Paris Talks

Paris Talks


by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá




Edition 1, (September 2006)





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                                 CONTENTS


Baha’i Terms of Use
PART I
   THE DUTY OF KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS
   THE POWER AND VALUE OF TRUE THOUGHT DEPEND UPON ITS MANIFESTATION IN
   ACTION
   GOD IS THE GREAT COMPASSIONATE PHYSICIAN WHO ALONE GIVES TRUE HEALING
   THE NEED FOR UNION BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF THE EAST AND WEST
   GOD COMPREHENDS ALL: HE CANNOT BE COMPREHENDED
   THE PITIFUL CAUSES OF WAR, AND THE DUTY OF EVERYONE TO STRIVE FOR PEACE
   THE SUN OF TRUTH
   THE LIGHT OF TRUTH IS NOW SHINING UPON THE EAST AND WEST
   THE UNIVERSAL LOVE
   THE IMPRISONMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
   GOD’S GREATEST GIFT TO MAN
   THE CLOUDS THAT OBSCURE THE SUN OF TRUTH
   RELIGIOUS PREJUDICES
   THE BENEFITS OF GOD TO MAN
   BEAUTY AND HARMONY IN DIVERSITY
   THE TRUE MEANING OF THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE COMING OF CHRIST
   THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE INTERMEDIARY POWER BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
   THE TWO NATURES IN MAN
   MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
   THE EVOLUTION OF MATTER AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUL
   THE SPIRITUAL MEETINGS IN PARIS
   THE TWO KINDS OF LIGHT
   SPIRITUAL ASPIRATION IN THE WEST
   LECTURE GIVEN AT A STUDIO IN PARIS
   BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
   GOOD IDEAS MUST BE CARRIED INTO ACTION
   THE TRUE MEANING OF BAPTISM BY WATER AND FIRE
   DISCOURSE AT ‘L’ALLIANCE SPIRITUALISTE’
   THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPIRIT
   THE DESIRES AND PRAYERS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
   CONCERNING BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT
   THE BAHÁ’ÍS MUST WORK WITH HEART AND SOUL TO BRING ABOUT A BETTER
   CONDITION IN THE WORLD
   ON CALUMNY
   THERE CAN BE NO TRUE HAPPINESS AND PROGRESS WITHOUT SPIRITUALITY
   PAIN AND SORROW
   THE PERFECT HUMAN SENTIMENTS AND VIRTUES
   THE CRUEL INDIFFERENCE OF PEOPLE TOWARDS THE SUFFERING OF FOREIGN RACES
   WE MUST NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY THE SMALLNESS OF OUR NUMBERS
   WORDS SPOKEN BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ IN PASTOR WAGNER’S CHURCH (FOYER DE L’AME)
   IN PARIS
PART II
   The Eleven Principles out of the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, Explained by
   ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris.
   THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, PARIS
   THE FIRST PRINCIPLE—SEARCH AFTER TRUTH
   THE SECOND PRINCIPLE—THE UNITY OF MANKIND
   THIRD PRINCIPLE
   FOURTH PRINCIPLE—THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE RELATION BETWEEN RELIGION AND
   SCIENCE
   THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE—THE ABOLITION OF PREJUDICES
   THE SIXTH PRINCIPLE—MEANS OF EXISTENCE
   SEVENTH PRINCIPLE—EQUALITY OF MEN
   THE EIGHTH PRINCIPLE—UNIVERSAL PEACE
   NINTH PRINCIPLE—THE NON-INTERFERENCE OF RELIGION WITH POLITICS
   THE TENTH PRINCIPLE—EQUALITY OF SEX
   THE ELEVENTH PRINCIPLE—THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
   4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 28th
   THE LAST MEETING
   ADDRESS BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ AT THE FRIENDS’ MEETING HOUSE, ST MARTIN’S
   LANE, LONDON, W.C.
   PRAYER
   EVIL
   THE PROGRESS OF THE SOUL
   THE FOUR KINDS OF LOVE
   TABLET REVEALED BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ






PART I




THE DUTY OF KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS


October 16th and 17th, 1911

When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere. All men are
his brothers. Let not conventionality cause you to seem cold and
unsympathetic when you meet strange people from other countries. Do not
look at them as though you suspected them of being evil-doers, thieves and
boors. You think it necessary to be very careful, not to expose yourselves
to the risk of making acquaintance with such, possibly, undesirable
people.

I ask you not to think only of yourselves. Be kind to the strangers,
whether come they from Turkey, Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other
country in the world.

Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if
you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.

In this way, even if, sometimes, what you at first suspected should be
true, still go out of your way to be kind to them—this kindness will help
them to become better.

After all, why should any foreign people be treated as strangers?

Let those who meet you know, without your proclaiming the fact, that you
are indeed a Bahá’í.

Put into practice the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, that of kindness to all
nations.