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The Pattern of Bahá'í lifepages 4, 39, 55, out of 63 total pagesLondon: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1948/1983 CONTENTS
The following abbreviations are used throughout for the names of Bahá'í books from which passages have been selected.
Introduction"My first counsel is this: possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable, and everlasting." The writings and recorded utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and of 'Abdu'l-Bahá abound with passages summoning all people to a new life of impeccable conduct. As in so many other fields of revelation, so too in the field of morals the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are a fruition, a culmination, a fulfilment of the relatively fragmentary statements of the former Manifestations of God. The relationship is as that of the fruit to the bud, of the law of Moses to the fragrant flower of the Speaker of the Mount. So rich in content are these passages that almost they defy classification, and indeed there is an inevitable overlap in meaning between them. The above quotation from the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh suggested the method that has been adopted, to divide the material into three main groups concerned respectively with the individual's relationship to self, to others, and to God, betokened in essence by purity, kindliness, and radiance. In addition, for their special appropriateness to the present day, three extracts have been chosen from The Advent of Divine Justice, a letter sent by Shoghi Effendi, late Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, to the American Bahá'ís during their first great expansion project. These have been adapted by suitable omissions. With the exception of these and one or two other passages made clear in the context, all that follows takes its origin from Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. It should not, by any means, be supposed that this selection exhausts the range of the moral teachings of the Faith. Indeed, during compilation, it was found that the material available, after preliminary sifting, was many times too copious, and that material presents only what has so far been translated into English from the original Persian and Arabic, in which the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith and His Son rendered the revelation of truth for this day. Each great Manifestation of God, perfectly reflecting that source of the energy and attractive power which men call love, in manner adapted to the changing needs of a progressively growing mankind, has ever had a threefold purpose; the perpetuation of man's civilization; the purification of his qualities; and the promotion of his happiness in all the worlds of God. It is with the central and pivotal aspect of this purpose, the purification of man's qualities, upon which depend both the others, that this selection is concerned in particular. Man himself, created to know, serve, worship, praise, reflect, and love God, is to be regarded as a mine of attributes, each latent and potential. Through that interaction with the world, which is called education, these attributes are caused to appear. If, in the course of this interaction, man becomes imbued with a desire for self-gratification, these attributes will be turned inward, the bonds of love and regard for others will weakn and disappear, and those qualities which, in reality, denote extreme lack, the opposites of all virtues, will be developed. If, on the other hand, man realizes that his neighbor also has been created to reflect the perfections of God, he will seek to associate with that neighbour so that, through mutual co-operation, each may increase his reflective capacity and so develop, grow, and expand until those perfections are clearly revealed, and the soul so empowered made ready for life in another world. This association, this love, this fellowship, is the foundation of that ever-advancing civilization for the promotion of which all men have come into being. Just as each great Manifestation of God is a perfect mirror of the Divine Essence, so all other human beings are mirrors capable, by turning toward those Manifestations and in particular towards Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestation of this Day, of reflecting Their glorious attributes, the very attributes needed for perpetuated existence in the heavenly kingdom. "The rewards of this life are the virtues and perfections which adorn the reality of man." COMPILER
PurityBODYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 322)CHASTITYBahá'u'lláh (ADJ 26, 27)Shoghi Effendi (ADJ 24) CLEANLINESSBahá'u'lláh (ESW 131)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 581) CONFESSIONBahá'u'lláh (PHW 44)Bahá'u'lláh (TB 87) DECENCYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 215, 188)FORTITUDEBahá'u'lláh (SBS 323; AHW 48)HEALTHBahá'u'lláh (GWB 154)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 207) HUMILITYBahá'u'lláh (ESW 30, 44)INTEGRITYBahá'u'lláh (ESW 29, 74; GWB 287)LIBERTYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 335)MATERIAL GOODSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 138; AHW 56; ADJ 19)MODERATIONBahá'u'lláh (GWB 216, 342)MODESTYBahá'u'lláh (ESW 27)PATIENCEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 129; ESW 24)PURITYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 307; ESW 23)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 110) SANCTITYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 297, 299, 93)SELF-KNOWLEDGEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 178; TB 5; GWB 326)SELFLESSNESSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 338)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 328) Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 294) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 136) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 97) SINCERITYBahá'u'lláh (KI 194)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 233) Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 277) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 620) SLEEP'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 460)TEMPERANCEBahá'u'lláh (ADJ 27)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ADJ 27) WORLDBahá'u'lláh (AHW 55; GWB 127, 328)KindlinessRECTITUDE OF CONDUCTShoghi Effendi (ADJ 19, 22, 24)ANIMALSBahá'u'lláh (KI 194)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB) [Ed. - The quotation cited appears to be instead from BWF 373] ASSOCIATIONBahá'u'lláh (ESW 15; GWB 289)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 92) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 38) BAD LANGUAGEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 11; TB 90; BWF 208)CHARITYBahá'u'lláh (TB 57; GWB 202)'Abdu'l-Bahá (SAQ 349) CHILDRENBahá'u'lláh (TB 29, 129, 53)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 116, 91) COMPASSION'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 149; PUP 199)COURTESYBahá'u'lláh (ESW 50; TB 27)DEFENCE OF THE CAUSEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 329, 330)DETRACTIONBahá'u'lláh (AHW 27; PHW 66)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 45) DISPUTATIONBahá'u'lláh (ESW 55)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 279) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 122) DISSENSIONBahá'u'lláh (BWF 209; GWB 9)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 431) EQUITYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 315; ADJ 20; GWB 203, 204)FIDELITYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 161)FRIENDLINESSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 318, 8)GENEROSITYBahá'u'lláh (PHW 54; ESW 55; PHW 49)GOOD CHARACTERBahá'u'lláh (ADJ 19; GWB 299; ADJ 21; TB 7)GOSSIPBahá'u'lláh (ESW 74)'Abdu'l-Bahá (WT 9) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 131) HONESTYBahá'u'lláh (ESW 23; ADJ 19)HOSPITALITY'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 15)JUSTICEBahá'u'lláh (AHW 2; GWB 106; ADJ 23; AHW 28; GWB 250; ADJ 24)'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 160) KINDLINESSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 289)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 100) LOVE FOR MAN'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 180, 36)LOYALTYBahá'u'lláh (PDC 81; TB 85; ESW 89)MALICEBahá'u'lláh (PHW 42; KI 193)MEEKNESSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 315)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 126) MERCYBahá'u'lláh (ESW 29)OBEDIENCEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 241, 207)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 128) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 132) PARENTSBahá'u'lláh (SBS 166)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 342) POLITICSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 95)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 498) In regard to practical participation in democratic elections, the Guardian has written as follows: "The friends may vote, if they can do it, without identifying themselves with one party or another. To enter the arena of party politics is surely detrimental to the best interests of the Faith and will harm the Cause. It remains for the individuals to so use their right to vote as to keep aloof from party politics, and always bear in mind that they are voting on the merits of the individual, rather than because he belongs to one party or another." Shoghi Effendi (BP 13) SACRIFICEBahá'u'lláh (PM 95)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 146) SECLUSIONBahá'u'lláh (TB 56; ESW 49)SELF-EXPRESSIONBahá'u'lláh (PHW 72)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 432) The Guardian has written, however: "At the very root of the Cause lies the principle of the undoubted right of the individual to self-expression, his freedom to declare his conscience and set forth his views, be it as elected representative of his community or on his own account at the feasts." Shoghi Effendi (BP 32) SERVICEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 250)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 93) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 177, 168; TAB 161) SEXBahá'u'lláh (ESW 49)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 80, 108; PT 164) SYMPATHYBahá'u'lláh (AHW 30; GWB 316)TRUSTWORTHINESSBahá'u'lláh (ESW 54; GWB 232)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 436) TRUTHFULNESSBahá'u'lláh (TB 12)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 270) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 459) VENGEANCE'Abdu'l-Bahá (SAQ 305, 309)VIOLENCEBahá'u'lláh (ESW 24, 25)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 93) WAR'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 29, 28)RadianceUNITYShoghi Effendi (ADJ 29, 19)ADVERSITYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 313; ESW 95; PHW 51)ATTRACTIONBahá'u'lláh (GWB 277)'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 213) CAPACITY'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 143)DEATHBahá'u'lláh (GWB 345; AHW 14)DISTINCTION'Abdu'l-Bahá (ADJ 21; PUP 195)EQUALITY'Abdu'l-Bahá (ADJ 31, 32)FEAR OF GODBahá'u'lláh (TB 33; ESW 27, 136; GWB 272)GUIDANCEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 339, 305)HAPPINESSBahá'u'lláh (ESW 139)'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 72) HOLINESSBahá'u'lláh (PHW 8)IMAGE OF GOD'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 329)INSIGHTBahá'u'lláh (PHW 31)JOYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 289)Bahá'u'lláh (AHW 35) Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 329) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 209) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 110) KNOWLEDGEBahá'u'lláh (KI 197; ESW 121)'Abdu'l-Bahá (SBS 252) Bahá'u'lláh (ESW 26, 111; GWB 128) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 222) LIFEBahá'u'lláh (TB 145)Bahá'u'lláh (PHW 73) Bahá'u'lláh (ADJ 63) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 93) LOVE OF GODBahá'u'lláh (GWB 261)'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 77) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 526) MEDITATION'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 175-6)NEARNESS TO GOD'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 142)PRAISEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 234, 38)PRAYERBahá'u'lláh (GWB 291)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 280) Bahá'u'lláh (AHW 31) Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 295) "While man prays, he sees himself in the presence of God." 'Abdu'l-Bahá (SBS 250) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 81) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (SBS 252, 254, 255, 254, 255) RADIANCEBahá'u'lláh (GWB 322)'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 113) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 131) 'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 6) RIGHTEOUSNESSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 323, 94, 287)SPIRITUALITY'Abdu'l-Bahá (PT 112; TAB 314)STEADFASTNESSBahá'u'lláh (GWB 246, 253)'Abdu'l-Bahá (TAB 696) THANKFULNESS'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 231, 465)UNITYBahá'u'lláh (GWB 140, 288, 218, 94, 215, 338; SBS 109)WISDOMBahá'u'lláh (ESW 55, 99; GWB 343; PHW 36)WORKBahá'u'lláh (PHW 82, 80, 89)'Abdu'l-Bahá (PUP 182) WORSHIP'Abdu'l-Bahá (ABL 94, PT 176)Bahá'u'lláh (GWB 284) INDEX
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