Paris Talks
PART I
LECTURE GIVEN AT A STUDIO IN PARIS
November 6th
This is in truth a Bahá'í house. Every time such a
house or meeting place is founded it becomes one
of the greatest aids to the general development of the
town and country to which it belongs. It encourages
the growth of learning and science and is known for
its intense spirituality and for the love it spreads among
the peoples.
The foundation of such a meeting-place is always
followed by the greatest prosperity. The first Bahá'í
Assembly that existed in Tihrán was singularly
blessed! In one year it had grown so rapidly that its
members had increased to nine times their original
number. Today, in far-away Persia, there are many
such assemblies where the friends of God meet together
in the fulness of joy, love and unity. They teach
the Cause of God, educate the ignorant, and draw
heart to heart in brotherly kindness. It is they who help
the poor and needy and give to them their daily bread.
They love and care for the sick and are messengers of
hope and consolation to the desolate and oppressed.
Oh, ye in Paris, strive that your assemblies may be
like unto this, and may bear even greater fruits!
Oh, friends of God! If ye will trust in the Word of
God and be strong; if ye will follow the precepts of
Bahá'u'lláh to tend the sick, raise the fallen, care for the
poor and needy, give shelter to the destitute, protect
the oppressed, comfort the sorrowful and love the
world of humanity with all your hearts, then I say
unto you that ere long this meeting-place will see a
wonderful harvest. Day by day each member will
advance and become more and more spiritual. But ye
must have a firm foundation and your aims and ambitions
must be clearly understood by each member.
They shall be as follows:
1. To show compassion and goodwill to all mankind.
2. To render service to humanity.
3. To endeavour to guide and enlighten those in
darkness.
4. To be kind to everyone, and show forth affection
to every living soul.
5. To be humble in your attitude towards God,
to be constant in prayer to Him, so as to grow
daily nearer to God.
6. To be so faithful and sincere in all your actions
that every member may be known as embodying
the qualities of honesty, love, faith, kindness, generosity,
and courage. To be detached from all that
is not God, attracted by the Heavenly Breath--a
divine soul; so that the world may know that a
Bahá'í is a perfect being.
Strive to attain this at these meetings. Then, indeed
and in truth will ye, the friends of God, come together
with great joy! Render help one to the other, become
as one man, having reached perfect unity.
I pray to God that daily ye may advance in spirituality,
that God's love may be more and more manifested
in you, that the thoughts of your hearts may be purified,
and that your faces may be ever turned towards
Him. May you one and all approach to the threshold of
unity, and enter into the Kingdom. May each of you
be like unto a flaming torch, lighted and burning
bright with the fire of the Love of God.
Paris Talks
PART I
pages 72-74
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