O people of the world!

O people of the world! 

     The dawn of the Sun of Reality is assuredly for the illumination
of the world and for the manifestation of mercy.  In the assemblage
of the family of Adam results and fruits are praiseworthy, and the
holy bestowals of every bounty are abundant.  It is an absolute
mercy and a complete bounty, the illumination of the world, fellowship
and harmony, love and union; nay, rather, mercifulness
and oneness, the elimination of discord and the unity of whosoever
are on the earth in the utmost of freedom and dignity.  The Blessed
Beauty said:  “All are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one
branch.”  He likened the world of existence to one tree and all the
souls to leaves, blossoms and fruits.  Therefore all the branches,
leaves, blossoms and fruits must be in the utmost of freshness, and
the bringing about of this delicacy and sweetness depends upon
union and fellowship.  Therefore they must assist each other with
all their power and seek everlasting life.  Thus the friends of God
must manifest the mercy of the Compassionate Lord in the world
of existence and must show forth the bounty of the visible and
invisible King.  They must purify their sight, and look upon mankind
as the leaves, blossoms and fruits of the tree of creation, and
must always be thinking of doing good to someone, of love, consideration,
affection and assistance to somebody.  They must see no
enemy and count no one as an ill wisher.  They must consider every
one on the earth as a friend; regard the stranger as an intimate, and
the alien as a companion.  They must not be bound by any tie, nay,
rather, they should be free from every bond.  In this day the one
who is favored in the threshold of grandeur is the one who offers
the cup of faithfulness and bestows the pearl of gift to the enemies,

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even to the fallen oppressor, lends a helping hand, and considers
every bitter foe as an affectionate friend. 
     These are the commands of the Blessed Beauty, these are the
counsels of the Greatest Name.  O ye dear friends!  The world is
engaged in war and struggle, and mankind is in the utmost conflict
and danger.  The darkness of unfaithfulness has enshrouded
the earth and the illumination of faithfulness has become concealed. 
All nations and tribes of the world have sharpened their claws and
are warring and fighting with each other.  The edifice of man is
shattered.  Thousands of families are wandering disconsolate. 
Thousands of souls are besmeared with dust and blood in the arena
of battle and struggle every year, and the tent of happiness and life
is overthrown.  The prominent men become commanders and boast
of bloodshed, and glory in destruction.  One says:  “I have severed
with my sword the necks of a nation,” and one:  “I have levelled
a kingdom to the dust”; and another:  “I have overthrown the
foundation of a government.”  This is the pivot around which the
pride and glory of mankind are revolving.  In all regions friendship
and uprightness are denounced and reconciliation and regard for
truth are despised.  The herald of peace, reformation, love and
reconciliation is the Religion of the Blessed Beauty which has
pitched its tent on the apex of the world and proclaimed its summons
to the people. 
     Then, O ye friends of God!  Appreciate the value of this precious
Revelation, move and act in accordance with it and walk in the
straight path and the right way.  Show it to the people.  Raise the
melody of the Kingdom and spread abroad the teachings and ordinances
of the loving Lord so that the world may become another
world, the darkened earth may become illumined and the dead body
of the people may obtain new life.  Every soul may seek everlasting
life through the breath of the Merciful.  Life in this mortal world
will quickly come to an end, and this earthly glory, wealth, comfort
and happiness will soon vanish and be no more.  Summon ye the
people to God and call the souls to the manners and conduct of the
Supreme Concourse.  To the orphans be ye kind fathers, and to the
unfortunate a refuge and shelter.  To the poor be a treasure of
wealth, and to the sick a remedy and healing.  Be a helper of every

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oppressed one, the protector of every destitute one, be ye ever
mindful to serve any soul of mankind.  Attach no importance to
self-seeking, rejection, arrogance, oppression and enmity.  Heed
them not.  Deal in the contrary way.  Be kind in truth, not only in
appearance and outwardly.  Every soul of the friends of God must
concentrate his mind on this, that he may manifest the mercy of
God and the bounty of the Forgiving One.  He must do good to
every soul whom he encounters, and render benefit to him, becoming
the cause of improving the morals and correcting the thoughts
so that the light of guidance may shine forth and the bounty of
His Holiness the Merciful One may encompass.  Love is light in
whatsoever house it may shine and enmity is darkness in whatsoever
abode it dwell. 
     O friends of God!  Strive ye so that this darkness may be utterly
dispelled and the Hidden Mystery may be revealed and the realities
of things made evident and manifest. 

               I HAVE COME WITH THIS MISSION

     I have come from distant lands to visit the meetings and assemblies
of this country.  In every meeting I find people gathered loving
each other; therefore I am greatly pleased.  The bond of union is
evidenced in this assembly today where the power of God has
brought together in faith, agreement and concord those who are
engaged in furthering the development of the human world.  It is
my hope that all mankind may become similarly united in the bond
and agreement of love.  Unity is the expression of the loving power
of God and reflects the reality of divinity.  It is resplendent in this
day through the bestowals of light upon humanity. 
     Throughout the universe the divine power is effulgent in endless
images and pictures.  The world of creation, the world of humanity
may be likened to the earth itself and the divine power to the sun. 
This Sun has shone upon all mankind.  In the endless variety of its
reflections the divine will is manifested.  Consider how all are recipients
of the bounty of the same Sun.  At most the difference between
them is that of degree, for the effulgence is one effulgence, the one
light emanating from the Sun.  This will express the oneness of the

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world of humanity.  The body-politic or the social unity of the
human world may be likened to an ocean and each member, each
individuala wave upon that same ocean. 
     The light of the sun becomes apparent in each object according
to the capacity of that object.  The difference is simply one of degree
and receptivity.  The stone would be a recipient only to a
limited extent; another created thing might be as a mirror wherein
the sun is fully reflected; but the same light shines upon both. 
     The most important thing is to polish the mirrors of hearts in
order that they may become illumined and receptive of the divine
light.  One heart may possess the capacity of the polished mirror;
another be covered and obscured by the dust and dross of this
world.  Although the same Sun is shining upon both, in the mirror
which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in
all its fullness, glory and power revealing its majesty and effulgence,
but in the mirror which is rusted and obscured there is no capacity
for reflection although so far as the Sun itself is concerned it is
shining thereon and is neither lessened nor deprived.  Therefore our
duty lies in seeking to polish the mirrors of our hearts in order that
we shall become reflectors of that light and recipients of the divine
bounties which may be fully revealed through them. 
     This means the oneness of the world of humanity.  That is to say,
when this human body-politic reaches a state of absolute unity, the
effulgence of the eternal Sun will make its fullest light and heat
manifest.  Therefore we must not make distinctions between individual
members of the human family.  We must not consider any
soul as barren or deprived.  Our duty lies in educating souls so that
the Sun of the bestowals of God shall become resplendent in them,
and this is possible through the power of the oneness of humanity. 
The more love is expressed among mankind and the stronger the
power of unity, the greater will be this reflection and revelation,
for the greatest bestowal of God is love.  Love is the source of all
the bestowals of God.  Until love takes possession of the heart no
other divine bounty can be revealed in it. 
     All the prophets have striven to make love manifest in the hearts
of men.  His Holiness Jesus Christ sought to create this love in the
hearts.  He suffered all difficulties and ordeals that perchance the

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human heart might become the fountain-source of love.  Therefore
we must strive with all our heart and soul that this love may take
possession of us so that all humanity whether it be in the east or in
the west may be connected through the bond of this divine affection;
for we are all the waves of one sea; we have come into being
through the same bestowal and are recipients from the same center. 
The lights of earth are all acceptable, but the center of effulgence is
the sun and we must direct our gaze to the sun.  God is the supreme
center.  The more we turn toward this center of light, the greater
will be our capacity. 
     In the Orient there were great differences among races and peoples. 
They hated each other and there was no association among
them.  Various and divergent sects were hostile, irreconcilable.  The
different races were in constant war and conflict.  About sixty years
ago &Baha’u’llah appeared upon the eastern horizon.  He caused love
and unity to become manifest among these antagonistic peoples. 
He united them with the bond of love; their former hatred and
animosity passed away; love and unity reigned instead.  It was a
dark world; it became radiant.  A new springtime appeared through
him, for the Sun of Truth had risen again.  In the fields and
meadows of human hearts variegated flowers of inner significance
were blooming and the good fruits of the kingdom of God became
manifest. 
     I have come here with this mission; that through your endeavors,
through your heavenly morals, through your devoted efforts a perfect
bond of unity and love may be established between the east and
the west, so that the bestowals of God may descend upon all and
that all may be seen to be the parts of the same tree,–the great tree
of the human family.  For mankind may be likened to the branches,
leaves, blossoms and fruit of that tree. 
     The favors of God are unending, limitless.  Infinite bounties have
encompassed the world.  We must emulate the bounties of God, and
just as each one of them–the bounty of life for instance–surrounds
and encompasses all, so likewise must we be connected and
blended together until each part shall become the expression of the
whole. 
     Consider; we plant a seed.  A complete and perfect tree appears

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from it, and from each seed of this tree another tree can be
produced.  Therefore the part is expressive of the whole, for
this seed was a part of the tree, but therein potentially was the
whole tree.  So each one of us may become expressive or representative
of all the bounties of life to mankind.  This is the unity
of the world of humanity.  This is the bestowal of God.  This is
the felicity of the human world and this is the manifestation of
the divine favor.