Paris Talks

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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.