpose of
religion is the acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, the betterment of morals,
the spiritual development of mankind, the real life and divine bestowals. All
the Prophets have been the promoters of these principles; none of Them has been
the promoter of corruption, vice or evil. They have summoned mankind to all
good. They have united people in the love of God, invited them to the religions
of the unity of mankind and exhorted them to amity and agreement. For example,
we mention Abraham and Moses. By this mention we do not mean the limitation
implied in the mere names but intend the virtues which these names embody. When
we say Abraham, we mean thereby a manifestation of divine guidance, a center of
human virtues, a source of heavenly bestowals to mankind, a dawning point of
divine inspiration and perfections. These perfections and graces are not
limited to names and boundaries. When we find these virtues, qualities and
attributes in any personality, we recognize the same reality shining from
within and bow in acknowledgment of the Abrahamic perfections. Similarly, we
acknowledge and adore the beauty of Moses. Some souls were lovers of the name
Abraham, loving the lantern instead of the light, and when they saw this same
light shining from another lantern, they were so attached to the former lantern
that they did not recognize its later appearance and illumination. Therefore,
those who were attached and held tenaciously to the name Abraham were deprived
when the Abrahamic virtues reappeared in Moses. Similarly, the Jews were believers
in Moses, awaiting the coming of the Messiah. The virtues and perfections of
Moses became apparent in Jesus Christ most effulgently, but the Jews held to
the name Moses, not adoring the virtues and perfections manifest in Him. Had
they been adoring these virtues and seeking these perfections, they would
assuredly have believed in Jesus Christ when the same virtues and perfections
shone in Him. If we are lovers of the light, we adore it in whatever lamp it
may become manifest, but if we love the lamp itself and the light is
transferred to another lamp, we will neither accept nor sanction it. Therefore,
we must follow and adore the virtues revealed in the Messengers of God—whether
in Abraham, Moses, Jesus or other Prophets—but we must
not adhere to and adore the lamp. We must recognize the sun, no matter from
what dawning point it may shine forth, be it Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal
point of orientation whatever, for we are lovers of sunlight and not of
orientation. We are lovers of illumination and not of lamps and candles. We are
seekers for water, no matter from what rock it may gush forth. We are in need
of fruit in whatsoever orchard it may be ripened. We long for rain; it matters
not which cloud pours it down. We must not be fettered. If we renounce these
fetters, we shall agree, for all are seekers of reality. The counterfeit or
imitation of true religion has adulterated human belief, and the foundations
have been lost sight of. The variance of these imitations has produced enmity
and strife, war and bloodshed. Now the glorious and brilliant twentieth century
has dawned, and the divine bounty is radiating universally. The Sun of Truth is
shining forth in intense enkindlement. This is, verily, the century when these
imitations must be forsaken, superstitions abandoned and God alone worshiped.
We must look at the reality of the Prophets and Their teachings in order that
we may agree.
Praise be to
God! The springtime of God is at hand. This century is, verily, the spring
season. The world of mind and kingdom of soul have become fresh and verdant by
its bestowals. It has resuscitated the whole realm of existence. On one hand,
the lights of reality are shining; on the other, the clouds of divine mercy are
pouring down the fullness of heavenly bounty. Wonderful material progress is
evident, and great spiritual discoveries are being made. Truly, this can be
called the miracle of centuries, for it is replete with manifestations of the
miraculous. The time has come when all mankind shall be united, when all races
shall be loyal to one fatherland, all religions become one religion, and racial
and religious bias pass away. It is a day in which the oneness of humankind
shall uplift its standard and international peace, like the true morning, flood
the world with its light. Therefore, we offer supplications to God, asking Him
to dispel these gloomy clouds and uproot these imitations in order that the
East and West may become radiant with love and unity, that the nations of the
world shall embrace each other and the ideal spiritual brotherhood illumine the
world like the glorious sun of the high heavens. This is our hope, our wish and
desire. We pray that through the bounty and grace of God we may attain thereto. I am very happy to be present at this meeting which has
innate radiance, intelligence, perception and longing to investigate reality.
Such meetings are the glory of the world of mankind. I ask the blessing of God
in your behalf.
~ ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace’)
~ ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace’)