III.—Religion ought to be the Cause of Love and Affection. (Not given
separately.)
IV.—The Unity of Religion and Science.
V.—Abolition of Prejudices.
VI.—Equalization of Means of Existence.
VII.—Equality of Men before the Law.
VIII.—Universal Peace.
IX.—Non-Interference of Religion and Politics.
X.—Equality of Sex—Education of Women.
XI.—The Power of the Holy Spirit.
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, PARIS
Since my arrival in Paris, I have been told of the Theosophical Society,
and I know that it is composed of honoured and respected men. You are men
of intellect and thought, men with spiritual ideals, and it is a great
pleasure for me to be among you.
Let us thank God who has drawn us together this evening. It gives me great
joy, for I see that you are seekers after truth. You are not held in
bondage by the chains of prejudice, and your greatest longing is to know
the truth. Truth may be likened to the sun! The sun is the luminous body
that disperses all shadows; in the same way does truth scatter the shadows
of our imagination. As the sun gives life to the body of humanity so does
truth give life to their souls. Truth is a sun that rises from different
points on the horizon.
Sometimes the sun rises from the centre of the horizon, then in summer it
rises farther north, in winter farther south—but it is always the
self-same sun, however different are the points of its rising.
In like manner truth is one, although its manifestations may be very
different. Some men have eyes and see. These worship the sun, no matter
from which point on the horizon it may dawn; and when the sun has left the
winter sky to appear in the summer one, they know how to find it again.
Others there are who worship only the spot from which the sun arose, and
when it arises in its glory from another place they remain in
contemplation before the spot of its former rising. Alas! these men are
deprived of the blessings of the sun. Those who in truth adore the sun
itself will recognize it from whatsoever dawning-place it may appear, and
will straightway turn their faces towards its radiance.
We must adore the sun itself and not merely the place of its appearance.
In the same way men of enlightened heart worship truth on whatever horizon
it appears. They are not bound by personality, but they follow the truth,
and are able to recognize it no matter from whence it may come. It is this
same truth which helps humanity to progress, which gives life to all
created beings, for it is the Tree of Life!
In His teaching Bahá’u’lláh gives us the explanation of truth, and I wish
to speak to you briefly about this, for I see that you are capable of
understanding. I.—The first principle of Bahá’u’lláh is:
The Search for Truth
Man must cut himself free from all prejudice and from the result of his
own imagination, so that he may be able to search for truth unhindered.
Truth is one in all religions, and by means of it the unity of the world
can be realized.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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