Typed by Ehsan Bayat;
formatted for the web by Jonah Winters 08/02
- "The movement itself from place to place, when undertaken for the sake of God, hath always exerted, and can now exert, its influence in the world. In the Books of old the station of them that have voyaged far and near in order to guide the servants of God hath been set forth and written down."
-- Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 84
- "It is...recorded in the blessed Gospel: Travel ye throughout the world and call ye the people to the Kingdom of God. Now this is the time that you may arise and perform this most great service and become the cause of the guidance of innumerable souls."
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 4
- "The field is indeed so immense, the period so critical, the Cause so great, the workers so few, the time so short, the privilege so priceless, that no follower of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, worthy to bear His name, can afford a moment's hesitation."
--Guidance for Today & Tomorrow, p.223 [Ed. - also in The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 39]
- "The friends must now take the Message to the rest of humanity. The time is ripe and the opportunities illimitable. We are not alone nor helpless. Sustained by our love for each other and given power through the Administrative Order ..., the Army of Light can achieve such victories as will astonish posterity."
-- Wellspring of Guidance, p. 120
HOW TO GO
- Trust in God and Bahá'u'lláh, be detached and prepare yourself through prayer and deepening. "Whoso ariseth to teach Our Cause must needs detach himself from all earthly things, and regard, at all times, the triumph of Our Faith as his supreme objective... And when he determineth to leave his home, for the sake of the Cause of his Lord, let him put his whole trust in God, as the best provision for his journey, and array himself with the robe of virtue."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 334
- "Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee..., that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 295
- "Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 277
- Remember to "tread the spiritual path with practical feet". Take any special teaching materials (musical instruments, slides, etc.) with you, be sure to be neat and tidy and have suitable clothes, do not impose yourself on anyone without prior invitation.
"Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: `This man is unquestionably a Bahá'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá'ís.'"
-- Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 21
- "...no man should enter the house of his friend save at his friend's pleasure, nor lay hands upon his treasures nor prefer his own will to his friend's, and in no wise seek an advantage over him..."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, Persian, No. 43
- "Teachers must continually travel to all parts of the continent, nay, rather, to all parts of the world, but they must travel like `Abdu'l-Bahá, who journeyed throughout the cities of America. He was sanctified and free from every attachment and in the utmost severance."
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 53
WHAT TO DO?
- Be audacious, patient, determined, loving and warm, recalling at all times the importance of prayer. Let your heart be your guide but always consult with Assembly, Group or isolated believers and respect their wishes.
"Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider, how the wind, faithful to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of the earth, be they inhabited or desolate... So should be every one that claimeth to be a lover of the one true God. It behoveth him to fix his gaze upon the fundamentals of His Faith, and to labor diligently for its propagation. Wholly for the sake of God he should proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response his words may evoke in his hearer.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 339
- "Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and good-will. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 8
- The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing, even as the cup-bearer, who
proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker, and the lover who crieth not out from the depths of his heart until he gazeth upon the beauty of his beloved.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, Persian, No. 36
- "When the friends are teaching the Word of God they should be careful to give the Message in the same simplicity as it is enunciated in our teachings. In their contacts they must show genuine and divine love. The heart of an unlettered soul is extremely sensitive; any trace of prejudice on the part of the pioneer or teacher is immediately sensed."
-- Wellspring of Guidance, p. 32
- "In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory."
-- Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í Administration, p. 21
- "The aim is this: The intention of the teacher must be pure, his heart independent, his spirit attracted, his thought at peace, his resolution firm, his magnanimity exalted and in the love of God a shining torch. Should he become as such, his sanctified breath will even affect the rock; otherwise there will be no result whatsoever. As long as a soul is not perfected, how can he efface the defects of others? Unless he is detached from aught else save God, how can he teach severance to others?"
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 54
- If you are mass teaching or a member of a teaching team, look happy but avoid unnecessary joking and games, learn from the mistakes and good qualities of others and consult together on what you are going to do each day.
"Now is the golden opportunity. For whatever convulsions the waywardness of a godless and materialistic age may yet precipitate in the world, however grievous may be the effects of the rolling up of the present order on the plans and efforts of the community of the Most Great Name, we must seize the opportunities of the hour and go forward confident that all things are within His mighty grasp and that, if we but play our part, total and unconditional victory will inevitably be ours."
--Wellspring of Guidance, p. 27
- "Oh! that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions and raising the call of Ya Bahá'u'l-Abha in cities, villages, mountains, deserts, and oceans, promote the Divine Teachings! This, alas, I cannot do! How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it."
--America and the Most Great Peace, p. 78 [part of The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh]
- O Thou incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! These souls are Thy heavenly army. Assist them and, with the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse, make them victorious, so that each one of them may become like unto a regiment and conquer these countries through the love of God and the illumination of divine teachings.
O God! Be Thou their supporter and their helper, and in the wilderness, the mountain, the valley, the forests, the prairies and the seas, be Thou their confidant - so that they may cry out through the power of the Kingdom and the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent, and Thou art the Wise, the Hearing and the Seeing.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá [Ed. - in Bahá'í Prayers]
