# Conservation of the Earth's Resources

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'u'lláh, Conservation of the Earth's Resources, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Conservation of the Earth's Resources
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Abdu'l-Bahá
> 
> Shoghi Effendi
> 
> Universal House of Justice
> 
> published in
> 
> Compilation of Compilations
> 
> Volume 1,  pp. 65-91
> 
> 1991
> 
> Contents
> 
> Introduction
> 
> 1.
> FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES
> 
> 1.1 Nature as a Reflection of the Divine
> ...................... 67
> 
> 1.2 The Earth One Country
> ..................................... 67
> 
> 1.3 Man's Station and Responsibility
> .......................... 68
> 
> 1.4 Approach Toward the Physical World -
> Interaction of Spiritual and Material
> ..................... 69
> 2.
> RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE
> 
> 2.1 Characteristics of Nature
> 
> 2.1.1 A Unified System
> ........................................ 71
> 
> 2.1.2 Subject to Law and Organization
> ........................ 72
> 
> 2.1.3 Change and Motion
> ...................................... 73
> 
> 2.1.4 Diversity
> .............................................. 74
> 
> 2.1.5 Serves the Human World
> ................................. 75
> 
> 2.1.6 Imperfection of Nature
> ................................. 76
> 2.2
> Attitudes and Values
> 
> 2.2.1 Appreciation ........................................... 77
> 
> 2.2.2 Moderation ............................................. 78
> 
> 2.2.3 Kindness to Animals
> .................................... 79
> 
> 2.2.4 Development of Nature
> ................................... 80
> 
> 2.2.5 Importance of Agriculture
> .............................. 81
> 
> 2.2.6 Use of Science
> ......................................... 82
> 3.
> PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
> 
> 3.1 Preservation of Resources
> .................................... 83
> 
> 3.2 Control of Natural Resources
> ................................. 83
> 
> 3.3 Approaches to Protecting the Environment
> ..................... 84
> 4.
> PROSPECT FOR THE FUTURE
> .......................................... 86
> 5.
> REFERENCES
> ....................................................... 87
> 
> THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
> 
> BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE
> 
> Department of the Secretariat
> 
> To all National Spiritual Assemblies
> 
> Dear Bahá'í Friends,
> 
> We enclose a copy of a new compilation entitled activities aimed at supporting endeavours to
> protect the environment.
> 
> The compilation was assembled, primarily, to deepen the believers' appreciation of the
> Bahá'í concept of nature and to enhance their understanding of both man's relationship to
> nature and his responsibility to preserve the world's ecological balance. It could also serve
> as a valuable tool for use with non-Bahá'ís who have some knowledge of the Bahá'í Faith and
> its approach to the solution of pressing social problems.
> 
> It is the hope of the Universal House of Justice that the National Spiritual Assemblies will
> make the material in the compilation available to the believers and that, armed with
> increased knowledge of this important subject, the friends will be inspired to lend their
> assistance to those who are striving to make this world an earthly paradise.
> 
> With great pleasure the House of Justice takes this opportunity to announce the
> establishment of an Office of the Environment, which will conduct the external relations of
> the Bahá'í International Community with regard to environmental matters. Thus it will
> foster relations with the World Wide Fund for Nature and other like-minded non-
> governmental organizations and will work in collaboration with the Office of Social and
> Economic Development. The new Office operates alongside the other offices of the Bahá'í
> International Community in New York, namely, the United Nations Office and the Office of
> Public Information.
> 
> With loving Bahá'í greetings,
> 
> xxx
> 
> For Department of the Secretariat
> 
> Enclosure
> 
> cc:
> The Hands of the Cause of God
> 
> The International Teaching Centre
> 
> Counsellors
> 
> Bahá'í International Community, 7/1989
> 
> Office of the Environment, New York
> 
> 1.
> 
> Foundation Principles
> 
> The approach of the world-wide
> Bahá'í community to the
> conservation and protection of the earth's resources is based on a number of
> fundamental principles derived from the Bahá'í
> Writings.  These include:
> 
> 1.1    Nature As A
> Reflection Of The Divine
> 
> Nature is held in high regard.
> Bahá'u'lláh states that the contemplation
> 
> of nature creates an awareness of the "signs"
> 
> [1]
> 
> and "tokens"
> 
> [2]
> 
> of God and
> constitutes proof of His existence.  Thus:
> 
> ...whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee
> known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and
> of Thy testimonies.  By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto
> Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine
> incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my
> gaze to Thine
> earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens
> of Thy bounty.  And when I behold the sea, I find that it
> speaketh to me
> of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty
> and Thy grandeur.  And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I
> am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of
> Thine omnipotence.
> 
> [3]
> 
> Nature reflects the "names and
> attributes of God".
> 
> [4]
> 
> It is the expression
> of "God's Will ... in ... the contingent world".
> 
> [5]
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh writes:
> 
> Say: Nature in its essence is the embodiment of
> My Name, the
> Maker, Creator.  Its manifestations are diversified by
> varying causes, and
> in this diversity there are signs for men of discernment.
> Nature is God's
> Will and is its expression in and through the contingent
> world.  It is a
> dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
> 
> [6]
> 
> 1.2    The Earth Is One
> Country
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh expounds a
> world view which acknowledges that the "earth is but
> one country, and mankind its citizens"
> 
> [7]
> 
> and He calls for the
> promotion of
> "the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth".
> 
> [8]
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá draws attention
> to the increasing
> interdependence of the world and the fact that "self-
> sufficiency"
> 
> [9]
> 
> is no
> longer possible.  He envisages that the trend towards a
> united world will
> increase and will manifest itself in the form of "unity of
> thought in world
> undertakings"
> 
> [10]
> 
> and in other important realms of existence.
> One critical area
> for unified action is that of preserving the resources of the
> planet.
> 
> 1.3    Man's Station And
> Responsibility
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá indicates that
> man, "by reason
> of the ideal and heavenly force latent and manifest in him",
> 
> [11]
> 
> occupies
> a station that is "higher and nobler"
> 
> [12]
> 
> than nature, that "man is ruler
> over nature's sphere and province".
> 
> [13]
> 
> It is evident, therefore, that man is ruler over nature's
> sphere and province.  Nature is inert; man is progressive.  Nature has
> no consciousness; man is endowed with it.  Nature is without
> volition and
> acts perforce, whereas man possesses a mighty will.  Nature
> is incapable
> of discovering mysteries or realities, whereas man is especially fitted
> to do so.  Nature is not in touch with the realm of God; man is attuned
> to its evidences.  Nature is uninformed of God; man is
> conscious of Him.
> Man acquires divine virtues; nature is denied them.  Man can
> voluntarily
> discontinue vices; nature has no power to modify the influence of its
> instincts.  Altogether it is evident that man is more noble
> and superior,
> that in him there is an ideal power surpassing nature.  He
> has consciousness,
> volition, memory, intelligent power, divine attributes and
> virtues of which
> nature is completely deprived and bereft; therefore, man is
> higher and nobler
> by reason of the ideal and heavenly force latent and manifest in him.
> 
> [14]
> 
> Man, possessed of an inner faculty
> which plants
> and animals do not have, a power which enables him to
> discover the secrets
> of nature and gain mastery over the environment, has a
> special responsibility
> to use his God-given powers for positive ends.  The Universal House of
> Justice indicates that "the proper exercise of this
> responsibility is the key
> to whether his inventive genius produces beneficial results,
> or creates havoc
> in the material world".
> 
> [15]
> 
> 1.4 Development and Happiness -
> Interaction Of Spiritual And Material
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá stresses that
> the development of the
> physical world and the happiness of mankind are dependent on
> both the "call
> of civilization, of the progress of the material world"
> 
> [16]
> 
> and the
> "soul-stirring call of God, Whose spiritual teachings are safeguards of the
> everlasting glory, the eternal happiness and illumination of
> the world of
> humanity".
> 
> [17]
> 
> He states:
> 
> However, until material achievements, physical
> accomplishments
> and human virtues are reinforced by spiritual perfections,
> luminous qualities
> and characteristics of mercy, no fruit or result shall issue
> therefrom, nor
> will the happiness of the world of humanity, which is the
> ultimate aim, be
> attained.  For although, on the one hand, material achievements and the
> development of the physical world produce prosperity, which exquisitely
> manifests its intended aims, on the other hand dangers,
> severe calamities
> and violent afflictions are imminent.
> 
> Consequently, when thou lookest at the orderly pattern of
> kingdoms, cities
> and villages, with the attractiveness of their adornments,
> the freshness of
> their natural resources, the refinement of their appliances,
> the ease of
> their means of travel, the extent of knowledge available
> about the world of
> nature, the great inventions, the colossal enterprises, the
> noble discoveries
> and scientific researches, thou wouldst conclude that
> civilization conduceth
> to the happiness and the progress of the human world.  Yet
> shouldst thou turn
> thine eye to the discovery of destructive and infernal machines, to the
> development of forces of demolition and the invention of
> fiery implements, which
> uproot the tree of life, it would become evident and manifest
> unto thee that
> civilization is conjoined with barbarism.  Progress and
> barbarism go hand in
> hand, unless material civilization be confirmed by Divine
> Guidance, by the
> revelations of the All-Merciful and by godly virtues, and be
> reinforced by
> spiritual conduct, by the ideals of the Kingdom and by the
> outpourings of the
> Realm of Might...
> 
> Therefore, this civilization and material progress should be
> combined with the
> Most Great Guidance so that this nether world may become the
> scene of the
> appearance of the bestowals of the Kingdom, and physical
> achievements may be
> conjoined with the effulgences of the Merciful.  This in
> order that the beauty
> and perfection of the world of man may be unveiled and be
> manifested before all
> in the utmost grace and splendour.  Thus everlasting glory
> and happiness shall
> be revealed.
> 
> [18]
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh describes
> the fate of those whose lives
> demonstrate a heedlessness of spiritual values and a failure to act in
> conformity with such values.  He comments:
> 
> ...ye walk on My earth complacent and
> self-satisfied, heedless that
> My earth is weary of you and everything within it shunneth you...
> 
> [19]
> 
> Shoghi Effendi asserts that man's
> negligence contributes to the decline of the "present-day Order"
> 
> [20]
> 
> and
> impacts on the environment in a practical way:
> 
> The violent derangement of the world's
> equilibrium; the trembling
> that will seize the limbs of mankind; the radical
> transformation of human
> society; the rolling up of the present-day Order; the
> fundamental changes
> affecting the structure of government; ... the development of infernal
> engines of war; the burning of cities; the contamination of
> the atmosphere
> of the earth - these stand out as the signs and portents that
> must either
> herald or accompany the retributive calamity which, as
> decreed by Him Who
> is the Judge and Redeemer of mankind, must, sooner or later, afflict a
> society which, for the most part, and for over a century, has
> turned a deaf
> ear to the Voice of God's Messenger in this day - a calamity
> which must purge
> the human race of the dross of its age-long corruptions, and
> weld its component
> parts into a firmly knit world-embracing Fellowship - a
> Fellowship destined, in
> the fullness of time, to be incorporated in the framework,
> and to be galvanized
> by the spiritualizing influences, of a mysteriously expanding, divinely
> appointed Order, and to flower, in the course of future
> Dispensations, into
> a Civilization, the like of which mankind has, at no stage in its evolution,
> witnessed.
> 
> [21]
> 
> 2.
> 
> Relationship Between Man And Nature
> 
> The relationship between man and nature is
> very complex.
> An appreciation of the dimensions of this subject requires
> consideration of some
> of the characteristics of nature described in the
> Bahá'í Writings and an awareness
> of certain values and attitudes that guide individual behaviour and
> the establishment
> of priorities.
> 
> 2.1    Characteristics Of
> Nature
> 
> 2.1.1    A Unified
> System
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá indicates that
> the "temple of the world"
> 
> [22]
> 
> has been "fashioned after the image and likeness of the human
> body".
> 
> [23]
> 
> He
> explains that:
> 
> By this is meant that even as the human body in
> this world, which
> is outwardly composed of different limbs and organs, is in
> reality a closely
> integrated, coherent entity, similarly the structure of the
> physical world is
> like unto a single being whose limbs and members are
> inseparably linked together.
> 
> Were one to observe with an eye that discovereth the
> realities of all things,
> it would become clear that the greatest relationship that
> bindeth the world of
> being together lieth in the range of created things
> themselves, and that
> co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity are essential
> characteristics in the
> unified body of the world of being, inasmuch as all created
> things are closely
> related together and each is influenced by the other or
> deriveth benefit
> therefrom, either directly or indirectly.
> 
> Consider for instance how one group of created things constituteth the
> vegetable kingdom, and another the animal kingdom.  Each of
> these two maketh use
> of certain elements in the air on which its own life
> dependeth, while each
> increaseth the quantity of such elements as are essential for
> the life of the
> other.  In other words, the growth and development of the
> vegetable world is
> impossible without the existence of the animal kingdom, and
> the maintenance of
> animal life is inconceivable without the co-operation of the vegetable
> kingdom.  Of like kind are the relationships that exist among
> all created
> things.  Hence it was stated that co-operation and
> reciprocity are essential
> properties which are inherent in the unified system of the
> world of existence,
> and without which the entire creation would be reduced to
> nothingness.
> 
> [24]
> 
> In another passage
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the
> interconnectedness of "every part of the universe"
> 
> [25]
> 
> and the
> importance of
> maintaining balance in the system:
> 
> Reflect upon the inner realities of the universe,
> the secret wisdoms
> involved, the enigmas, the inter- relationships, the rules
> that govern all.  For
> every part of the universe is connected with every other part
> by ties that are
> very powerful and admit of no imbalance, nor any slackening whatever...
> 
> [26]
> 
> 2.1.2    Subject to Law
> and Organization
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that "The
> phenomenal world is
> entirely subject to the rule and control of natural law."
> 
> [27]
> 
> He contrasts
> nature's "absolute organization"
> 
> [28]
> 
> and its lack of
> "intelligence"
> 
> [29]
> 
> and "will"
> 
> [30]
> 
> with man's ability to "[command] the forces of Nature"
> 
> [31]
> 
> through discovery of
> "the constitution of things"
> 
> [32]
> 
> :
> 
> This Nature is subjected to an absolute
> organization, to determined
> laws, to a complete order and a finished design, from which
> it will never depart
> to such a degree, indeed, that if you look carefully and with
> keen sight, from
> the smallest invisible atom up to such large bodies of the
> world of existence as
> the globe of the sun or the other great stars and luminous
> spheres, whether you
> regard their arrangement, their composition, their form or
> their movement, you
> will find that all are in the highest degree of organization and are under one
> law from which they will never depart.
> 
> But when you look at Nature itself, you see that it has no
> intelligence,
> no will.  For instance, the nature of fire is to burn; it
> burns without will or
> intelligence.  The nature of water is fluidity; it flows
> without will or
> intelligence.  The nature of the sun is radiance; it shines
> without will or
> intelligence.  The nature of vapour is to ascend; it ascends
> without will or
> intelligence.  Thus it is clear that the natural movements of
> all things are
> compelled; there are no voluntary movements except those of
> animals and, above
> all, those of man.  Man is able to resist and to oppose
> Nature because he
> discovers the constitution of things, and through this he
> commands the forces
> of Nature; all the inventions he has made are due to his
> discovery of the
> constitution of things.  For example, he invented the
> telegraph, which is the
> means of communication between the East and the West.  It is
> evident, then,
> that man rules over Nature.
> 
> Now, when you behold in existence such organizations,
> arrangements and laws,
> can you say that all these are the effect of Nature, though
> Nature has neither
> intelligence nor perception?  If not, it becomes evident that
> this Nature, which
> has neither perception nor intelligence, is in the grasp of
> Almighty God, Who is
> the Ruler of the world of Nature; whatever He wishes, He
> causes Nature to manifest.
> 
> [33]
> 
> 2.1.3    Change and
> Motion
> 
> Change is a law governing the whole
> of physical
> creation.  It is seen in the passage of the seasons.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
> 
> The earth is in motion and growth; the mountains, hills and
> prairies are green and pleasant; the bounty is overflowing; the mercy
> universal; the rain is descending from the cloud of mercy;
> the brilliant Sun
> is shining; the full moon is ornamenting the horizon of
> ether; the great
> ocean-tide is flooding every little stream; the gifts are
> successive; the
> favours consecutive; and the refreshing breeze is blowing,
> wafting the fragrant
> perfume of the blossoms.  Boundless treasure is in the hand
> of the King of
> Kings!  Lift the hem of thy garment in order to receive it.
> 
> [34]
> 
> Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb.
> The turning
> and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of
> the winter time
> is over.  The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at
> hand.  The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the
> deserts and mountains
> are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the
> wilderness the tall grasses
> are standing like advance guards before the cypress and
> jessamine trees; while the
> birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in
> the highest heavens,
> announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual
> spring, and the
> sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of
> all things to move
> and quiver.
> 
> [35]
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá states that
> "absolute repose does not exist in nature"
> 
> [36]
> 
> ,  that "movement is
> essential to existence"
> 
> [37]
> 
> .   In relation to existence He describes the
> processes of "composition and decomposition"
> 
> [38]
> 
> :
> 
> ...consider the phenomenon of composition and decomposition,
> of existence and
> non-existence.  Every created thing in the contingent world
> is made up of many
> and varied atoms, and its existence is dependent on the
> composition of these.  In
> other words, through the divine creative power a conjunction
> of simple elements
> taketh place so that from this composition a distinct
> organism is produced.  The
> existence of all things is based upon this principle.  But
> when the order is
> deranged, decomposition is produced and disintegration
> setteth in, then that
> thing ceaseth to exist.  That is, the annihilation of all
> things is caused by
> decomposition and disintegration.  Therefore attraction and
> composition between
> the various elements is the means of life, and discord, decomposition and
> division produce death.  Thus the cohesive and attractive
> forces in all things
> lead to the appearance of fruitful results and effects, while
> estrangement and
> alienation of things lead to disturbance and annihilation.
> Through affinity and
> attraction all living things like plants, animals and men
> come into existence,
> while division and discord bring about decomposition and destruction.
> 
> [39]
> 
> He also explains that, in the physical world,
> the course of evolution is in the direction of increasing
> levels of complexity:
> 
> In the physical creation, evolution is from one degree of perfection to
> another.  The mineral passes with its mineral perfections to
> the vegetable; the
> vegetable, with its perfections, passes to the animal world,
> and so on to that
> of humanity...
> 
> [40]
> 
> 2.1.4    Diversity
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes
> diversity as "the essence
> of perfection and the cause of the appearance of the
> bestowals"
> 
> [41]
> 
> of God,
> and He states:
> 
> Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind,
> colour, form and
> shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of
> one spring, revived
> by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one
> sun, this diversity
> increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their beauty.  Thus
> when that unifying
> force, the penetrating influence of the Word of God, taketh effect, the
> difference of customs, manners, habits, ideas, opinions and
> dispositions
> embellisheth the world of humanity.  This diversity, this
> difference is like
> the naturally created dissimilarity and variety of the limbs
> and organs of the
> human body, for each one contributeth to the beauty,
> efficiency and perfection
> of the whole...
> 
> How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the
> leaves and blossoms,
> the fruits, the branches and the trees of that garden were
> all of the same shape
> and colour! Diversity of hues, form and shape, enricheth and
> adorneth the garden,
> and heighteneth the effect thereof...
> 
> [42]
> 
> The extent of the diversity of the
> "world of created
> beings"
> 
> [43]
> 
> is underlined in the following passage:
> 
> ... the forms and organisms of phenomenal being and existence
> in each of the
> kingdoms of the universe are myriad and numberless.  The
> vegetable plane or
> kingdom, for instance, has its infinite variety of types and
> material structures
> of plant life - each distinct and different within itself, no
> two exactly alike
> in composition and detail - for there are no repetitions in
> nature, and the
> augmentative virtue cannot be confined to any given image or
> shape.  Each leaf
> has its own particular identity - so to speak, its own
> individuality as a leaf...
> 
> [44]
> 
> 2.1.5    Serves the Human
> World
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the
> "causes and circumstances"
> 
> [45]
> 
> of the "perfection"
> 
> [46]
> 
> of the mineral, vegetable and animal
> worlds, and He
> distinguishes this from their "real prosperity"
> 
> [47]
> 
> which
> conduces to the honour
> of the various kingdoms.
> 
> The honour and exaltation of every existing being depends
> upon causes and
> circumstances.
> 
> The height of exaltation and the perfection of the vegetable
> world is that a tree
> should grow on the bank of a stream of fresh water, that a
> gentle breeze should
> blow on it, that the warmth of the sun should shine on it,
> that a gardener
> should attend to its cultivation, and that day by day it should
> develop and yield
> fruit.  But its real prosperity is to progress into the
> animal and human
> world, and replace that which has been exhausted in the
> bodies of animals and men.
> 
> The exaltation of the animal world is to possess perfect
> members, organs and
> powers, and to have all its needs supplied.  This is its
> chief glory, its
> honour and exaltation.  So the supreme happiness of an animal
> is to have
> possession of a green and fertile meadow, perfectly pure
> flowing water, and a
> lovely, verdant forest.  If these things are provided for it,
> no greater
> prosperity can be imagined.  For example, if a bird builds
> its nest in a green
> and fruitful forest, in a beautiful high place, upon a strong
> tree, and at the
> top of a lofty branch, and if it finds all it needs of seeds
> and water, this is
> its perfect prosperity.
> 
> But real prosperity for the animal consists in passing from
> the animal world to the human world, like the microscopic beings
> that, through the water and air, enter into man and are assimilated,
> and replace that which has been consumed in his body.  This is the
> great honour and prosperity for the animal world; no greater honour
> can be conceived for it.
> 
> [48]
> 
> 2.1.6    Imperfection of
> Nature
> 
> Two views of nature are contrasted -
> one which holds that the "world of nature is complete"
> 
> [49]
> 
> ,  and one that
> declares that it is "incomplete"
> 
> [50]
> 
> because "it has need of
> intelligence and education"
> 
> [51]
> 
> .   'Abdu'l-Bahá states that the
> "mineral, vegetable, animal and human worlds are all in need of an
> educator"
> 
> [52]
> 
> :
> 
> The materialists hold to the opinion that the world of nature
> is complete.  The divine philosophers declare that the world of
> nature is incomplete.  There is a wide difference between the two.
> The materialists call attention to the perfection of nature, the sun,
> moon and stars, the trees in their adornment, the whole earth and the
> sea - even unimportant phenomena revealing the most perfect symmetry.
> The divine philosophers deny this seeming perfection and completeness
> in nature's kingdom, even though admitting the beauty of its scenes
> and aspects and acknowledging the irresistible cosmic forces which
> control the colossal suns and planets.  They hold that while nature
> seems perfect, it is, nevertheless, imperfect because it has need of
> intelligence and education.  In proof of this they say that man,
> though he be a very god in the realm of material creation, is himself
> in need of an educator.  Man undeveloped by education is savage,
> animalistic, brutal.  Laws and regulations, schools, colleges
> and universities have for their purpose the training of man
> and his uplift from the dark borderland of the animal
> kingdom...
> 
> [53]
> 
> When we consider existence, we see that the mineral,
> vegetable, animal and human worlds are all in need of an
> educator.
> 
> If the earth is not cultivated, it becomes a jungle where
> useless weeds grow; but if a cultivator comes and tills the ground,
> it produces crops which nourish living creatures.  It is evident,
> therefore, that the soil needs the cultivation of the farmer.
> Consider the trees: if they remain without a cultivator, they will be
> fruitless, and without fruit they are useless; but if they receive
> the care of a gardener, these same barren trees become fruitful, and
> through cultivation, fertilization and engrafting the trees which had
> bitter fruits yield sweet fruits...
> 
> The same is true with respect to animals: notice that when
> the animal is trained it becomes domestic, and also that man, if he
> is left without education, becomes bestial, and, moreover, if left
> under the rule of nature, becomes lower than an animal, whereas if he
> is educated he becomes an angel...
> 
> [54]
> 
> 2.2    Attitudes And
> Values
> 
> The Bahá'í Writings
> articulate certain spiritual values and attitudes that guide the
> relationship of man toward nature.  These include:
> 
> 2.2.1    Appreciation
> 
> An awareness of the fact that the
> earth is the "source"
> 
> [55]
> 
> of man's "prosperity"
> 
> [56]
> 
> is tempered by the
> realization that "the honour and exaltation of man must be something
> more than material riches".
> 
> [57]
> 
> Thus:
> 
> Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth,
> feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing
> which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his
> exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the
> very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men.  There can
> be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this truth, is cleansed and
> sanctified from all pride, arrogance, and vainglory...
> 
> [58]
> 
> What is it of which ye can rightly boast? Is it on your food
> and your drink that ye pride yourselves, on the riches ye lay up in
> your treasuries, on the diversity and the cost of the ornaments with
> which ye deck yourselves? If true glory were to consist in the
> possession of such perishable things, then the earth on which ye walk
> must needs vaunt itself over you, because it supplieth you, and
> bestoweth upon you, these very things, by the decree of the Almighty.
> In its bowels are contained, according to what God hath ordained, all
> that ye possess.  From it, as a sign of His mercy, ye derive your
> riches.  Behold then your state, the thing in which ye glory! Would
> that ye could perceive it!
> 
> [59]
> 
> Then it is clear that the honour and exaltation of man must
> be something more than material riches.  Material comforts are only a
> branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes
> and virtues which are the adornments of his reality.  These are the
> divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the
> love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perception,
> scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence,
> natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the
> keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances;
> serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's life
> for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all nations;
> obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the
> guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races.
> This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the exaltation of
> man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honour!
> 
> [60]
> 
> 2.2.2    Moderation
> 
> The Bahá'í Writings
> encourage detachment from "this world and the vanities thereof"
> 
> [61]
> 
> ,
> since "attachment"
> 
> [62]
> 
> distracts the individual from awareness of God.
> This does not, however, constitute a form of asceticism or imply a
> rejection of life's pleasures.  Bahá'u'lláh explains:
> 
> Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the
> earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can
> bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to
> intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good
> thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of
> His servants as truly believe in Him.  Eat ye, O people, of the good
> things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from
> His wondrous bounties.  Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of
> them that are truly thankful.
> 
> [63]
> 
> The standard is one of moderation:
> 
> In all matters moderation is desirable.  If a thing is
> carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil...
> 
> [64]
> 
> 2.2.3    Kindness to
> Animals
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh calls for
> man to "show kindness to animals"
> 
> [65]
> 
> and He warns against "hunting to
> excess"
> 
> [66]
> 
> .  In relation to the former, 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
> 
> Briefly, it is not only their fellow human beings that the
> beloved of God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they
> show forth the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature.  For
> in all physical respects, and where the animal spirit is concerned,
> the selfsame feelings are shared by animal and man.  Man hath not
> grasped this truth, however, and he believeth that physical
> sensations are confined to human beings, wherefore is he unjust to
> the animals, and cruel.
> 
> And yet in truth, what difference is there when it cometh to
> physical sensations? The feelings are one and the same, whether ye
> inflict pain on man or on beast.  There is no difference here
> whatever.  And indeed ye do worse to harm an animal, for man hath a
> language, he can lodge a complaint, he can cry out and moan; if
> injured he can have recourse to the authorities and these will
> protect him from his aggressor.  But the hapless beast is mute, able
> neither to express its hurt nor take its case to the authorities.  If
> a man inflict a thousand ills upon a beast, it can neither ward him
> off with speech nor hale him into court.  Therefore is it essential
> that ye show forth the utmost consideration to the animal, and that
> ye be even kinder to him than to your fellow-man.
> 
> Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely
> tender and loving to animals.  If an animal be sick, let the children
> try to heal it, if it be hungry, let them feed it, if thirsty, let
> them quench its thirst, if weary, let them see that it rests.
> 
> Most human beings are sinners, but the beasts are innocent.
> Surely those without sin should receive the most kindness and love -
> all except animals which are harmful"  But to blessed animals the
> utmost kindness must be shown, the more the better.  Tenderness and
> loving-kindness are basic principles of God's heavenly Kingdom.  Ye
> should most carefully bear this matter in mind.
> 
> [67]
> 
> The Bahá'í Writings
> also assert that the consumption of meat is not a prerequisite to
> health:
> 
> Regarding the eating of animal flesh and abstinence
> therefrom, " he [man] is not in need of meat, nor is he obliged to
> eat it.  Even without eating meat he would live with the utmost
> vigour and energy" Truly, the killing of animals and the eating of
> their meat is somewhat contrary to pity and compassion, and if one
> can content oneself with cereals, fruit, oil and nuts, such as
> pistachios, almonds and so on, it would undoubtedly be better and
> more pleasing.
> 
> [68]
> 
> 2.2.4    Development of
> Nature
> 
> In the Bahá'í view,
> physical creation is dynamic and evolving from "one degree of
> perfection to another"
> 
> [69]
> 
> .  It is, however, "incomplete"
> 
> [70]
> 
> , since it lacks
> "intelligence and education"
> 
> [71]
> 
> .  It stands in need of development by
> man in order to create not only a higher degree of order and beauty,
> which are standards upheld in the Bahá'í teachings, but
> also to increase its fertility and productivity.  In relation to the
> creation of order and beauty in the realm of nature
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
> 
> Nature is the material world.  When we look upon it, we see
> that it is dark and imperfect.  For instance, if we allow a piece of
> land to remain in its natural condition, we will find it covered with
> thorns and thistles; useless weeds and wild vegetation will flourish
> upon it, and it will become like a jungle.  The trees will be
> fruitless, lacking beauty and symmetry...
> 
> [72]
> 
> And if, as thou passest by fields and plantations, thou
> observest that the plants, flowers and sweet-smelling herbs are
> growing luxuriantly together, forming a pattern of unity, this is an
> evidence of the fact that that plantation and garden is flourishing
> under the care of a skilful gardener.  But when thou seest it in a
> state of disorder and irregularity thou inferrest that it hath lacked
> the training of an efficient farmer and thus hath produced weeds and
> tares.
> 
> [73]
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá also mentions
> the contribution of cultivation as a means of increasing the
> fertility of the earth and its productivity.  He states:
> 
> If we should relegate this plot of ground to its natural
> state, allow it to return to its original condition, it would become
> a field of thorns and useless weeds, but by cultivation it will
> become fertile soil, yielding a harvest.  Deprived of cultivation,
> the mountain slopes would be jungles and forests without fruitful
> trees.  The gardens bring forth fruits and flowers in proportion to
> the care and tillage bestowed upon them by the gardener...
> 
> [74]
> 
> A grain of wheat, when cultivated by the farmer, will yield a
> whole harvest, and a seed, through the gardener's care, will grow
> into a great tree...
> 
> [75]
> 
> While the world of nature stands in
> need of development, man's approach to such development must be
> tempered by moderation, a commitment to protecting the "heritage [of]
> future generations"
> 
> [76]
> 
> , and an awareness of the sanctity of nature that
> pervades the Writings of the Bahá'í Faith.  For
> example, Bahá'u'lláh states:
> 
> Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the
> city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave,
> and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the
> meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.
> 
> [77]
> 
> 2.2.5    Importance of
> Agriculture
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh states
> that "Special regard must be paid to agriculture."
> 
> [78]
> 
> He characterizes
> it as an activity which is "conducive to the advancement of mankind
> and to the reconstruction of the world".
> 
> [79]
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá asserts
> that
> 
> The fundamental basis of the community is agriculture,-
> -tillage of the soil...
> 
> [80]
> 
> He describes agriculture as "a noble
> science"
> 
> [81]
> 
> whose practice is an "act of worship"
> 
> [82]
> 
> , and He encourages
> both women and men to engage in "agricultural sciences".
> 
> [83]
> 
> He
> indicates that should an individual "become proficient in this field,
> he will become a means of providing for the comfort of untold numbers
> of people".
> 
> [84]
> 
> In relation to the economic and
> social development of the nations, the Universal House of Justice
> underlines the importance of "agriculture and the preservation of the
> ecological balance of the world".
> 
> [85]
> 
> 2.2.6    Use of Science
> 
> Science is described as "the
> governor of nature and its mysteries, the one agency by which man
> explores the institutions of material creation":
> 
> [86]
> 
> ...man through the exercise of his scientific, intellectual
> power ... can modify, change and control nature according to his own
> wishes and uses.  Science, so to speak, is the breaker of the laws of
> nature.
> 
> Consider, for example, that man according to natural law
> should dwell upon the surface of the earth.  By overcoming this law
> and restriction, however, he sails in ships over the ocean, mounts to
> the zenith in airplanes and sinks to the depths of the sea in
> submarines.  This is against the fiat of nature and a violation of
> her sovereignty and dominion.  Nature's laws and methods, the hidden
> secrets and mysteries of the universe, human inventions and
> discoveries, all our scientific acquisitions should naturally remain
> concealed and unknown, but man through his intellectual acumen
> searches them out of the plane of the invisible, draws them into the
> plane of the visible, exposes and explains them.  For instance, one
> of the mysteries of nature is electricity.  According to nature this
> force, this energy, should remain latent and hidden, but man
> scientifically breaks through the very laws of nature, arrests it and
> even imprisons it for his use.
> 
> In brief, man through the possession of this ideal endowment
> of scientific investigation is the most noble product of creation,
> the governor of nature...
> 
> [87]
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá links scientific
> endeavour with the implementation of a noble goal.  He states:
> 
> This endowment is the most praiseworthy power of man, for
> through its employment and exercise the betterment of the human race
> is accomplished, the development of the virtues of mankind is made
> possible and the spirit and mysteries of God become manifest...
> 
> [88]
> 
> And He enumerates the general principle that
> 
> ...any agency whatever, though it be the instrument of
> mankind's greatest good, is capable of misuse.  Its proper use or
> abuse depends on the varying degrees of enlightenment, capacity,
> faith, honesty, devotion and highmindedness of the leaders of public
> opinion.
> 
> [89]
> 
> 3.
> 
> Protection Of The Environment
> 
> A number of issues pertinent to the
> protection of the environment are addressed in the Writings of the
> Bahá'í Faith.  Several of these are set out
> below.
> 
> 3.1    Preservation Of
> Resources
> 
> Shoghi Effendi links the preservation
> and reclamation of the earth's resources with both the "protection of
> the] physical world and [the] heritage [of] future generations".
> 
> [90]
> 
> He
> affirms that the work of such groups as the Men of the Trees and the
> World Forestry Charter is "essentially humanitarian",
> 
> [91]
> 
> and he applauds
> their "noble objective"
> 
> [92]
> 
> of reclaiming the "desert areas [of]
> Africa".
> 
> [93]
> 
> It is interesting to note that among
> the "powers and duties"
> 
> [94]
> 
> of the Universal House of Justice are "the
> advancement and betterment of the world"
> 
> [95]
> 
> and "the development of
> countries".
> 
> [96]
> 
> 3.2   Control Of Natural
> Resources
> 
> The Bahá'í Writings
> envisage that the protection, exploration, and exploitation of the
> earth's "unimaginably vast resources"
> 
> [97]
> 
> must, inevitably, in the long
> term, come under the jurisdiction of a "world federal system".
> 
> [98]
> 
> Such
> a system, based on recognition of the "unity of the human race",
> 
> [99]
> 
> will
> not only exercise "unchallengeable authority"
> 
> [100]
> 
> over the earth's
> resources, but it will also ensure economic and social justice.
> Shoghi Effendi writes:
> 
> The unity of the human race, as envisaged by
> Bahá'u'lláh, implies the establishment of a world
> commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are
> closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its
> state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the
> individuals that compose them are definitely and completely
> safeguarded" In such a world society, science and religion, the two
> most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will
> co-operate, and will harmoniously develop... The economic resources
> of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be
> tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be co-ordinated and
> developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably
> regulated.
> 
> National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease, and
> racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity,
> understanding and co-operation.  The causes of religious strife will
> be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be
> completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes
> will be obliterated.  Destitution on the one hand, and gross
> accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear.  The enormous
> energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political,
> will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human
> inventions and technical development, to the increase of the
> productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the
> extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of
> physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain,
> to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the
> planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of
> any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and
> spiritual life of the entire human race.
> 
> A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising
> unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources,
> blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West,
> liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the
> exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of
> the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice,
> whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and
> by its allegiance to one common Revelation - such is the goal towards
> which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving.
> 
> [101]
> 
> 3.3   Approaches To
> Protecting The Environment
> 
> The conservation and protection of
> the environment must be addressed on the individual and societal
> levels.  Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, states:
> 
> We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment
> outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will
> be improved.  Man is organic with the world.  His inner life moulds
> the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it.  The one
> acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is
> the result of these mutual reactions.
> 
> No movement in the world directs its attention upon both
> these aspects of human life and has full measures for their
> improvement, save the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.  And
> this is its distinctive feature.  If we desire therefore the good of
> the world we should strive to spread those teachings and also
> practise them in our own life.  Through them will the human heart be
> changed, and also our social environment provides the atmosphere in
> which we can grow spiritually and reflect in full the light of God
> shining through the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
> [102]
> 
> And, with regard to the solution of
> the world's problems, he indicates that:
> 
> We need a change of heart, a reframing of all our conceptions
> and a new orientation of our activities.  The inward life of man as
> well as his outward environment have to be reshaped if human
> salvation is to be secured.
> 
> [103]
> 
> On a governmental level, the
> Universal House of Justice calls for "global cooperation of the
> family of nations in devising and adopting measures designed to
> preserve the ecological balance this earth was given by its Creator".
> 
> [104]
> 
> The House of Justice asserts:
> 
> Until such time as the nations of the world understand and
> follow the admonitions of Bahá'u'lláh to
> whole-heartedly work together in looking after the best interests of
> all humankind, and unite in the search for ways and means to meet the
> many environmental problems besetting our planet, the House of
> Justice feels that little progress will be made towards their
> solution...
> 
> [105]
> 
> The Universal House of Justice sets
> out the role of the individual Bahá'í and of
> Bahá'í communities in relation to saving "the wildlife
> and natural condition of the world"
> 
> [106]
> 
> as follows:
> 
> ...the best way in which you can help to save the wildlife
> and natural condition of the world is to exert every effort to bring
> the Message of Bahá'u'lláh to the attention of your
> fellow-men and to win their allegiance to His Cause.
> 
> As the hearts of men are changed, and they begin to work in
> unity in the light of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, they can
> begin to implement many practical improvements to the condition of
> the world.  This is already beginning in the efforts at social and
> economic development in those areas where large Bahá'í
> communities have been founded.  Of course, you can also assist those
> with whom you come into contact who have an interest in improving the
> environment, but the fundamental solution is the one that Bahá'u'lláh
> has brought.
> 
> [107]
> 
> In addition to addressing the issue
> on a fundamental spiritual level, collaboration with individuals and
> groups interested in improving the environment is encouraged.  The
> Bahá'í communities are called upon to make the
> conservation of the environment an integral part of their ongoing
> activities by
> 
> ...assisting in endeavours to conserve the environment in
> ways which blend with the rhythm of life of our community...
> 
> [108]
> 
> 4.
> 
> Prospect For The Future
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá sketches the following
> picture of the future state of life on earth:
> 
> The Lord of all mankind hath fashioned this human realm to be a
> Garden of Eden, an earthly paradise.  If, as it must, it findeth the
> way to harmony and peace, to love and mutual trust, it will become a
> true abode of bliss, a place of manifold blessings and unending
> delights.  Therein shall be revealed the excellence of humankind,
> therein shall the rays of the Sun of Truth shine forth on every hand.
> 
> [109]
> 
> References
> 
> 1
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, "Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1987), sec.
> CLXXVI
> , p.
> 272
> .
> 
> 2
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 3
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 4
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", rev.  ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1984), sec.
> XC
> , p.
> 178
> .
> 
> 5
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, "Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas" [rev.  ed.], (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), p.
> 142
> .
> 
> 6
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 7
> 
> "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", sec.
> CXVII
> , p.
> 250
> .
> 
> 8
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 9
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá" [rev. ed.], (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), sec.
> 15
> , p.
> 32
> .
> 
> 10
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 11
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", 2nd.ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), p.
> 178
> .
> 
> 12
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 13
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 14
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 15
> 
> Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 19 May 1971 written on its behalf to an individual believer.
> 
> 16
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 225
> , p.
> 283
> .
> 
> 17
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 18
> 
> ibid., sec.
> 225
> , pp.
> 283
> -
> 85
> .
> 
> 19
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, "the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh", rev.  ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1985), Persian no.
> 20
> , pp.
> 28
> -
> 29
> .
> 
> 20
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated April 1957, published in "Messages to the Bahá'í World 1950-1957" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1971), p.
> 103
> .
> 
> 21
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 22
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet translated from the Persian.
> 
> 23
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 24
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 25
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 137
> , p.
> 157
> .
> 
> 26
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 27
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", p.
> 17
> .
> 
> 28
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Some Answered Questions", rev.  ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1985), p.
> 3
> .
> 
> 29
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 30
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 31
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 32
> 
> ibid., pp.
> 3
> -
> 4
> .
> 
> 33
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 34
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Tablets of Abdul-Bahá Abbas", vol.  III (Chicago: Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1930), p.
> 641
> .
> 
> 35
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Tablets of Abdul-Bahá Abbas", vol.  II (Chicago: Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1940), pp.
> 318
> -
> 19
> .
> 
> 36
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912", 10th ed.  (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979), p.
> 88
> .
> 
> 37
> 
> ibid., p.
> 89
> .
> 
> 38
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 225
> , p.
> 289
> .
> 
> 39
> 
> ibid., pp.
> 289
> -
> 90
> .
> 
> 40
> 
> "Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912", p.
> 66
> .
> 
> 41
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 225
> , p.
> 291
> .
> 
> 42
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 43
> 
> "Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912", p.
> 51
> .
> 
> 44
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", p.
> 285
> .
> 
> 45
> 
> "Some Answered Questions", p.
> 78
> .
> 
> 46
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 47
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 48
> 
> ibid., pp.
> 78
> -
> 79
> .
> 
> 49
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912, p.
> 329
> .
> 
> 50
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 51
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 52
> 
> "Some Answered Questions", p.
> 7
> .
> 
> 53
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", p.
> 329
> .
> 
> 54
> 
> "Some Answered Questions, p.
> 7
> .
> 
> 55
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf", rev.  ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979), p.
> 44
> .
> 
> 56
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 57
> 
> "Some Answered Questions, p.
> 79
> .
> 
> 58
> 
> "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf", p.
> 44
> .
> 
> 59
> 
> "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", sec.
> CXVIII
> , pp.
> 252
> -
> 53
> .
> 
> 60
> 
> "Some Answered Questions, pp.
> 79
> -
> 80
> .
> 
> 61
> 
> "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", sec.
> CXXVIII
> , p.
> 276
> .
> 
> 62
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 63
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 64
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, "Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas", p.
> 69
> .
> 
> 65
> 
> "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", sec.
> CXXV
> , p.
> 265
> .
> 
> 66
> 
> Universal House of Justice, "A Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book of Bahá'u'lláh", 1st ed.  (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1973), note 34, p. 63.
> [Ed. note: Not identical to, but similar to Notes
> 84
> and
> 83
> of the
> Kitáb-i-Aqdas
> .]
> 
> 67
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 138
> , pp.
> 158
> -
> 60
> .
> 
> 68
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet translated from the Persian.
> 
> 69
> 
> "Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912 ,p.
> 66
> .
> 
> 70
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912",p.
> 329
> .
> 
> 71
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 72
> 
> ibid., p.
> 308
> .
> 
> 73
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 225
> , p.
> 290
> .
> 
> 74
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", pp.
> 353
> .
> 
> 75
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 104
> , p.
> 132
> .
> 
> 76
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, from a cable dated 23 May 1951 to the New Earth Luncheon, London, U.K.
> 
> 77
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh, in "Bahá'í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá", 1985 ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1985),
> frontispiece
> .
> 
> 78
> 
> "Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas", p.
> 90
> .
> 
> 79
> 
> ibid., p.
> 89
> .
> 
> 80
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in "Star of the West", vol.  4, no.  6 (24 June 1913), p. 103.
> 
> 81
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet translated from the Persian.
> 
> 82
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 126
> , p.
> 145
> .
> 
> 83
> 
> ibid., and "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", p.
> 283
> .
> 
> 84
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet translated from the Persian.
> 
> 85
> 
> Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat, from a letter dated 31 March 1985 to an Association for Bahá'í Studies.
> 
> 86
> 
> "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", p.
> 29
> .
> 
> 87
> 
> ibid., p.
> 30
> .
> 
> 88
> 
> ibid., p.
> 31
> .
> 
> 89
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "The Secret of Divine Civilization", 2nd ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1983), p.
> 16
> .
> 
> 90
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, from a cable dated 23 May 1951 to the New Earth Luncheon, London, U.K.
> 
> 91
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, from a cable dated 21 May 1956 to the World Forestry Charter Luncheon, London, U.K.
> 
> 92
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 93
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, from a cable dated 22 May 1957 to the World Forestry Charter Luncheon, London, U.K.
> 
> 94
> 
> Universal House of Justice, "The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice" (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1972), p.
> 5
> .
> 
> 95
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 96
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 97
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 11 March 1936, published in "The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters", rev.  ed.  (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), p.
> 204
> .
> 
> 98
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 99
> 
> ibid., p.
> 203
> .
> 
> 100
> 
> ibid., p.
> 204
> .
> 
> 101
> 
> ibid., pp.
> 203
> -
> 4
> .
> 
> 102
> 
> Secretary to Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 17 February 1933 to an individual believer.
> 
> 103
> 
> Secretary to Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 27 May 1932 to an individual believer.
> 
> 104
> 
> Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat, from a letter dated 18 October 1981 to an individual believer.
> 
> 105
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 106
> 
> Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat, from a letter dated 14 June 1984 to an individual believer.
> 
> 107
> 
> ibid.
> 
> 108
> 
> Universal House of Justice, from the
> 1989 Ridvan Message
> to the Bahá'ís of the World.
> 
> 109
> 
> "Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá", sec.
> 220
> , p.
> 275
> .  91
> 
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