Chapter
10: The Way to Peace
Today, this Servant has assuredly come to vivify the
world and to bring into unity all who are on the face of the earth.
That which God willeth shall come to pass and thou shalt see the
earth even as the Abhá (Most Glorious) Paradise.—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH,
Tablet to the Ra’ís.
Conflict versus Concord
During the past century scientists have devoted and
immense amount of study to the struggle for existence in the plant
and animal world, and, amid the perplexities of social life, many
have turned for guidance to the principles which have been found to
hold good in the lower world of nature. In this way they have come to
regard rivalry and conflict as necessities of life, and the ruthless
killing out of the weaker members of society as a legitimate or even
necessary means of improving the race. Bahá’u’lláh
tells us, on the other hand, that, if we wish to ascend the scale of
progress, instead of looking backward to the animal world, we must
direct our gaze forward and upward, and must take not the beasts, but
the Prophets as our guides. The principles of unity, concord and
compassion taught by the Prophets are the very antithesis of those
dominating the animal struggle for self-preservation, and we must
choose between them, for they cannot be reconciled. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
says:—
In the world of nature the dominant note is the struggle
for existence—the result of which is the survival of the
fittest. The law of the survival of the fittest is the origin of all
difficulties. It is the cause of war and strife, hatred and
animosity, between human beings. In the world of nature there is
tyranny, egoism, aggression, overbearance, usurpation of the rights
of others and other blameworthy attributes which are defects of the
animal world. Therefore, so long as the requirements of the natural
world play paramount part among the children of men, success and
prosperity are impossible. Nature is warlike, nature is bloodthirsty,
nature is tyrannical, for nature is unaware of God the Almighty. That
is why these cruel qualities are natural to the animal world.
Therefore the Lord of mankind, having great love and
mercy, has caused the appearance of the prophets and the revelation
of the Holy Books, so that through divine education humanity may be
released from the corruption of nature and the darkness of ignorance,
be confirmed with ideal virtues and spiritual attributes, and become
the dawning-place of merciful emotions....
A hundred thousand times, alas! that ignorant prejudice,
unnatural differences and antagonistic principles are yet displayed
by the nations of the world toward one another, thus causing the
retardation of general progress. This retrogression comes from the
fact that the principles of divine civilization are completely
abandoned, and the teachings of the prophets are forgotten.
The Most Great Peace
In all ages the Prophets of God have foretold the coming
of an era of “peace on earth, goodwill among men.” As we
have already seen Bahá’u’lláh, in the most
glowing and confident terms, confirms these prophecies and declares
that their fulfillment is at hand. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
says:—
... in this marvellous cycle, the earth will be
transformed, and the world of humanity arrayed in tranquility and
beauty. Disputes, quarrels, and murders will be replaced by peace,
truth, and concord; among the nations, peoples, races, and countries,
love and amity will appear. Co-operation and union will be
established, and finally war will be entirely suppressed....
Universal peace will raise its tent in the centre of the earth, and
the Blessed Tree of Life will grow and spread to such an extent that
it will overshadow the East and the West. Strong and weak, rich and
poor, antagonistic sects and hostile nations—which are like the
wolf and the lamb, the leopard and kid, the lion and calf—will
act towards each other with the most complete love, friendship,
justice, and equity. The world will be filled with science, with the
knowledge of the reality of the mysteries of beings, and with the
knowledge of God.—Some Answered Questions, pp. 74–75.
Religious Prejudices
In order to see clearly how the Most Great Peace may be
established, let us first examine the principle causes that have led
to war in the past and see how Bahá’u’lláh
proposes to deal with each.
One of the most fertile causes of war has been religious
prejudice. With regard to this the Bahá’í
teachings show clearly that animosity and conflict between people of
different religions and sects have always been due, not to true
religion, but to the want of it, and to its replacement by false
prejudices, imitations and misrepresentations.
In one of His talks in Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
said:
Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and
disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth
to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion
becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it would be better to
be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly
religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to
cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better
be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is
no religion.
Again He says:—
From the beginning of human history
down to the present time various religions of the world have
anathematized one another and accused one another of falsity....
They have shunned one another most rigidly, exercising mutual
animosity and rancor. Consider the history of religious warfare....
One of the greatest religious wars, the Crusaders, extended over a
period of 200 years.... Sometimes the Crusaders were successful,
killing, pillaging and taking captive Muḥammadan people;
sometimes the Mussulmans were victorious, inflicting bloodshed and
ruin in turn upon the invaders.
So they continued for two centuries,
alternately fighting with fury and relaxing with weakness until the
European religionists withdrew from the East, leaving ashes of
desolation behind them and finding their own nations in a condition
of turbulence and upheaval.... Yet this was only one of the “Holy
wars.”
Religious wars have been many. Nine hundred
thousand martyrs of the Protestant cause was the record of conflict
and difference between that sect of Christians and the Catholics....
How many languished in prisons! How merciless the treatment of
captives! All in the name of religion!
The Christians and
Muḥammadans considered the Jews as satanic and the enemies of
God. Therefore they cursed and persecuted them. Great numbers of Jews
were killed, their houses burnt and pillaged, their children carried
into captivity. The Jews in turn regarded the Christians as infidels,
and the Muḥammadans as enemies and destroyers of the laws of
Moses; therefore they called down vengeance upon them and curse them
even to this day.
When the light of Bahá’u’lláh
dawned from the East, He proclaimed the promise of the oneness of
humanity. He addressed all mankind saying: “Ye are all fruits
of one tree. There are not two trees, one a tree of divine mercy, the
other a tree of Satan.” ... Therefore we must exercise the
utmost love toward one another. We must not consider any people the
people of Satan, but know and recognize all as servants of one God.
At most it is this: some do not know, they must be guided and
trained.... Some are ignorant, they must be informed. Some are as
children, they must be helped to reach maturity. Some are ailing,
their moral condition is bad, they must be treated until their morals
are purified. But the sick man is not to be hated because he is sick;
the child must not be shunned because he is a child, the ignorant one
is not to be despised because he lacks knowledge. They must be
treated, educated, trained and assisted in love. Everything must be
done in order that all humanity may live under the shadow of God in
the utmost security, in happiness of the highest type.
Racial and Patriotic Prejudices
The Bahá’í doctrine of the unity of
mankind strikes at the root of another cause of war, namely, racial
prejudice. Certain races have assumed themselves to be superior to
others and have taken for granted, on the principle of “survival
of the fittest,” that this superiority gives them the right to
exploit for their own advantage, or even to exterminate, weaker
races. Many of the blackest pages in the world’s history are
examples of the pitiless application of this principle. According to
the Bahá’í view people of every race are of equal
value in the sight of God. All have wonderful innate capacities which
only require suitable education for their development, and each can
play a part, which, instead of impoverishing, will enrich and
complete the life of all the other members of the body of humanity.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—
Concerning the prejudice of race; it is an illusion, a
superstition pure and simple, for God created us all of one race....
In the beginning also there were no limits and boundaries between the
different lands; no part of the earth belonged more to one people
than to another. In the sight of God there is no different between
the various races. Why should man invent such a prejudice? How can we
uphold war caused by such an illusion? God has not created men that
they should destroy one another. All races, tribes, sects and classes
share equally in the bounty of their Heavenly Father.
The only real difference lies in the degree of
faithfulness, of obedience to the laws of God. There are some who are
as lighted torches; there are others who shine as stars in the sky of
humanity.
The lovers of mankind, these are the superior men,
of whatever nation, creed or color they may be.
Equally mischievous with racial prejudice is political
or patriotic prejudice. The time has now come when narrow national
patriotisms should be merged in the wider patriotism whose country is
the world. Bahá’u’lláh says:—
Of old it hath been revealed: “Love of one’s
country is an element of the Faith of God.” The Tongue of
Grandeur hath ... in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: “It
is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth
the world.” Through the power released by these exalted words
He hath lent a fresh impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds
of men’s hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of
restriction and limitation from God’s Holy Book.—Tablet
of the World.
Territorial Ambitions
Many are the wars which have been fought over pieces of
territory whose possession has been coveted by two or more rival
nations. The greed of possession has been as fertile a cause of
strife among nations as among individuals. According to the Bahá’í
view, land rightly belongs not to individual men or individual
nations but to humanity as a whole; nay, rather, it belongs to God
alone, and all men are but tenants.
On the occasion of the Battle of Benghazi27
, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:—
The news of the Battle of Benghazi grieves my heart. I
wonder at the human savagery that still exists in the world: How is
it possible for men to fight from morning till night, killing each
other, shedding the blood of their fellowmen? And for what object? To
gain possession of a part of the earth! Even the animals when they
fight have an immediate and more reasonable cause for their attacks.
How terrible is it that men who are of the higher kingdom can descend
to slaying and bringing misery to their fellow beings for the
possession of a tract of land—the highest of created beings
fighting to obtain the lowest form of matter, earth.
Land
belongs not to one people but to all people. The earth is not man’s
home but his tomb.
However great the conqueror, however many
countries he may reduce to slavery, he is unable to retain any part
of these devastated lands but one tiny portion—his tomb.
If
more land is required for the improvement of the condition of the
people, for the spread of civilization ... surely it would be
possible to acquire peaceably the necessary extension of territory.
But war is made for the satisfaction of men’s ambition. For the
sake of worldly gain to the few terrible misery is brought to
numberless homes, breaking the hearts of hundred of men and women.
...
I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the
thoughts of his heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes,
oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be
destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. When soldiers of the
world draw their swords to kill, soldiers of God clasp each other’s
hands. So may all the savagery of men disappear by the mercy of God,
working through the pure in heart and the
sincere of soul. Do not think the peace of the world an
ideal impossible to attain. Nothing is impossible to the divine
benevolence of God. If you desire with all your heart friendship with
every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive will
spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger until
it reaches the minds of all men.
Universal Language
Having glanced at the principal causes of war and how
they may be avoided, we may now proceed to examine certain
constructive proposals made by Bahá’u’lláh
with a view to achieving the Most Great Peace.
The first deals with the establishment of a universal
auxiliary language. Bahá’u’lláh refers to
this matter in the Book of Aqdas and in many of His Tablets. Thus in
the Tablet of Ishráqát He says:—
The Sixth Ishráq
(Effulgence) is Concord and Union amongst men. Through the radiance
of Union have the regions of the world at all times been illumined,
and the greatest of all means thereunto is the understanding of one
another’s writing and speech. Ere this, in Our Epistles, have
We commanded the Trustees of the House of Justice, either to choose
one of the existing tongues, or to originate a new one, and in like
manner to adopt a common script, teaching these to the children in
all the schools of the world, that the world may become even as one
land and one home.
About the time when this proposal of Bahá’u’lláh
was first given to the world, there was born in Poland a boy named
Ludovic Zamenhof, who was destined to play a leading part in carrying
it into effect. Almost from his infancy, the ideal of a universal
language became a dominant motive in Zamenhof’s life, and the
result of his devoted labors was the invention and widespread
adoption of the language known as Esperanto, which has now stood the
test of many years and has proved to be a very satisfactory medium of
international intercourse. It has the great advantage that it can be
mastered in about a twentieth part of the time required to master
such languages as English, French or German. At an Esperanto banquet
given in Paris in February 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
said:—
Today one of the chief causes of the differences in
Europe is the diversity of languages. We say this man is a German,
the other is an Italian, then we meet an Englishman and then again a
Frenchman. Although they belong to the same race, yet language is the
greatest barrier between them. Were a universal auxiliary language in
operation they would all be considered as one.
His Holiness
Bahá’u’lláh wrote about this international
language more than forty years ago. He says that as long as an
international language is not adopted, complete union between the
various sections of the world will be unrealized, for we observe that
misunderstandings keep people from mutual association, and these
misunderstandings will not be dispelled except through an
international auxiliary language.
Generally speaking, the
whole people of the Orient are not fully informed of events in the
West, neither can the Westerners put themselves in sympathetic touch
with the Easterners; their thoughts are enclosed in a casket—the
international language will be the master key to open it. Were we in
possession of a universal language, the Western books could easily be
translated into that language, and the Eastern peoples be informed of
their contents. In the same way the books of the East could be
translated into that language for the benefit of the people in the
West. The greatest means of progress towards the union of East and
West will be a common language. It will make the whole world one home
and become the strongest impulse for human advancement. It will
upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity. It will make the
earth one universal commonwealth. It will be the cause of love
between the children of men. It will cause good fellowship between
the various races.
Now, praise be to God that Dr.
Zamenhof28
has invented the Esperanto language. It has all the potential
qualities of becoming the international means of communication. All
of us must be grateful and thankful to him for this noble effort; for
in this way he has served his fellowmen well. With untiring effort
and self-sacrifice on the part of its devotees Esperanto will become
universal. Therefore every one of us must study this language and
spread it as far as possible so that day by day it may receive a
broader recognition, be accepted by all nations and governments of
the world, and become a part of the curriculum in all the public
schools. I hope that Esperanto will be adopted as the language of all
the future international conferences and congresses, so that all
people need acquire only two languages—one their own tongue and
the other the international language. Then perfect union will be
established between all the people of the world. Consider how
difficult it is today to communicate with various nations. If one
studies fifty languages one may yet travel through a country and not
know the language. Therefore I hope that you will make the utmost
effort, so that this language of Esperanto may be widely spread.
While these allusions to Esperanto are specific and
encouraging, it remains true that until the House of Justice has
acted on the matter in accordance with Bahá’u’lláh’s
instruction the Bahá’í Faith is not committed to
Esperanto nor to any other living or artificial tongue. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Himself said: “The love and effort put into Esperanto will not
be lost, but no one person can construct a Universal
Language.”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p.
95.
Which language to adopt, and whether it is to be a
natural or constructed one, is a decision which the nations of the
world will have to make.
Universal League of Nations
Another proposal frequently and powerfully advocated by
Bahá’u’lláh was that a Universal League of
Nations should be formed for the maintenance of international peace.
In a letter to Queen Victoria, written while He was still a prisoner
in the barracks of Akká,29
He said:—
O Rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves,
that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard
your territories and dominions....
Be united, O Kings of the
earth, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst
you, and your people find rest.... Should any one among you take up
arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but
manifest justice.
In 1875, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a forecast
of the establishment of a Universal League of Nations, which is
especially interesting at the present time30
in view of the strenuous attempts now being made to establish such a
league. He wrote:—
True civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost
heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and
high-minded sovereigns—the shining exemplars of devotion and
determination—shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind,
arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of
Universal Peace. They must make the Cause of Peace the object of
general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to
establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a
binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which
shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all
the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This
supreme and noble undertaking—the real source of the peace and
well-being of all the world—should be regarded as sacred by all
that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to
ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In
this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every
nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the
relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down,
and all international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like
manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be
strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military
forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse
the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this
solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate
any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise
to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole
should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that
government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the
sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and
will remain eternally safe and secure.—The Secret of Divine
Civilization, pp. 64–65.
Bahá’ís see grave deficiencies in
the structure of the League of Nations31
which falls short of the type of institution which Bahá’u’lláh
described as essential to the establishment of world peace. On
December 17, 1919, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá declared:—
At present Universal Peace is a matter of great
importance, but unity of conscience is essential, so that the
foundation of this matter may become secure, its establishment firm
and its edifice strong.... Although the League of Nations has been
brought into existence, yet it is incapable of establishing Universal
Peace. But the Supreme Tribunal which His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh
has described will fulfill this sacred task with the utmost might and
power.
International Arbitration
Bahá’u’lláh also advocated the
establishment of an international court of arbitration, so that
differences arising between nations might be settled in accordance
with justice and reason, instead of by appeal to the ordeal of
battle.
In a letter to the Secretary of the Mohonk Conference on
International Arbitration, in August 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
said:—
About fifty years ago in the Book of Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh
commanded people to establish universal peace and summoned all the
nations to the divine banquet of international arbitration, so that
the questions of boundaries, of national honor and property, and of
vital interests between nations might be settled by an arbitral court
of justice, and that no nation would dare to refuse to abide by the
decisions thus arrived at. If any quarrel between two nations it must
be adjudicated by this international court and be arbitrated and
decided upon like the judgment rendered by the Judge between two
individuals. If at any time any nation dares to break such a
decision, all the other nations must arise to put down this
rebellion.
Again, in one of His Paris talks in 1911, He said:—
A supreme tribunal shall be established by the peoples
and governments of every nation, composed of members elected from
each country and government. The members of this great council shall
assemble in unity. All disputes of an international character shall
be submitted to this court, its work being to arrange by arbitration
everything which otherwise would be a cause of war. This mission of
this tribunal would be to prevent war.
During the quarter of a century preceding the
establishment of the League of Nations a permanent Court of
Arbitration was established at The Hague (1900), and many arbitration
treaties were signed, but most of these fell far short of the
comprehensive proposals of Bahá’u’lláh. No
arbitration treaty was made between two great Powers in which all
matters of dispute were included. Differences affecting “vital
interests,” “honor” and “independence”
were specifically excepted. Not only so, but effective guarantees
that nations would abide by the terms of the treaties into which they
had entered were lacking. In the Bahá’í
proposals, on the other hand, questions of boundaries, of national
honor and of vital interest are expressly included, and agreements
will have the supreme guarantee of the World League of Nations behind
them. Only when these proposals are completely carried out will
international arbitration attain the full scope of its beneficent
possibilities and the curse of war be finally banished from the
world.
Limitation of Armaments
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—
By a general agreement all the
governments of the world must disarm simultaneously. It will not do
if one lays down its arms and the others refuse to do so. The nations
of the world must concur with each other concerning this supremely
important subject, so that they may abandon together the deadly
weapons of human slaughter. As long as one nation increases her
military and naval budget other nations will be forced into this
crazed competition through their natural and supposed
interests.—Diary of Mírzá Aḥmad Sohrab, May
11–14, 1914.
Nonresistence
As a religious body, Bahá’ís have,
at the express command of Bahá’u’lláh,
entirely abandoned the use of armed force in their own interests,
even for strictly defensive purposes. In Persia many, many thousands
of the Bábís and Bahá’ís have
suffered cruel deaths because of their faith. In the early days of
the Cause the Bábís on various occasions defended
themselves and their families by the sword, with great courage and
bravery. Bahá’u’lláh, however, forbade
this. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:—
When Bahá’u’lláh appeared, He
declared that the promulgation of the truth by such means must on no
account be allowed, even for purposes of self-defense. He abrogated
the rule of the sword and annulled the ordinance of “Holy War.”
“If ye be slain,” said He, “it is better for you
than to slay. It is through the firmness and assurance of the
faithful that the Cause of the Lord must be diffused. As the
faithful, fearless and undaunted, arise with absolute detachment to
exalt the Word of God, and, with eyes averted from the things of this
world, engaged in service for the Lord’s sake and by His power,
thereby will they cause the Word of Truth to triumph. These blessed
souls bear witness by their lifeblood to the truth of the Cause and
attest it by the sincerity of their faith, their devotion and their
constancy. The Lord can avail to diffuse His Cause and to defeat the
froward. We desire no defender but Him, and with our lives in our
hands face the foe and welcome martyrdom.” (written by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá for this book).
Bahá’u’lláh wrote to one of
the persecutors of His cause:—
Gracious God! This people need no weapons of
destruction, inasmuch as they have girded themselves to reconstruct
the world. Their hosts are the hosts of goodly deeds, and their arms
the arms of upright conduct, and their commander the fear of God.
Blessed that one that judgeth with fairness. By the righteousness of
God! Such hath been the patience, the calm, the resignation of
contentment of this people that they have become the exponents of
justice, and so great hath been their forbearance, that they have
suffered themselves to be killed rather than kill, and this
notwithstanding that these whom the world hath wronged have endured
tribulations the like of which the history of the world hath never
recorded, nor the eyes of any nation witnessed. What is it that could
have induced them to reconcile themselves to these grievous trials,
and to refuse to put forth a hand to repel them? What could have
caused such resignation and serenity? The true cause is to be found
in the band which the Pen of Glory hath, day and night, chosen to
impose, and in Our assumption of the reins of authority, through the
power and might of Him Who is the Lord of all mankind.—Epistle
to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 74–75.
The soundness of Bahá’u’lláh’s
nonresistance policy has already been proved by results. For every
believer martyred in Persia, the Bahá’í faith has
received a hundred new believers into its fold, and the glad and
dauntless way in which these martyrs cast the crowns of their lives
at the feet of their Lord has furnished to the world the clearest
proof that they had found a new life for which death has no terrors,
a life of ineffable fullness and joy, compared with which the
pleasures of earth are but as dust in the balance, and the most
fiendish physical tortures but trifles light as air.
Righteous Warfare
Although Bahá’u’lláh, like
Christ, counsels His follows as individuals and as a religious body
to adopt an attitude of nonresistance and forgiveness toward their
enemies, He teaches that it is the duty of the community to prevent
injustice and oppression. If individuals are persecuted and injured
it is wrong for a community to allow pillage and murder to continue
unchecked within its borders. It is the duty of a good government to
prevent wrongdoing and to punish offenders.32
So also with the community of nations. If one nation oppresses or
injures another, it is the duty of all other nations to unite to
prevent such oppression. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:—“It
may happen that at a given time warlike and savage tribes may
furiously attack the body politic with the intention of carrying on a
wholesale slaughter of its members; under such a circumstance defense
is necessary.”
Hitherto the usual practice of mankind has been that if
one nation attacked another, the rest of the nations of the world
remained neutral, and accepted no responsibility in the matter unless
their own interests were directly affected or threatened. The whole
burden of defense was left to the nation attacked, however weak and
helpless it might be. The teaching of Bahá’u’lláh
reverses this position and throws the responsibility of defense not
specially on the nation attacked, but on all the others, individually
and collectively. As the whole of mankind is one community, an attack
on any one nation is an attack on the community, and ought to be
dealt with by the community. Were this doctrine generally recognized
and acted on, any nation contemplating an aggression on another would
know in advance that it would have to reckon with the opposition not
of that other nation only, but of the whole of the rest of the world.
This knowledge alone would be sufficient to deter even the boldest
and most bellicose of nations. When a sufficiently strong league of
peace-loving nations is established war will, there, become a thing
of the past. During the period of transition from the old state of
international anarchy to the new state of international solidarity
aggressive wars will still be possible, and in these circumstances,
military or other coercive action in the cause of international
justice, unity and peace may be a positive duty. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
writes that in such case:—
A conquest can be a praiseworthy thing, and there are
times when war becomes the powerful basis of peace, and ruin the very
means of reconstruction. If, for example, a high-minded sovereign
marshals his troops to block the onset of the insurgent and the
aggressor, or again, if he takes the field and distinguishes himself
in a struggle to unify a divided state and people, if, in brief, he
is waging war for a righteous purpose, then this seeming wrath is
mercy itself, and this apparent tyranny the very substance of justice
and this warfare the cornerstone of peace. Today, the task befitting
great rulers is to establish universal peace, for in this lies the
freedom of all peoples.—The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp.
70–71.
Unity of East and West
Another factor which will help in bringing about
universal peace is the linking together of the East and the West. The
Most Great Peace is no mere cessation of hostilities, but a
fertilizing union and cordial cooperation of the hitherto sundered
peoples of the earth which will bear much precious fruit. In one of
His talks in Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:—
In the past, as in the present, the
Spiritual Sun of Truth has always shone from the horizon of the East.
In the East Moses arose to lead and teach the people. On the Eastern
horizon rose the Lord Christ. Muḥammad was sent to an Eastern
nation. The Báb arose in the Eastern land of Persia.
Bahá’u’lláh lived and taught in the East.
All the great spiritual teachers arose in the Eastern world.
But
although the Sun of Christ dawned in the East, the radiance thereof
was apparent in the West, where the effulgence of its glory was more
clearly seen. The divine light of His teaching shone with a greater
force in the Western world, where it has made more rapid headway than
in the land of its birth.
In these days the East is in need of
material progress and the West is in need of a spiritual ideal. It
would be well for the West to turn to the East for illumination, and
to give in exchange its scientific knowledge. There must be this
interchange of gifts. The East and the West must unite to give to
each other what is lacking. This union will bring about true
civilization where the spiritual is expressed and carried out in the
material. Receiving thus, the one from the other, the greatest
harmony will prevail, all people will be united, a state of great
perfection will be attained, there will be a firm cementing, and this
world will become a shining mirror for the reflection of the
attributes of God.
We all, the Eastern and the Western nations, must strive
day and night, with heart and soul, to achieve this high ideal, to
cement the unity between all the nations of the earth. Every heart
will then be refreshed, all eyes will be opened, the most wonderful
power will be given, the happiness of humanity will be assured....
This will be the Paradise which is to come on earth, when all mankind
will be gathered together under the Tent of Unity in the Kingdom of
Glory.
