Paris Talks

Paris Talks

Table of Contents

Part I

The Duty of Kindness and Sympathy Towards Strangers and Foreigners 15

The Power and Value of True Thought Depend Upon its Manifestation in Action 17

God is the Great Compassionate Physician Who Alone Gives True Healing 19

The Need for Union Between the Peoples of the East and West 21

God Comprehends All: He Cannot be Comprehended 23

The Pitiful Causes of War, and the Duty of Everyone to Strive for Peace 28

The Sun of Truth 30

The Light of Truth is Now Shining Upon the East and West 33

The Universal Love 35

The Imprisonment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 39

God’s Greatest Gift to Man 41

The Clouds That Obscure the Sun of Truth 43

Religious Prejudices 45

The Benefits of God to Man 49

Beauty and Harmony in Diversity 51

The True Meaning of the Prophecies Concerning the Coming of Christ 54

The Holy Spirit, the Intermediary Power Between God and Man 57

The Two Natures in Man 60

Material and Spiritual Progress 62

The Evolution of Matter and Development of the Soul 64

The Spiritual Meetings in Paris 67

The Two Kinds of Light 68

Spiritual Aspiration in the West 70

Lecture Given at a Studio in Paris 72

Bahá’u’lláh 75

Good Ideas Must be Carried Into Action 79

The True Meaning of Baptism by Water and Fire 81

Discourse at ‘l’Alliance Spiritualiste’ 83

The Evolution of the Spirit 88

The Desires and Prayers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 95

Concerning Body, Soul and Spirit 96

The Bahá’ís Must Work with Heart and Soul to Bring About a Better Condition in the World 99

On Calumny 102

There Can Be No True Happiness and Progress Without Spirituality 106

Pain and Sorrow 109

The Perfect Human Sentiments and Virtues 112

The Cruel Indifference of People Towards the Suffering of Foreign Races 114

We Must Not be Discouraged by the Smallness of Our Numbers 116

Words Spoken by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Pastor Wagner’s Church (Foyer de L’Ame) in Paris 119

Part II

The Eleven Principles out of the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, Explained by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris. 127

Theosophical Society, Paris 127

The First Principle—Search after Truth 135

The Second Principle—the Unity of Mankind 138

Third Principle 140

Fourth Principle—the Acceptance of the Relation Between Religion and Science 141

The Fifth Principle—the Abolition of Prejudices 146

The Sixth Principle—Means of Existence 151

Seventh Principle—Equality of Men 154

The Eighth Principle—Universal Peace 155

Ninth Principle—the Non-Interference of Religion with Politics 157

The Tenth Principle—Equality of Sex 160

The Eleventh Principle—the Power of the Holy Spirit 163

This Great and Glorious Cause 167

The Last Meeting 168

Part III

Address by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the Friends’ Meeting House, St Martin’s Lane, London, W.C. 173

Prayer 176

Evil 177

The Progress of the Soul 178

The Four Kinds of Love 179

Tablet Revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 182