"He who wishes to deliver the Cause of his Lord must at first deliver it to himself, and then to others, in order to have their hearers attracted to what they say. Otherwise, their words will not have the least effect in the hearts of the Truth seekers.
"O people! Beware of being those who command others to be righteous, and at the same time forget it themselves, for that which comes out of their mouths will disclose them as liars. Not only that, but they will be accused of lying by the facts of things, and by the angels who are near. But if it happens that the words of such guides do take any effect in the hearts of the peoples it is not in reality from them, but from what was pre-ordained in the words by the Almighty, the Wise.
"Such guides will be likened unto a lamp from which the worshippers receive light while it burns in itself, and at last is burned out.
"O ye people! Commit not that which will make you lose your honor and dignity, and the sanctity of the Cause before the worshippers.
"O people! Tell the Truth always, for it is the thing which will adorn you and elevate your names and make your positions high and supreme amongst all the people in this world; and in the world to come a great reward from your God, the Truth.
"Every soul is commanded by God to deliver the Truth and exalt the Cause. Those who comply with His high command would, first, characterize themselves with the best characteristics and attributes, and then try to deliver the Truth to the people.
"Every man wishing to turn his face to the Supreme Horizon must purify himself inwardly and outwardly and abstain from that which is forbidden in the Book of God, the creator of heaven and earth.
"The Kingdom of God is likened unto a garden full of trees. We all know that a garden in order to be beautiful must contain a good number of trees, various in size and different in colors, flowers and fruits. Some of the trees are tall and some short. Some bear good and sweet fruits. Some sour and some bitter; but all these trees are necessary to form a garden. No tree can say to the other, 'I am the most important of all', or, 'I am of more profit than you.' Not so. All the trees in that garden are watered by the same hand, having the same sun and the same breeze passing over them. If any distinction is to be made among them, such distinction must be made by the owner of the garden and not by the trees themselves.
"So is the Kingdom of God. He is the Owner and Lord of the Kingdom, and everything relating to the members of
the Kingdom is in His Hands and belongs to Him alone, although the members are not equal in everything, but different in size, disposition, quality, character, conduct, color and fruit. All of them are necessary to form the Kingdom, but they cannot make any distinction among themselves. High distinction belongs only to the Lord of the Kingdom. No one can prefer himself to others, because all are watered by the same hand, having the same sun, the same breeze of air passing over them; therefore they should be as one, loving and respecting each other and considering themselves as brothers and sisters and even more, for in spirituality, kinship is not to be regarded. Jesus Christ said, 'He who hears My Words is My brother, sister and mother.'
"The guides and teachers who are in charge of this field must first deny themselves and love all sincerely and practice chastity, purity, and cut their hearts from the world, caring nothing for the comforts of their bodies or for any worldly thing. And they must eliminate from their minds the word 'ego' or 'I', and be servants of all, faithful and honest shepherds watching very strictly by day and night, exerting all utmost powers in care of their sheep and guarding them safely within the fold. If any of the sheep wander astray, they must not rest until they find it; they must serve the servants of God, for He (Praise be to Him) is in no need of our service, our submissiveness or prayers, our kindness or assistance, but those who are in need of these things are the servants of God, and by rendering this service they will please God the Almighty. Jesus said, 'And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water, only in the name of a disciple, it is as though he had given it to Me. Verily I say unto you, he shall in no way lose his reward.'
"The guides will not receive the confirmation of God unless he is sincere and faithful servant. It might sometimes happen that the insincere guide will be successful for a time, but at last he will fall, even though he be the greatest philosopher and the most learned man."
I believe in the Manifestation of Almighty God, in the person of Beha'U'llah.
I believe that prior to His Departure He appointed His oldest Son, Abbas Effendi, "The Greatest Branch" as head of the Kingdom.
I believe that from the Departure of the Manifestation until the end of one thousand years there shall not be another Manifestation upon the earth, of God. This I understand is the statement of the Manifestation contained in the "Kitab-iAkdas."
I believe "Kitab-i-Akdas" is the commands of the Almighty and is the basis of all the teachings.
I believe that Dr. I. G. Kheiralla in his books and teachings has given us the best opportunity of understanding the teachings, yet devised in the English language.
I believe that it is possible for all the believers to unite upon the basis of these teachings and I am ready to unite with all who will.
I believe that the Manifestation has declared it to be a sin against Himself for believers to speak maliciously, slanderously, or untruthfully against another believer.
I believe it to be a sin against the Manifestation
to backbite a believer, or even to listen to reports unfavorable to one in his absence.
I believe it to be my sacred duty to aid, assist and protect a believer when ever and whenever it is in my power to do so and to guard the reputation of each and all believers as I would my own.
Leaving behind these things which have passed, and which are consistent with the commands of the Almighty, I agree from this time to use my best endeavors to conform my life to the commands of God and to spread His Cause upon the earth.
[end]