A man may be a Bah' in name only. If he is a Bah' in reality, his deeds and actions will be decisive proofs of it. What are the requirements? Love for mankind, sincerity toward all, reflecting the oneness of the world of humanity, philanthropy, becoming enkindled with the fire of the love of God, attainment to the knowledge of God and that which is conducive to human welfare.
Interpretation
True belief is reflected in actions and attitudes toward humanity and God.
This quote by Abdu'L-Bah emphasizes that the essence of being a Bahá'í goes beyond mere identification with the religion; it manifests through one's actions and love for humanity. Authentic belief requires a commitment to sincere deeds that promote unity, philanthropy, and spiritual enlightenment, which together contribute to the welfare of society and reflect true devotion to God.
In practice
In a motivational speech about community service, this quote highlights the importance of actions over mere labels.
Illnesses which occur because of physical causes should be treated by doctors with medical remedies; those which are due to spiritual causes disappear through spiritual means. Thus an illness caused by affliction, fear, nervous impressions, will be healed more effectively by spiritual rather than physical treatment. Hence, both kinds of treatment should be followed; they are not contradictory.
If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men.
Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful. In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love
The wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body is this: the human spirit is a Divine Trust, and it must traverse all conditions, for its passage and movement through the conditions of existence will be the means of its acquiring perfections.
Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of mankind
The confirmations of the Spirit are all those powers and gifts which some are born with (and which men sometimes call genius), but for which others have to strive with infinite pains. They come to that man or woman who accepts his life with radiant acquiescence.
If cows and horses had hands and could draw, cows would draw gods that look like cows and horses would draw gods that look like horses.
True masters are those who've chosen to make a life rather than a living.
To annihilate the world by annihilation of oneself is the deluded height of desperate egoism.
I began to get a feeling familiar to me from my bartending days of being the only sane man in a nuthouse. It doesn't make you feel superior but depressed and scared, because there is nobody you can contact.
God has cast our confessed sins into the depths of the sea, and He's even put a 'No Fishing' sign over the spot.
Language is legislation, speech is its code. We do not see the power which is in speech because we forget that all speech is a classification, and that all classifications are oppressive.
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