19 Topics
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Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-06-18
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1.
NINETEEN TOPICS
Quotes from the Sacred Writings of the World's Religions
on Essential Religious Subjects

1. ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE

BAHA'I
Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its
acquisition is incumbent upon everyone.—Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 51

BUDDHISM
He who in early days was unwise but later found wisdom, he sheds a light over
the world like that of the moon when freed from clouds.—Dhammapada 13:172

CHRISTIANITY
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they
are of God...—1 John 4:1

HINDUISM
In this world, there is no purifier like knowledge.—Bhagavad Gita 4:38

ISLAM
To acquire knowledge is binding on all believers, both men and women.—Hadith
(Ibn Maja)

JUDAISM
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of
knowledge.—Proverbs 23:12

2. DETACHMENT FROM THE MATERIAL WORLD

BAHA'I
No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be
detached from all that is in heaven and on earth.—Kitab-i-Iqan, p.3

BUDDHISM
Empty the boat of your life, O man; when empty it will swiftly
sail.—Dhammapada 25:369

CHRISTIANITY
None of you can be a disciple of mine without parting with all his
possessions.—Luke 14:33

HINDUISM
He unto whom all desires enter as waters of the sea, which, though ever being
filled is ever motionless, attains to peace and not he who hugs his
desires.—Bhagavad Gita 2:70

ISLAM
What little has been given you is only for a while: but that which is with God
is greater and more lasting.—Qur'an 42:36

ZOROASTRIANISM
Do not rely upon property and the goods of this world, for property and the
goods of this world are like a bird that flies from one tree to another and
stays on none.—Pahlavi Texts

3. DOING WHAT IS GOOD 

BAHA'I
Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good.—Tablets of Baha'u'llah,
p.138

BUDDHISM
Do not what is evil. Do what is good.—Dhammapada 14:183

CHRISTISNITY
Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.—Romans 12:9

JUDAISM
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live.—Amos 5:14

ZOROASTRIANISM
Do whatever you know to be good and do not do anything that you know to be not
good.—Pahlavi Texts

4. THE ESSENCE OF FAITH

BAHA'I
The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds.—Tablets of
Baha'u'llah, p. 156

BUDDHISM
If a man speaks many holy words but he speaks and does not, this thoughtless
man cannot enjoy a life of holiness...—Dhammapada 1:19

CHRISTIANITY
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.—James 2:17

ISLAM
God does not accept belief if it is not expressed in deed, and does not accept
deed if it does not conform to belief.—Hadith, Prophet Muhammad and His
Mission, p. 83

JUDAISM
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth:
for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.—1 Samuel
2:3

5. EVERLASTING LIFE

BAHA'I
All the favors of God have been sent down, as a token of His grace. The waters
of everlasting life have, in their fullness, been proffered unto
men.—Gleanings P.34

CHRISTIANITY
Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.... I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish.—John 11:26, 10:28

HINDUISM
To one that is born death is certain, and birth is certain for one that has
died...—Bhagavad Gita 2:27

ISLAM
Witness the reddening sunset, witness the chariot of night as it drives on,
witness the moon as it waxes, verily, ye too shall pass from stage to
stage.—Qur'an 84:16-19 

JUDAISM
The day of death is better than the day of birth.—Ecclesiastes 7:1

ZOROASTRIANISM
Your gift is the life never-dying and continuous health Your
possession.—Gathas, Yasna 33:8

6. FAULT FINDING  

BAHA'I
The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with
detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not
the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of you knoweth his own self
better than he knoweth others.—The Hidden Words, Persian #66

BUDDHISM
It is easy to see the faults of others, but difficult to see one's own faults.
One shows the faults of others like chaff winnowed in the wind, but one
conceals one's own faults as a cunning gambler conceals his dice.—Dhammapada
18:252

CHRISTIANITY
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye, with never a
thought for the great plank in your own?—Matthew 7:3

7. FORGIVENESS OF SINS

BAHA'I
Return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may have mercy upon
you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses.—Gleanings, p.130

CHRISTIANITY
Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men...—Mark
3:28

HINDUISM
I will make thee free from the bondage of sins. Fear no more.—Bhagavad Gita
18:66

ISLAM
Despair not of God's mercy, for all sins doth God forgive. Gracious, merciful
is He. And return ye to your Lord, and to Him resign yourselves...—Qur'an
39:54-55

JUDAISM
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him
return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He
will abundantly pardon.—Isaiah 55:7

8. THE GLORY OF GOD 

BAHA'I
The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God's
revelation.—Gleanings, p. 96

CHRISTIANITY
Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.—Philippians 4:20

HINDUISM
Behold the universe in the glory of God.—Isa Upanishad 1:1 

ISLAM
The earth reflecteth the glory of its Lord.—Qur'an 39:69

JUDAISM
The heavens declare the glory of God.—Psalms 19:1

ZOROASTRIANISM
The light of the sun, the sparkling dawn of the days, all this for Your
praise, O Wise Lord.—Gathas, Yasna 50:10 

9. GOD, THE UNKNOWABLE ESSENCE

BAHA'I
Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute
unto Thee.—Gleanings, p. 4

BUDDHISM
There is, O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed.—dana

CHRISTIANITY
No one has seen God at any time...You have neither heard His voice at any
time, nor seen His form.—John  1:18,5:37

HINDUISM
There is no likeness of Him whose glory is infinite.—Upanishads

ISLAM
Glory be to Him! And high let Him be exalted above that which they attribute
to Him!—Qur'an  6:100 

JUDAISM
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your
ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.—Isaiah  55:9

10. THE GOLDEN RULE

BAHA'I
And if thine  eye be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor
that which thou choosest for thyself.—Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.64

BUDDHISM
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.—Udana Varga
5:18

CHRISTIANITY
In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.—Matthew 7:12

HINDUISM
Do nothing to your neighbor which thou wouldst not have him do to thee
hereafter.—Mahabharata

ISLAM
None of you is a believer if he does not like for his brother exactly that
what he likes for his own self.—Hadith(Bukhari)

JUDAISM
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman.—Talmud, Shabbat 31a

ZOROASTRIANISM
Do not unto others all that which is not well for
oneself.—Shayast-na-Shayast

11. HE WHO SEEKS FINDS

BAHA'I
No man that seeketh Us will We ever disappoint, neither shall he that hath set
his face towards Us be denied access unto Our court...—Gleanings, pp.
271-272

CHRISTIANITY
For everyone that asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks,
the door will be opened.—Matthew 7:8 

HINDUISM
Howsoever men approach Me, even so do I seek them.—Bhagavad Gita 4:11

ISLAM
Whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them...—Qur'an 29:69

JUDAISM
And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, When ye search for Me, with all your
heart.—Jeremiah 29:13

12. I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF

BAHA'I
Not of Mine own volition have I revealed Myself, but God, of His Own choosing,
hath manifested Me.—Epistle to the Son of the Wolf  p. 1

CHRISTIANITY
I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these
things.—John 8:28

ISLAM
I but follow what is revealed to Me.—Qur'an 6:50

JUDAISM
I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.—Exodus 4:12

ZOROASTRIANISM
Do Thou teach Me, O Wise Lord, to proclaim according to Thy
spirit...—Gathas, Yasna 28:11

13. MIRACLES

BAHA'I
Whoso hath in bygone ages asked Us to produce the signs [miracles] of God,
hath, no sooner We revealed them to him, repudiated God's truth.—Gleanings,
p. 132

BUDDHISM
He who attempts to perform miracles has not understood the
doctrine.—Mahaparinibbana Sutta

CHRISTIANITY
But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on
Him.—John 12:37

ISLAM
Signs [miracles] are in the power of God alone; and He teacheth you not
thereby, only because when they were brought, ye did not believe.—Qur'an
6:109

14. ONENESS OF HUMANITY

BAHA'I
Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch....—Gleanings,
p. 218

BUDDHISM
Many do not know that we are here in this world to live in harmony. Those who
know this do not fight against each other.—Dhammapada 1:6

CHRISTIANITY
[God] has made of one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of
the earth.—Acts 3:195

HINDUISM
I command ye all to be equal under one holy command, I bring ye up all
alike...Be united in your purpose, let your hearts be as one heart, minds of
all as one mind so that your affairs may be cooperatively well
organized.—Rig Veda 8:7

ISLAM
Ye are all parts one of another.—Qur'an 3:195

JUDAISM
Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal
treacherously with one another?—Malachi 2:10

15. THE ONLY WAY 

BAHA'I
He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on
earth and seek none else but Me.—Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 169

BUDDHISM
This is the path. There is no other that leads to vision.—Dhammapada 20:274

CHRISTIANITY
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.—John 14:6

HINDUISM
Abandoning all duties, come to Me alone for shelter.—Bhagavad Gita 18:66

ISLAM
Whoso seeks guidence elsewhere, God will lead him astray.—Imam'Ali, Hadith

ZOROASTRIANISM
There is only one religious way. This one way is that of good thoughts, good
words, and good deeds, the way of heaven, of light and of purity, of the
infinite Creator.—The Teachings of the Magi, p.22

16. PROGRESSIVE REVELATION

BAHA'I
Indeed no religion shall We ever inaugurate unless it be renewed in the days
to come.—Selections from the Writings of The Bab, p. 159

BUDDHISM
I am not the first Enlightened One who came upon the earth, nor shall I be the
last...in due time another Enlightened One will arise.—Mahaparinibbana Sutta

CHRISTIANITY
Think not that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not
to abolish them but to fulfill them.—Matthew 5:17

HINDUISM
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and a rise of
unrighteousness,...then I send forth Myself. For the protection of the good,
for destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I
come into being from age to age.—Bhagavad Gita 4:7-8

ISLAM
Verily We have sent Thee with the Truth a Comforter and Warner; and there is
not a people but a Warner hath not passed among them.—Qur'an 35:22

17. QUEST FOR PEACE

BAHA'I
These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away and the "Most
Great Peace" shall come.—Baha'u'llah, cited in "The Promissed Day is Come"
by Shoghi Effendi, p. 116

BUDDHISM
Let us now abstain from taking life. That is a good thing that we may take up
and do. And they will abstain from slaughter, and will continue in this good
way...—Dialogues of Buddha

CHRISTIANITY
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of
God.—Matthew 5:9 

ISLAM
The believers are but a single Brotherhood: so make peace and reconciliation
between your two [contending] brothers; and fear God, that ye may receive
mercy.—Qur'an 49:10

JUDAISM
...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more.—Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3

ZOROASTRIANISM
O God, Holy Spirit, before all I pray to you in all humility with hands
uplifted, for abiding peace, that all my deeds be inspired by righteousness;
and for the wisdom of a good mind, so that I may bring peace to the soul of a
good mind, so that I may bring peace to the soul of existence.—-1992
Multifaith Calendar

18. REALITY OF MAN 

BAHA'I
The reality of man is his thought, not his physical body.—Abdu'l-Baha in
"Paris Talks" p. 17

BUDDHISM
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present
thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our
mind.—Dhammapada 1:1

HINDUISM
Let one therefore keep his mind pure, for What a man thinks that he
becomes.—Maitri Upanishad 6:34

JUDAISM
For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.—Proverbs 23:7

19. UNITY OF GOD

BAHA'I,
Bear thou witness that verily He is God and there is no God but Him, the King,
the Protector, the Incomparable, the Omnipotent.—The Tablet of Ahmad

CHRISTIANITY
The Lord our God is one Lord.—Mark 12:29

HINDUISM
"But just how many Gods are there?" 
"One."—Upanishads

ISLAM
He is God alone: God the eternal...and there is none like unto Him.—Qur'an
112:1-2,4

JUDAISM
I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me—Isaiah 
45:5
    — 19 Topics