The true word of God is spiritual in nature, and therefore, needs to be studied looking for the true, hidden, spiritual, content concealed within His holy words; because God is, in fact, a spiritual being, and so He wants us to understand His teachings and true writings, spiritually, and not just literally; So we can become Spiritual Beings like Him, and not just some physical, human animal, attached to this physical life and existence!

 

The word of God or I should say the true word of God is actually spiritual in nature: Jesus Christ tells us:  Christianity: John 4:23 “The true worshippers shall worship The Father in spirit (spiritually) for The Father seeketh such to worship Him.” For John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit, and in truth;” looking for the spiritual meanings and knowledge hidden within God’s Holy Words. And Abdu’l-Bahá states: Baha’i Faith: “It is my hope that you may put forth your most earnest endeavors to investigate and study The Holy Scriptures, that you may attain the (true) knowledge of the mysteries hidden therein. Be not satisfied with words (alone), but seek to understand the (true) spiritual meanings, hidden in the heart of the words.” (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 458).

   The words of God, according to both Jesus Christ in Christianity and Abdu’l-Bahá in The Bahá’í Writings tell us that God’s word is truly spiritual in nature, and needs to be looked at, and studied with this true knowledge in mind:  Christianity: John For, 6:63 “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” So, 1 Corinthians 2:7 “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God (hath) ordained before the world unto our glory:” 2 Corinthians 10:7 “Ye look on the things after the outward appearance?” But, 4:18 “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things, which are not seen: for the things, which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” For, 1 Corinthians 2:13 “We speak, not in the words, which man’s wisdom teacheth, but that which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” Paul is clearly saying that they speak not in the words of man, but in words that are inspired by The Holy Ghost, which teaches spiritual things clothed in physical words. 2 Peter 1:21 “For the prophecy (and the word of God) came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by The Holy Ghost.” But, 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural man receiveth not the things of The Spirit of God: for they are but foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 2:12 “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God,” 12:8 “the Spirit the word.” Galatians 4:29 “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.”

   It takes people with true spiritual insight to see into the mysteries within God’s holy words.  Christianity: Romans 8:1 “Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” So then, Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also Walk in The Spirit.” Colossians 1:9 “For we do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and (true) spiritual understanding;” 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of The Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Luke 9:45 “But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived not:” So, John 8:43 “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my words.”

 JUDAISM: Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man is the candle of The LORD, searching all the inward parts (the spirit within the word).” Zechariah 4:6 “This is the word of The LORD – Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith The LORD of hosts.” 7:12 “The words which The LORD of hosts hath sent in His spirit.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit,  even so thou knowest not the works (and words) of God.” Isaiah 34:16 “Seek ye out of the book of The LORD, and read, for my mouth it hath commanded, and His spirit it hath gathered them,” 59:21 “My spirit that is upon thee, and my words (God‘s spirit found within The Holy Words).” 38:16 “O Lord, by these things men live,” For, Job 26:4 “Thou uttered words – whose spirit came from,” than, 6:10 “I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.” But 6:15 “My brethren have dealt deceitfully.” 6:18 “The paths of their way are turned aside; (and) they go to nothing, and perish.” Hosea 11:4 “For thou hast said, my doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes.” 11:5 “But Oh, that God would speak, and open (up) His lips against thee;” 11:6 “And that He would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double (in meaning, in His words) to that which is (the spirit found within the words)!” 10:6 “Forasmuch as, there is none like unto Thee, O LORD; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might.” 10:7 “Who would not fear Thee, O King of (the) nations? For to Thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as, among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto Thee.” 6:5 “Therefore, have I hewed them by the prophets (and) have slain them by the words of My mouth: and Thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.” “For I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings…” 1 Kings 15:22 For, “hath The LORD, as great (a) delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of The LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Because thou hast rejected the word of The LORD, He hath also rejected thee.” For the Creator desires the spirit and spiritual actions from us, more than humanities’ traditions, doctrines, dogmas, and all of mankind’s common, theological practices. For, 9:7 “They have deeply corrupted themselves, therefore He will remember their iniquity and He will visit their sins.”

 CHRISTIANITY: Ephesians 4:14 “be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” 4:22 “put off (that) which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts;” 4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” And, 5:6 “let no man deceive you with vain words.” 

 JUDAISM: Ecclesiastes 5:1 So then, “keep thy foot, when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools.” For, Zechariah 4:1 “The angel (of The Lord) talked with me and said, (it is) ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, (shall all of this mankind have knowledge), saith The LORD:” For, Hosea 12:10 “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have (used) multiplied visions, and used similitudes (symbologies, stories), by the ministry of the prophets.” Zechariah 7:11 “But they have refused to hearken (unto My voice) and pulled away (their) shoulders, and stopped (up) their ears, that they should not hear.” “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law and the words, which The LORD of hosts hath sent in His spirit (unto this people), by the former prophets of The LORD of hosts.”

 CHRISTIANITY: Ephesians 3:3 For, “by (this) revelation He (God) made known The Mystery; (God’s Holy Words and Teachings).” 3:4 “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand (the true inner knowledge, of this mystery)” 3:5 “Which in other ages, was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His Holy Apostles and Prophets by The Spirit (by His True, Spiritual, Essence).” 3:9 “And (now) to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in (the spirit of) God, who created all things;” 3:11 “according to the eternal purpose which He has purposed;” 3:12 “In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.” 3:16 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.”

 ISLAM: It is, “The Holy Spirit that has brought the revelation from (Allah, God), Thy Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a true guide and Glad Tidings.” For, “The Spirit (of the word) cometh by the command of my Lord of (spiritual) knowledge, but it is only a little of the real message of Allah’s word, that is communicated to you, (O men!)” For, “He it is Who showeth you His Signs — but only those receive — who turn (to Allah).” “Call ye, then, upon Allah with sincere devotion to Him, for He is The Lord of the Throne of authority, and by His command doth He send the spirit of inspiration to any of His servants as He pleases, that it may warn men,” and to instruct men in His spiritual word, and as “a Guide and a Message to men of understanding.” “For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself.” (Islam, Sarah 16 17 40 and 58)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 1. “We present hereby and we make known, That the Gathas (The Holy Writings of Ahura Mazda, God) (may) be to us, our guardians and defenders, and our spiritual food (and spiritual sustenance), yea, which (may) be to us, our very souls, both food and clothing, for such are these Gathas to us; our guardians and defenders, and our (spiritual) food, even such they are, both food and clothing to the very soul of mankind.” Then, 9. “The teacher of evil destroys The Lore, (and perverts and destroys The Spirit of The Holy Word of Ahura, God). He by his false teachings destroys the very design of (spiritual) life and he prevents the possession of Good Thought from being prized. These words of my spirit, then I (do) wail unto you, O Ahura Mazda, and to the Right! And he it is, that destroys and desolates the righteous man.” So than, 3. “the best of teachings, which is beneficent to mankind; Ahura teaches through The Right; Ahura’s Spiritual Word and Teachings. He, The Holy One, even Thyself, O Mazda, that knows the true, secret lore (of right, spiritual thought), through the wisdom of Good Thought;” 6. “And (so) we worship The Holy Zarathushtrian law, and we worship the good Mazdayasnian religion, and the mathra, which is heart devoted and bounteous, (imparting the heart’s devotion); and (so) we worship the Mazdayasnian Religion, maintained in the Understanding of the saint; and we honor that science, which is the Mathra Spenta, and the innate spiritual understanding, Mazda-made, and the derived understanding, heard with ear, and Mazda-made. 7. Yea, we worship Thee O Ahura Mazda, The Holy Lord. And we worship every Holy Spiritual Yazad; and every Holy earthly Yazad (who exists)!” and those who abidest within the true spirit of the Gathas.” (The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 25, 32, 49 and 55)

 HINDUISM: 1. “The sacred law, which (is of the spirit), is followed by men learned (in The Veda, The Sacred Writings), and assented to in their hearts by the truly, virtuous, who are ever exempt from hatred and inordinate affection. But a learned man after fully scrutinizing all this with the eye of knowledge, should, in accordance with the authority of the revealed texts, be intent on (the performance of) his duties. For a man who obeys the divine laws prescribed in the holy revealed texts, in the sacred traditions, gains fame in this (world) and after death, unsurpassable bliss. So then, According to the (sacred spiritual words and teachings) of the revealed texts, The Kudakarman (tonsure) must be performed, for the sake of spiritual merit, by all twice-born men in order to increase his spiritual merit.” 224. (Some declare that) the chief good consists in (the acquisition of) spiritual merit and wealth, (others place it) in (the gratification of) desire, and (the acquisition of) wealth, while (others state that it is) in (the acquisition of) spiritual merit alone, and (others say that the acquisition of) wealth alone, is the chief good here (below); but the (correct) decision is that it consists of the aggregate of (those) three.” The spiritual, the physical and the actions preformed for the good of all.” 91. The “learned Brahmanas, who know and who study the Veda and desire bliss after death, let him wake and think of (the acquisition of) spiritual merit, arising from the true (spiritual) meaning found in The Veda.” (Hindu, Laws of Manu chap 2 and 4)

 BUDDHISM: “He (the man), who has no entrapping, clinging desires, to lead him in any direction (other than, the true word and teachings of Brahma, God); The Buddha whose home is in the infinite, the pathless as he is; those wise men, who are much given over to true meditation, and find real true pleasure in the peace of a spiritual way of life, even the devas envy them, (and their knowledge in the ways and actions of the) perfect Buddhas, as recollected as they are. Then, to hear the true spiritual teaching of the Buddha, is difficult, and so the real, true achievement of Buddhahood is very difficult.” “Understand, words carry only an imaginary phenomenal meaning. When The Lord referred to them He never referred to their actual existence He has only used the words as figures and symbols.” “The Blessed One adumbrates (partial disclosure, hint at) in the terms of the Dharma (for the Dharma is), in reality, inscrutable and inexpressible. Being a purely spiritual concept,” “To abstain from all evil, and then to practice all that is good, with the thorough, purification of one’s mind (and soul); this is one of the (true spiritual) teachings of the Buddhas.” “Long-suffering patience, is the supreme ascetic practice. Nirvana is the supreme way, say the Buddhas. And, he is certainly not an ascetic, who hurts others, nor is he a man of religion who causes suffering to others;” this is another spiritual teaching of the Buddhas. Then, “not to speak harshly and not to harm others, and then to live by, and practice real, self-restraint in accordance with the rules (the real, true spiritual, teachings) of The Order, (the real, true teachings and spiritual writings of Brahma), with the practice of moderation, and the cultivation of the higher levels of true consciousness – this is one of the teachings of the Buddhas, (and the one true Brahma).” (Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 14 and Buddha, Diamond Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “I came to this congregation of souls, for The Life (Haiyi, God) has sent me forth. There were some who bought my wares (the real actual spirit of my true teachings); those who came to their end and lay down. Those who bought my wares, the eyes (of such a one) were filled with light and (true, spiritual, understanding). Filled with light were his eyes (on) beholding the Great (One, Haiyi, God), in the House of Perfection. There were also, those who did not buy my wares. They went on and reached their final end and lay down they were blind and saw not and their ears were stopped and they heard not, and their hearts were not awakened, to behold The Great One in the House of Perfection. As They called out to them, they answered not (the spiritual call). And when they call who will answer them? Because it was given to them, but they took not, of the spiritual bread; so who will give to them when they ask?” “Lord of The mystic (spiritual) books, Lord of ‘Letters-of-Truth’ The name of The Life (Manda-d-Haiyi, God) and the name of Manda-d-Hiia be pronounced upon thee! The name of the Great Mystic Wellspring (the manifestation) is pronounced upon thee, and the name of the Great Mystery, the true mystic spiritual Word of (Haiyi, God), is pronounced upon thee.” So, “The Great First Word (Haiyi, God), Who assured me of sight in mine eyes. Pour wisdom into my heart! Open the eyes of my True, Spiritual Understanding!” “Wreath is light, its weapon the living (spiritual) word of (Haiyi), and its seal the chosen, pure one (the manifestation of God). Every man who openeth it, (the spiritual word) and readeth (the book and teachings) therein shall live and shall be whole and his name will be set up in The House of Life, in the name of The Great Sublime Life, from the worlds (of light?).” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 63, 90, 171, 173 and 410)

 BABI RELIGION: “The generality of the people had made do with its (the message of God‘s) outer literal meaning. For the Bábís its inner (spiritual, symbolic) meaning stood revealed. As in extreme Shi’i esotericism such meaning was not necessarily related to the obvious meaning of particular words and phrases. At the least, scriptural texts were to be understood in terms of symbol and metaphor. Thus messianic prophecies were not to be literally fulfilled.”

          (Peter Smith, The Babi & Baha’i Religions, p. 37)

BAHA’I FAITH: “All the texts and teachings of the Holy Testaments have intrinsic spiritual meanings. They are not to be taken literally. I, therefore, pray in your behalf that you may be given the power of understanding these inner real meanings of the Holy Scriptures, and may become informed of the mysteries deposited in the words of the Bible, so that you may attain eternal life, and that your hearts may be attracted to the Kingdom of God. May your souls be illumined by the light of the Words of God, and may you become repositories of the mysteries of God, for no comfort is greater and no happiness is sweeter than (the) spiritual comprehension of the divine teachings. If a man understands the real, meaning of a poet’s verses, such as those of Shakespeare, he is pleased and rejoiced. How much greater his joy and pleasure when he perceives the reality of The Holy Scriptures, and becomes informed of the mysteries of the Kingdom!”

Baha’i Faith: “I pray that the divine blessings may descend upon you day by day, that your hearts may be opened to perceive the inner significances of The Word of God. There is no fruit in knowing the mere letters of the Book. Most of the Jews had memorized the texts of the Old Testament and repeated them night and day, but inasmuch, as they were ignorant of the (true) meanings, they were deprived of the bounties of Christ. I pray that you may be quickened by the breaths of The Holy Spirit and illumined, by the rays of The Sun of Truth. May you be favored, with heavenly blessings in The Threshold of God and attain to eternal life. This is my prayer. May God bless and enlighten you.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 459)

Baha’i Faith: “In the spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must be a center of illumination, and that center is the everlasting, ever-shining Sun The Word of God.” The “divine things are too deep to be expressed by (mere) common words. (So), The Heavenly Teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved, for ages to come. When the spiritually minded (people) dive, deeply into the ocean of their meaning they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure, than to study God‘s Word, with a spiritual mind.” So, “Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover, all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause, a Cause through which the potentialities, of the might of God have been revealed and His sovereignty established.” “Immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths, lay hidden the pearls of wisdom, and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in My name, The All-Merciful.” “O My servants! Through the might of God, and His power, and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I have brought forth and revealed unto you, the pearls that lay concealed, within the depths of His everlasting ocean.” “O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts. Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light.” “O My servants! My Holy, My Divinely Ordained Revelation, may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search, and the efforts, he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been preordained, in God‘s irrevocable, and hidden Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power, or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations, which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake, of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.” “Arise, then, and make steadfast your feet, and make ye amends for that which hath escaped you, and set then yourselves towards His Holy Court, on the shore of His mighty Ocean, so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom, which God hath stored up within the shell of His radiant heart, may be revealed unto you….” But, “today the world of humanity is walking in darkness because it is out of touch with the world of God. That is why we do not see the signs of God in the hearts of men.” For,”The power of The Holy Spirit has no influence,” on men today. “This humble servant is filled with wonder, inasmuch as all men are endowed with the capacity to see and hear, yet we find them deprived of the privilege of using these faculties.” (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 305, Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 171) (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 79 and Baha’i World Faith – p. 254 and Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 33, 136, 325 and 327 and The Proclamation of Baha’u’llah, p. 8)  Judaism: Deuteronomy 29:4 “Yet The LORD hath not given you (them), an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.”  Christianity: Acts 4:25 “(the) people imagine vain things;” 5:38 “(and) it will come to nought!“

    This completely stubborn, and totally obstinate refusal on the part of so very many people living in this world with us today, to at least try to open up their eyes, and actually try to look at the way things really are in the world today, and to at least try to open up their eyes, and investigate into the actual, true spiritual nature of the writings, and teachings of God for themselves, for a real change; and to at least try to see what they can see and the way things actually are, and what they can actually discover, for themselves; is sorely lacking in the world today. Indeed, a great many of the people living in the world with us today, only see things in a more literal, more physical, more worldly kind of way; seeing God’s message for us, only in a worldly, literal, physical sense of the word; believing God’s message only relates to this world and our material existence we have here on this physical planet we find ourselves living on. These people believe that each and every message, and every teaching, that our Creator is revealing to us, through His true divine teachers and manifestations, only relates to our physical life, here on this physical, materially world; and that all of His real teachings and messages can only be, actually understood, from a completely literal and theological perspective, and should only, therefore, actually be studied by the theologians, and the mullahs and the priesthood etc… Many of these people believe that only people who are really, actually educated enough, to actually understand what the words and writings of God are actually saying, can teach the message of God to the rest of of the world. Many believe that only these people are qualified enough to peruse over the teachings and writings of God, while the rest of the people only have a very limited understanding of what they are actually reading, because they are not really educated and qualified enough to really understand what they are actually, reading without the help and guidance of the priests and mullahs etc, to help open up their eyes to what they are seeing.

    And to this type of thought, reasoning and conviction I say, this is all complete and utter, misguided, poisonous thinking. If these people were to actually take the time, and actually look beyond all of these manmade attempts at control, and look at all of these manmade instructions, canons, and belief structures created for the followers to believe in, and actually, truly look beyond all of these manmade traditions and demands, into the actual, true word of God for itself, and actually read into The Holy Writings of God, without any of these religious biases and these obscure veiled suggestions, or these preconceived, theological, directives and notions, about what the clergy feels that the religions of God ought to be telling the people to believe in; these people might actually see the real truth within God’s Holy Writings and Teachings for themselves. Then they, as in all of mankind and humanity may actually start to see beyond all of these manmade dogmas and theologies and actually start to see into all the actual, true hidden spiritual words and the real spiritual messages of God, and their minds may actually start to open up to the truth, of the reality of the hidden, spiritual, nature of the words of God, hidden away within His holy words and verses: 

 CHRISTIANITY: Ephesians: 4:14 “Be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” For, Galatians 1:7 “There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel.” 2 Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not as many (as those), which corrupt the word of God.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” 2 Peter 2:2 “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” 2 Timothy 4:4 “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

 JUDAISM: Jeremiah 3:21 “For they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten The LORD their God.” and they 23:35 “have perverted the words of The Living God, of The LORD of hosts our God.” Enoch For the “sinners will alter and pervert the words of righteousness in many ways, and will speak wicked words, and lie, and practice great deceits, and write books concerning their words. and….. pervert everything that The Lord hath spoken through the mouth of the prophets, even the things that shall be.” 3. “Therefore they shall be wanting in doctrine and wisdom, And they shall perish thereby together.” “Therefore they shall be wanting in doctrine,” true doctrine, for that which they follow is false doctrine or superstition. (Apocrypha) 

 ISLAM: 21. “They are the ones who have lost their own souls: and the (fancies) they invented have left them in the lurch!” 46. “Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and mind) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind but their hearts which are in their breasts.”

          (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 11 and 22)

Islam: 59. “The transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 12. “They by their lore would pervert men from the best doing.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 32)

 Zoroastrianism: Denkard. Zoroaster, “Those priests who disseminate vice among men are morally blind.”

 HINDUISM: “Ignorance, begot Of Darkness, blinding mortal men, binds down Their souls to stupor, sloth, and drowsiness.” “There is imperfect Knowledge: that which sees The separate existences apart, And, being separated, holds them real. There is false Knowledge: that which blindly clings To one as if ’twere all, seeking no Cause, Deprived of light, narrow, and dull, and ‘dark.’ ‘So they speak Darkened by ignorance; and so they fall-Tossed to and fro with projects, tricked, and bound In net of black delusion.”’

           (Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapters 14, 16 and 18)

 BUDDHISM: “There are common heretics Of this world who teach amongst humans what is not true. You will be beset by these heretics on every hand within and without. There will be plenty of these heretics about hiding themselves in the very personalities of the saints, the better to carry out their deceitful tricks on the un- weary persons.” (Buddha, Surangama Sutra)

  SABEANISM: “In the name of The Great Life (Haiyi, God)The great Light be magnified! To you do I call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received the Sign. Hearken not to the talk of all peoples and generations; Let not their stumblings (superstitions, doctrines, theologies and dogmas) cause you to stumble, Stumble not because of their stumblings!” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 89)

 BABI RELIGION: “Those prophecies were false and forged by false traditionalists,” — “they could only be the superstitions of diseased brains.”

              (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 624)

BAHA’I FAITH: “The beginnings of all great religions were pure; but priests, taking possession of the minds of the people, filled them with dogmas and superstitions, so that religion became gradually corrupt.” “Many religious leaders have grown to think that the importance of religion lies mainly in the adherence to a collection of certain dogmas and the practice of rites and ceremonies! Those whose souls they profess to cure are taught to believe likewise, and these cling tenaciously to the outward forms, confusing them with the inward truth.”

           (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 125 and Paris Talks, p. 143)

Baha’i Faith: “How long will ye (O People) wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and superstition?” How long will we walk in the paths of utter blindness, trapped, and inundated, beneath the yoke of indoctrination, and absolute control, and oppression by the majority of a clergy, many of who seem bent on controlling the thoughts and beliefs of the masses of the human world.

Baha’i Faith: “How grievous (than is) their blindness!” “O source of perversion! Abandon thy willful blindness, and speak forth the truth amidst the people.”

(Bahá’í Faith, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 86, and The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 115 and The Proclamation of Baha’u’llah, p. 94)

    We, as in much of humanity, clearly have a system of religious beliefs, writings and teachings, that obviously just don’t seem to be working in the world of humanity the way they should be. My guess for all of this is because of the way these writings and teachings are currently being taught to us, and presented to mankind, in this day and time. If these teachings are actually the real, true, genuine words of God, coming from our real, true, actually loving Creator than everything should be absolutely fine and wonderful within the world of humanity, and the way that everything is functioning in the world we are living in; because, of course, this is from God, Who is all about love and kindness, towards everyone.

    But, since all of this love, wonderfulness, peace and goodwill found in the teachings of God, is obviously not actually happening here, and is not the real, true, actual situation we find mankind actually living in, something is definitely not working in the world of mankind. And everything with mankind is not getting better, but instead, really seems to be getting worse, and quickly at that! So there is something going on here in the world of mankind, as a whole, that really needs to be addressed and understood, and quickly at that. And since I do believe that God is: All-Goodness, All-Knowing, All-Loving, All-Mighty and All-Powerful; and since I do believe that God is unquestionably, vastly more intelligent than I am, and unquestionably, vastly more powerful than I am, and vastly more capable and proficient than I am, and any one of us; and since I am definitely, also certain that God knows all there is to know; than I for one, believe that all the real, true answers, to all of our questions and difficulties, hardships and dilemmas, for this day and time, are actually to be found right there, in all of the various books and writings of God. So then, all that humanity really, actually needs to do, is just take a real look into all of the teachings and writings of God, for their very own selves; with real, actual, truly open and inquiring minds. But then again, this is actually the real, true crux, to this whole situation; and the real true problem that most of this world is now facing.

    You see, we, as in all of humanity, actually needs to really, sincerely look deeply into the writings of God, with open and inquiring minds, for our very own selves, and come to our very own conclusions, again for our very own selves; and not take the lazy way out, and just have someone else do all the looking and researching for us. But than again, this is not really, actually what is really happening for the most part. A great many people, as in most of mankind, are just letting other people (example: the clergy), read and interpret God’s Holy Words and Writings for them, instead of actually reading into the writings of God’s Holy Prophets and Messengers for their very own selves. And when this happens, you now have the creations of theologies, doctrines, dogmas and traditions. You see, theology and dogma are mankind’s very own personal interpretations, into what he thinks the word and message of God is actually saying to him. Now his interpretation might actually, be absolutely correct, but then again, it might be absolutely, completely wrong; or than again, it may actually be partially correct, and also partially wrong, but who’s to say; certainly not a majority of the people; because many are not actually reading into the writings of God, and investigating into His teachings and Holy Writings for themselves, they are instead, letting other people do all of this for them, and letting these other people tell them what they should believe in:  Christianity: 2 Peter 1:20 “Know this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (all need to look into the words and come to their own understandings).” 1:21 “For the prophecy (the word) came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” God’s Holy Spirit moved and spoke unto these people. So, 2:1 “there were (are) false prophets among the people, even as there shall be, (are) false teachers among you, (us, even now), who privily shall bring in damnable heresies (and) swift destruction.” 2:2 “And (a great) many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” The real spiritual truth and content of God’s message and writings shall be buried and hidden beneath the fancy and flowery words, of self-serving charlatans and vein theologians, who are, or may be, serving their very own private or their personal self-interests. 2 Peter 2:3 So, “through covetousness shall they with feigned, (artificial, contrived) words make merchandise of you:” they will and shall, sell you on their ideas, or make you believe their words, whether they be true or false, “whose judgment now, of a long time, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

   So with all of this happening what must man do with the teachings of God:  Christianity: Matthew 9:13 “Go ye and learn what that meaneth;” John 5:39 “Search the scriptures,” 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God,” 2:16 “but shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”  Judaism: Isaiah: 34:16 “Seek ye out the book of God and read;” Deuteronomy 27:26 “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words.” Islam: 121. “Those to whom We have sent the book study it as it should be studied; they are the ones that believe therein.” (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2)  Zoroastrianism: “We worship Ahura Mazda (God) to keep the Holy Word. We worship the understanding of Ahura Mazda, to study the Holy Word.” (The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1) “Hear the best with your ears, and discern by pure mind. Choose the ought, man by man (every man), for his own self. Before the great trial comes, wake up to this my counsel.” “One should rely on his own conviction, and not allow himself to be drifted by the opinions of others.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 87 and 197) 106.  Hinduism: “(To study) this (work) is the best means of securing welfare, it increases understanding, it procures fame and long life, it (leads to) supreme bliss.” (Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 1)  Buddhism: “(Give) devout attention to the teaching(s) of the Blessed One.” Study the word for yourself.” (Buddha Lankavatara Sutra) Sabeanism: “To you do I call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received the Sign. Hearken not to the talk of all peoples and generations.” “Be careful; make enquiry,” — into the word of God (Haiyi). (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 74)  Babi Religion: When seeking the writings of manifestation of God, “ye must seek the presence of its author and must delve into his writings.” (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 143) Baha’i Faith: “For is it not thy clear duty to investigate this Cause, to inform thyself of the things that have befallen Us, to judge with equity, and to cleave unto justice?” (The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 192) “Each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the truth instead of blind acquiescence and imitation of ancestral beliefs.” “He (Bahá’u’lláh) lays stress on the search for Truth. This is most important, because the people are too easily led by tradition. It is because of this that they are often antagonistic to each other, and dispute with one another. But the manifesting of Truth discovers the darkness and becomes the cause of Oneness of faith and belief: because Truth cannot be two! That is not possible” (Baha’i World Faith, p. 246 and Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 27 thru 28)

    We need to do this because much of what we are getting from the clergy of today: IS NOT ACTUALLY THE REAL, TRUE WORD of GOD, BUT THE FACSIMILE OF THE WORD OF GOD, BECAUSE THIS IS THE WORD of MAN THAT YOU ARE GETTING AND BELIEVING IN, RIGHT OR WRONG!!! Because, you see, in the case of all the really true and important matters, within the works of God (the essential teachings), all of God’s religions agree on the teachings that matter most, within all the true religions of God. The true religions have complete and absolute unity and agreement within the teachings of God (on matters of the essential teachings); but when you are dealing with the theologies, dogmas, and the traditions of mankind, found within the various religious organizations, on this earth, these are all the concepts of man’s creation, and they do not agree with one another, because these are, of-course, all concepts and creations from within the hearts and minds of mankind. And these concepts, of-course, are not infallible; and so they are open to the interpretation of anyone who might have a very different idea in mind, which, tends to, almost always, lead to distrust, disunity, dysfunction, anger, disrespect, hatred and at times, open hostility and at times, vicious hatred, murder, and open, raging warfare between many contending groups of people, with death, and mayhem often occurring amongst the various groups of contending, opinions, with destruction happening on all sides in the aftermath. So then, people should really think about all this for themselves? Everybody should read God’s words and writings, for themselves, because when it comes the words of others they may have their own personal agendas at play, and so the unsuspecting who are unarmed with the true knowledge of the word, may consequently deal with greed, mistrust, hatred, stealing, murder, terrible wars, and who knows what else to expect? But then again, what does God and His holy prophets and manifestations actually have to say about all of this foolishness within mankind? Maybe, we should actually use our heads to think, and actually use the prophet’s words and teachings here, as a guidance: As stated earlier, Baha’i Faith: “The beginnings of all great religions were pure; but priests, taking possession of the minds of the people, filled them with dogmas and superstitions, so that religion became gradually corrupt.” (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 125)  Judaism: Malachi 2:7 “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of The LORD of Hosts.” 2:8 “But ye are departed out of the way (and) ye have caused many to stumble at the law (and) ye have corrupted the covenant, saith The LORD of Hosts, ye have not kept My ways, but have been partial in the law,” adding to, and picking and choosing what you will believe in. Amos 8:11 “Behold the days come, saith The Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of THE LORD, and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east (and) they shall run to and fro to seek the word of The LORD, and shall not find it.” The people will not be able to find the real, true actual word of God, but only the facsimile of God’s real word, which is, in-fact, mankind’s very own theology and creation, filled with his very own understandings, of what the word of God, actually means to him personally, and not necessarily, the real, true, actual spiritual word of God, from our One and only True Creator.  Christianity: Matthew 15:6 “Thus have ye made the commandments of God of none effect by your traditions.” “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouths, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me, (for) in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Mark 7:7 “Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold (to) the traditions of men. And Full well (do) ye reject the commandments of God, that ye may keep your own traditions.” 2 Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not as many (as, those), which corrupt the word of God.” But, there are those that do, in-fact, corrupt the word of God: 1 Timothy 6:5 For the “perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth,” do tamper with the word of God! 2 Timothy 3:13 “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” 4:4 “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” So, Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men.” Titus 1:14 So then, do “not give heed to Jewish fables, and (the) commandments of men, that turn (you, us away) from the truth.” 2 Peter 1:16 “For we (ourselves) have not followed cunningly devised fables.” 2 Peter 2:12 “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” 2:13 “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness.” “Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings.” “beguiling unstable souls; an heart they have exercised with covetous practices;” 2:15 “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” 2 Timothy 2:16 So, “shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat as doth a canker.”

 BABI RELIGION: “The generality of the people had made do with its (the words) outer literal meaning. For the Bábís its inner meaning stood revealed. As in extreme Shi’i esotericism such meaning was not necessarily related to the obvious meaning of particular words and phrases. At the least, scriptural texts were to be understood in terms of symbol and metaphor. Thus messianic prophecies were not to be literally fulfilled.” (Peter Smith, The Babi & Baha’i Religions, p. 37) “It is the true religion of the welfare of human society, it has neither priests nor dogmas, and it binds together all the human beings who inhabit this little globe.” “Cast off dogma and discern the true spirit of its founder.” (The Babi  and Baha’i Religions, pp. 55 and 109)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Bahá’u’lláh (urges) the independent investigation of truth.” “Each individual, is following the faith of his ancestors who themselves are lost in the maze of traditions, (with their) reality steeped in dogmas and doctrines.” “If each investigate for himself, he will find that Reality is one (and) does not admit of multiplicity; is not divisible. All will find the same foundation and all will be at peace.” So, “Rend asunder the veils of theology, lest they prevent thee from the region of My Name, The Self-Existent.” (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, pp. 98 and 276)

 ISLAM: “The Prophet said, ‘He who follows the ways and traditions of the Days of Ignorance is not one of us.”’ And, “The most hated persons to Allah (God), is a person who deviates from the right conduct, a person who seeks the traditions of the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance, and a person who seeks to shed somebody’s blood without any right.” (Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 2, Book 23, # 382 and Vol 9, Book 83, # 21)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 7. “Can they be true to Thee, O Mazda (God), who by their doctrines turn the known inheritances of Good Thought into misery and woe. I know none other but You, O Right, so do Ye protect us. Real religion is killed by too many rites, (dogmas, theologies and traditions).” So, “How long will you go on dallying with the shape of the jug? Leave the jug alone; seek the water;” the spirit found within the words of the religion. (Zoroaster, Zend-Avesta, — Yasna 34 and Hymns of Atharvan p. 107)

 HINDUISM: 95. “All of those traditions and those despicable systems of philosophy (doctrines), which are not based on the Veda, produce no reward after death; for they are all declared to be founded on Darkness (and not the truth).” (Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 12)

 BUDDHISM: 22. “Those who are ashamed of what they should not be ashamed of and are not ashamed of what they should be ashamed of, such people, following false doctrines, enter the wrong path.” “Those (people) who fear what they should not fear and do not fear what they should fear, such people, following false doctrines, enter the wrong path.” “Those (people) who discern wrong where there is no wrong and see nothing wrong in what is wrong, such people, following false doctrines, enter the wrong path.” So than, it is: 11. “By confidence, virtue, effort and concentration, by the real investigation of the Doctrine, (true search) and by being endowed with knowledge and conduct and by keeping your mind alert, Will you leave this great suffering behind.” (Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 and 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: So then, “Lord of The Mystic (Spiritual) Books of Truth, Lord of The Letters-of-Truth;” “The Name of The Life (Haiyi, God) and the name of Manda-d-Hiia be pronounced upon thee! And, The name of The Great Mystic Wellspring is pronounced upon thee and the name of The Great Mystery, of The Mystic Word, is pronounced upon thee,” the true word beyond theology and dogma. So then, “if thou readest, read (it) as it is actually written.” Investigate into the reality of the word, as it is, and not by conjecture and doctrines and theologies of man’s creation. Then, “Be careful and make enquiry.” “To you then, do I call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received the Sign. Hearken not to the talk of all peoples and generations.” “Be ye careful; and make real, true enquiry, into the word of God.” “Ye shall seek and ye shall find,” not through coercion or device, but by true self-investigation. (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 70, 74, 89, 99, 173 and 410)

    And so here we have it, as told to us, right from the mouths of God’s prophets and manifestations themselves. Some people, example: The Clergy, Theologians, Scribes, Pharisees, Monks, Priests, Mullahs, Magians or Magi, Druj, Ulamas, Brahmans, Divines, etc… have throughout time, taken the word of God away from the people and covered it up, or changed it, you might say, into something else, something different, with their own thoughts and interpretations, or you could say, that they added to, or took away from the meaning and intent of the word and message of God.

    Many people I am sure, thought nothing more about any of this, than having the belief, that they were actually helping these people to see more clearly and see what they saw as the truth; but what they saw as the truth, was only the truth in the way these people saw it; but that does not mean their truth was the only truth or the only meaning, because this is, of-course, the true word of God: and the word of God can actually have more than only one meaning, or interpretation, because, you see, this is, of-course The Creative Word of God; and the real meanings of the words of God, our Creator, can have an infinite wide range and inexhaustible variety and assortment of possibilities, interpretations and of-course understandings. Now mankind can, through much time, patients and spiritual development and understanding, come to see more, and understand more, for ourselves; if we will only take the time, and study, and seek out the other meanings of the words of God, for ourselves.  Christianity: John “There are also, many other ways to look at the words of God. In fact, there are, inevitably, always, other meanings and always other ways to look at The Holy Writings of God: ‘for it is impossible (for man) to know and understand (all of) the hidden truths of God, which are in His writings and sayings, and the multitude of their meanings.” (From the writings of St. John) For: Baha’i Faith: “Every knowledge hath seventy meanings, of which, one only is known amongst the people; ‘We speak one word, and by it we intend one and seventy meanings; each one of these meanings we can explain.’” (Bahá’í Faith, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 254) “The Words of God have innumerable significances and mysteries of meanings — each one a thousand and more.” “Divers and manifold are the interpretations of (God’s) words.” (The Bahá’í Faith, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 155 and Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 78) Again,  Babi Religion: “The generality of the people had made do with its (the words) outer literal meaning. For the Bábís its inner meaning stood revealed. As in extreme Shi’i esotericism such meaning was not necessarily related to the obvious meaning of particular words and phrases. At the least, scriptural texts were to be understood in terms of symbol and metaphor (and the possibility of more than one meaning). Thus messianic prophecies were not to be literally fulfilled.” (Peter Smith, The Babi & Baha’i Religions, p. 37)  Christianity: “For it is impossible (for a man) to understand (all of) the (many) hidden truths of God which are in His sayings, and the multitude of their meanings.” (Again, From the writings of St. John) For, John 6:63 “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Colossians 2:1 “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God;” 2:3 “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” For, 1 Corinthians 2:7 “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God (hath) ordained before the world unto our glory.” Job 11:6 “And that He would shew thee the secrets of wisdom (the wisdom of His word and teachings), that they are double (have more then one meaning) to that which is!” (The King James Bible)

   And if this isn’t enough, the other manifestations of God also have something to say about this as well:  Islam:  7. “He (Allah, God) it is Who hath sent down to thee The Book (The Qur’án): in it are verses basic and fundamental, others are allegorical,” with “hidden meanings, but no one knows all of its hidden meanings and understandings, except Allah (God).” “There is a Hadis to the effect, that each word of the Qur’án has seven meanings.” For, “The Qur’án has been revealed in seven different ways.” “We have put forth for men, in the Qur’án every kind of parable, in order that they (the true believers) may receive admonition.” 27 “And so if all the trees on the earth were pens and the Oceans (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it to add unto its (supply), yet would not the Words (and meanings of the words) of Allah be exhausted: for Allah is Exalted in Power and Full of Wisdom.” 5. “From Allah, verily nothing is hidden on earth, or in the heavens. He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but Him, The Exalted in Might, The Wise. He, it is, Who has sent down unto thee the Book: in it are verses basic or fundamental, while others are (again) allegorical.” 35 “And Allah (does speak) to mankind in allegories, for Allah is The Knower of all things.” For, 26. “Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest.” 18. And “Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.” (Mathnavi of Rumi, Masnavi Vol 3 and Hadith, Bukhari Vol 3, Book 41, # 601 and Qur’an, Surahs 2, 24, 31 and 39) (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 2, 3 and 39)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 11. “This Our word I have proclaimed (to thee) as a symbol to be learned. So, to whom will this hidden, mystic gift of Ours be given, that he may (learn to know all the multitude of hidden meanings found within) The Zend-Avesta.” “Then consider this, too, thus: namely that one ought to endeavor most for meditations on the Religion, that is, on the (mysterious) Avesta and Zand; for the soul.” (Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1 and Denkard) And so, 218.

 HINDUISM: “As the man digs with a spade (into the ground), obtains water, even so the obedient (pupil who digs into the word) obtains the knowledge (and true spiritual understanding), of that which lies hidden (within Brahma’s God‘s words);” “The hidden truths of religion are embalmed within The Ancient Upanishads.” (Hindu, Laws of Manu – 2 and Mahabharata)

 BUDDHISM: “As I understand the meaning of the Blessed One’s (Buddha’s) discourses, He has no (real, absolute) system of doctrine that can be specifically formulated. And why is this? Because of, what the Blessed One adumbrates (gives partial disclosure, or hints at) in the terms of the Dharma which is, in reality, inscrutable and inexpressible. With the true message being of a purely spiritual concept.” (Buddha, Diamond Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “Lord of The Mystic (Spiritual) Books of Truth, Lord of The ‘Letters-of-Truth’ “The name of The Life (Haiyi, God) and the name of Manda-d-Hiia be pronounced upon thee! And, The name of the great mystic Wellspring is pronounced upon thee and the name of the great Mystery, of the mystic Word (the hidden word and meanings), is pronounced upon thee.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- pp. 173 and 410 from the writings of Adam)

   So what does all of this actually mean in the true scheme of things? It means we should look into the writings of God, and delve into His teachings for our very own selves and try to discover all of the hidden secrets and all of the deep buried concealed mysteries that lie hidden away, buried deep within all of God‘s holy words and writings, just waiting for us to discover them for our very own selves. Because again, God is a spirit:  Christianity: John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit,” (for) 4:23  “the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” So, God actually does want us to look into His writings and know all there is for us to know, and search and seek out and discover everything that we can actually find and discover about the true spiritual side of His word, and the true spiritual side of ourselves; this is actually the way God wants us to study His word. God wants us to read, into His teachings and writings, and make our very own spiritual discoveries, within His holy writings, again for our very own selves. So here again are just a few of His quotes, I have found on this subject, for your very own perusal, so you can read into some of His works, for your very own selves, and maybe come to your very own conclusions. Because, of-course, it is now becoming, quite obvious, and clear to me, and maybe anyone else, I might add, who might also, actually care to take a look into God‘s teachings and holy writings, again, for their very own selves, and see what man has actually done, with God’s teachings and holy writings; and see, for themselves, that mankind’s continual, abuse and misinterpretations of the writings and teachings of God, have actually caused, most of these problems, wars, hardships, mishaps, difficulties, hatreds and conflicts within mankind, in the first place. Baha’i Faith: “He (Bahá’u’lláh) lays stress on the search for Truth. This is (extremely, extremely) important, because the people are too easily led by tradition, (theologies and doctrines etc). It is because of this that they are often antagonistic to each other, and dispute with one another. But the manifesting of Truth discovers the darkness and becomes the cause of the Oneness of faith and belief. (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 27)

   The people just really need, to take the time, and actually look into God’s Holy Words and writings for themselves, and then actually come to their very own conclusions:  Christianity: 1 Thessalonians: 5:21 “Prove all things; and hold fast that which is good.” So, 5:15 “follow that which is good!” This is what God is telling us to do in the New Testament: 5:15 “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among your-selves, and to all men.” Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect,” 2 Corinthians 13:5 So,“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; (and) prove your own selves.” So then, John: 5:39 “search (ye) the scriptures;” this is what Jesus is telling us, if ye would know the truth. John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” And if these words and teachings from Jesus Christ, aren’t clear enough for us, on this subject, for us to see what we are actually supposed to be personally doing with the word of God, Moses also opens up his mouth and tells us to also be extremely vigilant and proactive in our studies into the teachings of God, when it comes to the messages from our Creator:  Judaism: Deuteronomy 27:26 “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words.” If man only listens to hearsay, he doesn’t really know what is truth, from falsehood, but if a man proves all things for himself he doesn’t blindly go down the wrong path being led by those people and leaders who are totally blind themselves  Christianity: Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” So then, we are supposed to study the word of God, again for our very own selves; that way we can actually formulate our own opinions about the words we are reading for ourselves, without someone else telling us what we are supposed to believe in, or what we can believe in.  Judaism: Zephaniah 1:4 “I (The Lord) will also stretch out mine hand and I will cut off, them that are turned back from The LORD; and those that have not sought The LORD, nor enquired for (of) Him (God).” So than, Isaiah 34:16 “Seek ye out — the book of The LORD, and read,” and 55:6 “seek ye The LORD, while He may be found.” Because,  Christianity: 1 Corinthians 14:33 “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace,” He wants us to know the truth. So,  Judaism: Proverbs 27:23 “Be thou diligent to know, and 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand.” For, 14:15 “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” For 15:14 “The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh (after) knowledge.” But, 19:8 “He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: (for) he that keepeth understanding shall find good.” But than for the ignorant and foolish people, God will turn away from them and ignore their folly. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God.”

   We also find that this teaching, that mankind should investigate into the spiritual nature and truth of the word of God being taught in all of the other true religions of God as well; we only need to look for ourselves to see this truth: Baha’i Faith: “The first teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the duty incumbent upon all, to investigate reality. What does it mean to investigate reality? It means that man must forget all hearsay and examine truth himself, for he does not know whether statements he hears are in accordance with reality or not. Wherever he finds truth or reality, he must hold to it, forsaking, discarding all else; for outside of reality there is naught but superstition and imagination.” (Bahá’í Faith, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 62)  Babi Religion: “TAKE heed to carefully consider the words of every soul, then hold fast to the proofs which attest the truth.” (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 133) Islam: 121. “Those to whom We have sent the book study it as it should be studied;” 48. “To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety; so judge between them by what Allah (God) hath revealed, and follow not vain desires, diverging from the truth that hath come to thee.” (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 2 and 5)  Zoroastrianism: “Hear the best with your ears, and discern by pure mind. Choose the ought, man by man (every man), for his very own self.” “One should rely on his own conviction, and not allow himself to be drifted by the opinions of others.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 87 and 197) 2.44  Hinduism: “By study comes communion with The Lord.” 106. “To study this work is the best means of securing welfare, it increases understanding, it procures fame and long life, it (leads to) supreme bliss.” (Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 1 and The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)  Buddhism: “And when-ever, whilst dwelling with (an) attentive mind, he wisely investigates, examines and thinks over the Law at such a time he has gained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment ‘Investigation of the Law;’ and thus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.” So, “Get into the habit of affirming that things are just so and not other-wise.” So then, “by confidence, virtue, effort and concentration and by the investigation of the (word) doctrine and by keeping your mind alert, will you leave this great suffering behind.” (Buddhism, The Eightfold Path and Sayings of Buddha #10 and Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra) Sabeanism: “If thou readest, read (it) as it is written.” Investigate reality of the word as it is, not conjecture. Then, “Be careful; make enquiry, display kindness, show compassion.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 70 and 74) “To you do I call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received the Sign. Hearken not to the talk of all peoples and generations.” “Be careful; make enquiry, into the word of God.” To “My chosen, ye sought and ye found (so) moreover ye shall seek and ye shall find.” “Ye sought and found, my chosen ones, as the first (souls) sought and found,” not through coercion and device, but by self-investigation. (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 74, 89 and 99)

BAHA’I FAITH: “He (Bahá’u’lláh) lays stress on the search for Truth. This is most important, because the people are too easily led by tradition. It is because of this that they are often antagonistic to each other, and dispute with one another. But the manifesting of Truth discovers the darkness and becomes the cause of Oneness of faith and belief: because Truth cannot be two! That is not possible.”

  “Each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the truth instead of blind acquiescence and imitation of ancestral beliefs.”

   For, “Man is not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through another’s ears nor comprehend with another’s brain.” (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 27, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 246 and Foundations of World Unity, p. 76)

BAHA’I FAITH: “O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.”

    “That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.”

    “That seeker should, at the dawn of every day (seek to) commune with God, and, with all his soul, persevere in the quest of his Beloved He should consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him. He should succor the dispossessed, and never withhold his favor from the destitute. He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man, to him who is endowed with the power of utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved, nor allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the Truth. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill. With all his heart he should avoid fellowship with evil-doers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and quaffing the immortal draught hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!”

   “Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.”

    “These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hall-mark of the spiritually-minded. When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath fulfilled these essential conditions, then and only then can he be called a true seeker. Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the verse: ‘Whoso maketh efforts for Us,’ he shall enjoy the blessings conferred by the words: ‘In Our Ways shall We assuredly guide him.” It is “only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences of an everlasting Manifestation.”

   “I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and exalted station, he would inhale, at a distance of a thousand leagues, the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a Divine guidance rising above the Day Spring of all things. Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood, even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will, likewise, clearly distinguish all the signs of God — His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds — from the doings, the words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn, and heat from cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude.”

    “Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient Wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree that flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and outer ear, he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto The Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of ‘return’ and ‘revival.’”

    “How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens the revelations and splendors which He, Who is the King of Names and Attributes, hath destined for that City! The attainment unto this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable Wisdom, and upon every rose-bush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savors of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In each one of its leaves ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.”

    “They that valiantly labor in quest of God, will, when once they have renounced all else but Him, be so attached and wedded unto that City, that a moment’s separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and will receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose, and the melody of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be renewed and readorned….”

    “That City is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus, the Gospel; in the days of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, the Qur’án; in this day, the Bayan; and in the Dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest, His own Book — the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book that standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme.”

(Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 263)

    So then, once more, I and all of God’s real messengers and prophets, are saying: that the real, true word of God is, actually a spiritual message, given to us, through a physical conduit, the messenger of God, who is, in reality, the image and likeness of The Spirit of God on this earth; and an actual mediator between God and mankind; actually bringing forth, a real, true spiritual message from God, to mankind, related to an actual spiritual understanding for us, from our Creator, Who is, in reality, A Spiritual Essence and not actually a real physical being:

   Christ was, in reality, the image of that unknowable essence we, on this earth, call God:  Christianity: 2 Corinthians 4:4 “In whom The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them, which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Christ was the image and likeness of God on this earth, because God is, of course, a spiritual being and not really a physical individual: John 4:24 “God is a Spirit,” and so He is, therefore, unknowable on this earth. Hebrews 1:1 “God Who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things by whom also He made the worlds;” “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.”  Judaism: Isaiah 63:11 “Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?” 63:12 “That led them by the right hand of Moses.” — (The King James Bible) Islam: “Thee, the shadow of God (Allah).” Muhammad was like a shadow or image of The Father on this earth. (Islamic Miscellaneous, Gulistan of Sa’di (Edwin Arnold tr))  Zoroastrianism: “O Good Thought, my worship, O Mazda (God), towards one like You,” “True paths that lead to the world where Ahura Mazda dwells – a faithful man — like Thee, O Mazda.” (Zoroaster was one like Ahura Mazda, an image of God on this earth who Ahura Mazda instructed in words what he should say and do.) (Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 33, 43 and 44) Denkard. Zoroaster, “He (Ahura, God) is capable of imparting His own Light to another.” (The Manifestation of Himself)  Hinduism: “This frightened heart is fain To see restored again My Charioteer, in Krishna’s kind disguise. Yea! Thou hast seen, Arjuna! because I loved thee well, The secret countenance of Me.” “The Prince beheld once more Mighty BRAHMA’S (God‘s) form and face Clothed in Krishna’s gentle grace.” (Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 9) Baha’i Faith: and  Buddhism: “The Perfect Man is in the condition of a clear mirror in which the Sun of Reality (Brahma, God) becomes visible and manifest with all its qualities and perfections.” “The Sun of Reality, the Essence of Divinity, reflected itself in this mirror” (which means the prophet, Buddha, in his time, was a reflector or the image of God on this earth. “The womb of the Tathagata, the highest perfect wisdom of the all embracing Mirror. Though these are all different in name yet in nature they are all pure and perfect.” (Buddha, Surangama Sutra and Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 112)) Sabeanism: “Arise, worship and praise The Great Life (Haiyi, God) And praise His Counterpart, that is the image of the Life.” “I worship and praise that channel of light, The messenger of all rays-of-light (The manifestation of God on this earth). Every day, daily, they gaze on His likeness And upon the great Countenance of Glory.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 114 thru 116)

BAHA’I FAITH: “These mirrors are the Messengers of God Who tell the story of Divinity, just as the material mirror reflects the light and disc of the outer sun in the skies. In this way the image and effulgence of the Sun of Reality appear in the mirrors of the Manifestations of God.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 173)

 BABI RELIGION: “His station is that of the Essence of divine Revelation… Whatever evidence of bounty is witnessed in the world, is but an image of His bounty;”

           (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 99)

BAHA’I FAITH: “To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, The Unknowable Essence, The Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. ‘No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtle, the All-Perceiving.”’

    “The splendors of the perfections, bounties, and attributes of God shine forth and radiate from the reality of The Perfect Man, that is to say, the Unique One, the universal Manifestation of God. Other beings (ex. Mankind) receive only one ray, but the universal Manifestation is The Mirror for This Sun, which appears and becomes manifest in it, with all its perfections, attributes, signs, and wonders.” The actual true spiritual image of God appears in this perfect man, for all to see, who have eyes to see. (Bahá’í Faith, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 46 and Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section)

Therefore:

 CHRISTIANITY: 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” Hebrews 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament,” and 8:6 “……he is the mediator of a better covenant,” 12:24 “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.” Baha’i Faith: “The Prophets of God are the Mediators of God. All the Prophets and Messengers have come from One Holy Spirit and bear the Message of God, fitted to the age in which they appear. The One Light is in them and they are One with each other. But the Eternal does not become phenomenal; neither can the phenomenal become Eternal.” (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 24)

    As we can see from these statements, from God’s Holy Ones; God’s manifestations are the images and likenesses of His supreme essence on this earth, and are all mediators between God and mankind on this physical plane of existence; but God is, in-fact, far, far above anything even remotely like having an actual physical body of existence on this corporeal plane of existence. He is, by far, way too Grand, way too Magnificent, too Majestic; too All mighty and All Powerful; too Huge, big, enormous, total colossal and gargantuan; as in, He is a God, to be found everywhere that is in this existence, as in, there is no place to be found any where in this total, complete, existence where He is not:  Judaism: Psalms 139:7 “Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?” 139:8 “If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.” 139:9 “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;” 139:10 “Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.” Jeremiah 23:23 “(I AM) a God at hand, saith The LORD, and not a God afar off?” “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith The LORD.” “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith The LORD.” There is no place where He is not to be found: Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of The LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” So I ask you, and think upon this logically for a minute? How can anything so grand, mighty and powerful, actually become something so tiny, limited and frail, as a limited, insignificant, minute human form, that is little more than a human animal body in reality.

BAHA’I FAITH: “To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal (physical) existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that the human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. ‘No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtle, the All-Perceiving.”’

   “Regard thou, The One True God, as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably exalted above, all created things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory, while He is Himself independent of, and transcendeth His creatures. This is the true meaning of Divine Unity. He Who is The Eternal Truth is The One Power Who exerciseth undisputed sovereignty over the world of being, Whose image is reflected in the mirror of the entire creation. All existence is dependent upon Him, and from Him is derived the source of the sustenance of all things. This is what is meant by Divine Unity; this is its fundamental principle.”

    “Some, deluded by their idle fancies, have conceived all created things, as associates and partners of God, and imagined themselves to be the exponents of His Unity. By Him Who is The One True God! Such men have been, and will continue to remain, the victims of blind imitation, and are to be numbered with them that have restricted and limited the conception of God.” “Divinity is actual Truth and real existence and not any representation of it. Divinity itself contains All, and is not contained.” For “God is pure perfection and (all of His) creatures are but imperfections. For God to descend into the conditions of existence, would be the greatest of imperfections; on the contrary, His manifestation, His appearance, His rising (is) like the reflection of the sun in a clear, pure polished mirror. All the creatures are evident signs of God, like the earthly beings upon all of which the rays of the sun shine. But upon the plains, the mountains, the trees and fruits, only a portion of the light shines, through which they become visible, and are reared, and attain to the object of their existence, while the Perfect Man, (the true manifestation of God) is in the condition of a clear mirror, in which, the Sun of Reality becomes visible and manifest with all it’s qualities and perfections. So the Reality of Christ was (like) a clear and polished mirror, of the greatest purity and fineness. The Sun of Reality, The Essence of Divinity, reflected itself in this mirror and manifested it’s light and heat in it; but from the exaltation of its holiness, and the heaven of its sanctity, the Sun did not descend to dwell and abide in the mirror. No, it continues to subsist in its exaltation and sublimity, while appearing and becoming manifest in the mirror in beauty and perfection.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 46, 165 and Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 22)

   The writings of God are clear, God is not a man He is of the spirit in nature:  Judaism: Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Judith 8:16 “For God is not as man, that He may be threatened; neither is He as the son of man, that He should be wavering.” God is total, and complete, ultimate, perfection. He is for ever, eternal, from beginning, that hath no beginning, to end, that hath no end. He has always been and always will be. He is as all of God’s, The Creator’s holy books tell us: eternal, complete, perfection. Deuteronomy 33:27 For, “The Eternal God is thy refuge!” So then,  Christianity: Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Human attitudes must not be limited; for God is unlimited, and whosoever is the servant of the threshold of God must, likewise, be free from limitations. The world of existence is an emanation of the merciful attribute of God. God has shone forth upon the phenomena of being through His effulgence of mercy, and He is clement and kind to all His creation. Therefore, the world of humanity must ever be the recipient of bounties from His majesty, the eternal Lord, even as Christ has declared, ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ For His bounties, like the light and heat of the sun in the material heavens, descend alike upon all mankind. Consequently man must learn the lesson of kindness and beneficence from God, Himself. Just as God is kind to all humanity, man also must be kind to his fellow creatures. If his attitude is just and loving toward his fellowmen, toward all creation, then indeed is he worthy of being pronounced the image and likeness of God.” (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 390)

    So then, let us now, actually start to take a little closer look at the true, spiritual side and nature, of the messages, writings, and teachings from our Creator, as declared to us, by His many manifestations and holy prophets…

 CHRISTIANITY: John For, 6:63 “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” So, 1 Corinthians 2:7 “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God (hath) ordained before the world unto our glory:” 2 Corinthians 10:7 “Ye look on the things after the outward appearance?” But, 4:18 “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things, which are not seen: for the things, which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” For, 1 Corinthians 2:13 “We speak, not in the words, which man’s wisdom teacheth, but that which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” But, 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural man receiveth not the things of The Spirit of God: for they are but foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” John 8:43 “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my words.” Ephesians 3:3 For, “by (this) revelation He (God) made known The Mystery; (God’s Holy Words and Teachings).” 3:4 “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand (the true inner knowledge, of this mystery)” 3:5 “Which in other ages, was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His Holy Apostles and Prophets by The Spirit (by His True, Spiritual, Essence).” 3:9 “And (now) to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in (the spirit of) God, who created all things;” John 4:21 But, “Jesus saith, ye worship ye know not what.” John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” For, 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” Then, 3:9 “Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?” Then, 3:10 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and (yet) knowest not these things?” 3:11 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that (which) we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.” For, John 8:28 “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father (God) hath taught me, I speak these things.” John 15:15 “For all things that I have heard of (God) my Father I have made known unto you.” Because, John 6:63 “it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” 6:64 “But there are some of you that believe not.” John 3:12 “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” John 3:19 “And (so) this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” 3:20 “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” 3:21 “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” Because, 1 John 1:5 “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” For, 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship, one with another.” For, 4:16 “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” But than, John 3:19 “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship The Father in spirit and in truth; for The Father seeketh such to worship Him.” Because, 4:24 “God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him, must worship Him (spiritually), in spirit, and in truth.” But, John 5:41 “I receive not honour from men.” 5:42 “But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.” For, 5:43 “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” But, 5:44 “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” 5:45 “Do not think, that I will accuse you to (God), The Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.” 5:46 “For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.” 5:47 “But, if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” Because again, John 6:63 “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit (spiritual) and they (cause us to have) life.” Because again, 6:63 “It is the spirit that (actually) quickeneth; (and) the flesh, (again) profiteth (us) nothing.” 2 Corinthians 3:3 “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” For, 3:8 “How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?” For it is, 1 Corinthians 12:7 “The Spirit (that) is given to — man to profit withal.” 1 John 5:5 “And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” So than, 1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, (God, The Creator), and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.” Because, of-course, John 4:24 “God is, (in-fact) a Spirit;” God is, in reality, a spiritual being, and we are, in reality, created in His image.  Judaism: Genesis: 1:26 “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and so God created man in His Own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”  Christianity: Galatians 4:29 “But as than he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live,” for John 4:22 “we know what we worship.”

 CHRISTIANITY: Matthew 15:1 “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,” 15:2 “Why do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” 15:3 “But he answered, and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your traditions?” 15:4 “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.” 15:5 “But ye say, Who-so-ever shall say to his father or his mother, it is a gift, by what-so-ever thou mightest be profited by me;” 15:6 “And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your traditions.” 15:7 “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,” 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” 15:9 “But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, (and not the commandments of God).” 15:10 “And he called to the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:” 15:11 “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” 15:12 “Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” 15:13 “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Then he said, 15:14 “Let them alone: (for) they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch.” 13:43 “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

 Christianity: Matthew 16:6 “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” “And they (his disciples) reasoned among themselves, (is it) because ye have brought no bread?” And, 16:8 “when Jesus perceived (this), he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves,” “Do ye not yet understand,” “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, (but) that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?” “Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,” (their all too literal teachings, ideas and beliefs).

 Christianity: 1 Corinthians 1:19 “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1:20 “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.” 1:22 “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:” 1:25 “But the foolishness of God is wiser than, (the wisest of) men; and the weakness of God is stronger than (the strongest of) men.” 1:26 “For ye see brethren, how that not many wise men, after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:” Matthew 7:13 “For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” But, 7:14 “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” For this path is, again of a truly spiritual nature, that only a very few humans, are really willing to follow, while the great majority of men seek the more literal and the more worldly approach, which goes along, more with their wishes and desires for the things of this earth, and the things they can actually see with their eyes and touch with their hands. The spirit and spiritual things, of God, just doesn’t really register with the worldly, literal thinking people; and since God is really of the spirit, John 4:24 “God is a Spirit,” and His true message and teachings are truly spiritual in nature, very few humans are actually listening to the call to the true path of spiritual, heavenly life, because most of the people living on this physical planet with us, just don’t really seem to hear the real, true spiritual call of God and His messengers and manifestations, and only seem to be reacting to this physical worldly call, sent out by spiritually blind leaders, leading their completely blind followers into the ditch, and the paths of perdition with them! Because 1 Corinthians 1:27 “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things, which are mighty;” 1:28 “And (the) base things of the world, and (the) things which are despised, hath God chosen (to confound the literal, worldly thinking humanity), yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught (the) things that are:” 1:29 “That no flesh should glory in His (God’s) presence.” For this, 15:50 “I say (again), brethren, that flesh and blood (or the human body) cannot, (and absolutely, will not) inherit the kingdom of God, (heaven); neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” 15:49 “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” For Jesus Christ, emphatically states that: Luke 17:20 “The Kingdom of God (or heaven) cometh not with observation:” 17:21 “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.” Let me say this again; The real, true Kingdom of God, (or what some of the people, living in this world with us, refer to as heaven) is not a physical place to be found and observed. You cannot say, it is here, or Lo, it is there, for the kingdom of God, or heaven, is to be found within you, or within our spirits, or, the Kingdom of God is, in fact, part of us, and part of all our true spiritual nature you could say, because heaven is a spiritual place and not a literal, physical place. So, Baha’i Faith: “It is my wish that you shall arise to live according to these teachings and exhortations; that all of us, may be divinely strengthened, enter the paradise of the spiritual Kingdom, diffuse the lights of the Sun of Truth, cause the waves of this Most Great Ocean to reach all human souls,” For, “In the spiritual world, the divine bestowals are infinite, for in that realm there is neither separation nor disintegration, which characterize the world of material existence. (For the) Spiritual existence is absolute immortality, completeness, and unchangeable being.” (Bahá’í Faith, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 461 and Baha’i World Faith – p. 266)  Babi Religion: “Announce unto them the joyful tidings that following this mighty Covenant there shall be everlasting reunion with God in the Paradise of His good-pleasure, nigh unto the Seat of Holiness.” “Haste ye then, to attain the celestial Paradise and the all-highest Garden of His good-pleasure in the presence of the One True God, could ye but be patient and thankful before the evidences of the signs of God.” “Sail upon the sea of the heavenly kingdom of His good-pleasure, and partake of the choice fruits of the paradise of His divine Oneness.” “When true worship is offered, the worshiper is delivered from the fire and entereth the paradise of God‘s good-pleasure (heaven). Indeed, no paradise is more glorious in the sight of God than attainment unto His good-pleasure.” (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, pp. 50, 71, 77 and 101)

 JUDAISM: Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man is the candle of The LORD, searching all the inward parts (the spirit within the word and within one’s self).” Zechariah 4:6 “This is the word of The LORD – Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith The LORD of hosts.” 7:12 “The words which The LORD of hosts hath sent in His spirit.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit,  even so thou knowest not the works (and words) of God.” Isaiah 34:16 “Seek ye out of the book of The LORD, and read, for my mouth it hath commanded, and His spirit it hath gathered them,” 59:21 “My spirit that is upon thee, and my words (God‘s spirit found within The Holy Words).” Hosea 11:4 “For thou hast said, my doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes.” 11:5 “But Oh, that God would speak, and open (up) His lips against thee;” 11:6 “And that He would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double (in meaning, in His words) to that which is (the spirit found within the words)!” Hosea 12:10 “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have (used) multiplied visions, and used similitudes (symbologies, stories), by the ministry of the prophets.” Zechariah 7:11 “But they have refused to hearken (unto My voice) and pulled away (their) shoulders, and stopped (up) their ears, that they should not hear.” “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law and the words, which The LORD of hosts hath sent in His spirit (unto this people), by the former prophets of The LORD of hosts.”

 ISLAM: “(Here than, is The Knowledge) of The Parable: (an allegory, or a tale, or the story) of the Garden, (this is a reference to heaven, for Muslims), which the righteous are promised. In it are rivers of (celestial, spiritual) water, incorruptible: rivers of milk of, which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey, pure and clear. In it there are for them, (the actual, true believers) all kinds of fruits and Grace from their Lord.” (Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 47) 58. “Those who believe, and work deeds of righteousness — to them (the true believers), shall We give a Home in Heaven — lofty mansions beneath which flow rivers, — to dwell therein for aye; — an excellent reward for those who do good.” “For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself” For “perchance (they) might grow in true actual spiritual understanding?” “Truly it is the Party of Allah (God), that will indeed achieve Felicity.” Allah has put faith in the hearts and strengthened us, with a spirit from Himself, that the believers, that they might grow in spiritual understanding and felicity. He reinforces His followers with spirituality fitting for a spiritual heaven, because “The pure spirit escapes from the bonds of the body.” It is, “The Holy Spirit that has brought the revelation from (Allah, God), Thy Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a true guide and Glad Tidings.” For, “The Spirit (of the word) cometh by the command of my Lord of (spiritual) knowledge, but it is only a little of the real message of Allah’s word, that is communicated to you, (O men!)” For, “He it is Who showeth you His Signs — but only those receive — who turn (to Allah).” “Call ye, then, upon Allah with sincere devotion to Him, for He is The Lord of the Throne of authority, and by His command doth He send the spirit of inspiration to any of His servants as He pleases, that it may warn men,” and to instruct men in His spiritual word, and as “a Guide and a Message to men of understanding.” (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 16, 13 and 24)

Islam: 7. “He (Allah, God), it is Who has sent down to thee The Book (The Qur’an): in it are verses basic, or fundamental, while others are allegorical,” (they are spiritual symbolisms, or parables, not so readily seen, or understood, by the people). For, 58. “This is what We have rehearse unto thee, of the Signs and the Message of Wisdom; this similitude, (semblance or likeness).” “The Qur’án has been revealed in seven different ways,” “read it in different ways till he read it in seven different ways.” So than, 46. “See how We explain the Signs (of Allah), by various (spiritual symbols): Yet they, (the people), turn aside.” 46. “Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) may thus learn wisdom, and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts, which are in their breasts.” For “these are the symbols or (the spiritual, symbolic Verses), of the Perspicuous Book. We have sent it down, as an Arabic Qur’án, in order that ye may learn (true, spiritual) wisdom. 7. Verily in it are Signs (and spiritual symbols) for Seekers (after The Truth).” 24. “Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? — a goodly Word, (a word of spiritual nature and understanding), like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and it’s branches (that reach) to the heavens — It brings forth it’s fruit, at all times, by the leave of it’s Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order (to teach them), that they may (grow in the spirit), and receive wisdom and admonition.” 26. “Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but those who reject Faith say: “What means Allah by this similitude?” “By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path, but He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path).” “They have eyes to see, but don’t see the true (spiritual) light of Allah when it dawns, and fail to hear the true (spiritual) truth of His words, but, instead, hold onto the literal words of their holy books, failing to see the new light of the spirit of God in the (spiritual) words of the new manifestation, and the new book.” It is, “The Holy Spirit that has brought the revelation from (Allah, God), Thy Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a true guide and Glad Tidings. Those who believe not in the Signs of Allah, Allah will not guide them, and theirs will be a grievous Penalty.” 99. “The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim (the Message, the true spiritual word): “They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: ‘The Spirit (of the word cometh) by the command of my Lord; of (the spiritual) knowledge, it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)” “Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His (true, spiritual) Light. (For), Allah doth set forth Parables (hidden spiritual teachings), for men to follow; and Allah doth know all things.” And they have indeed, (turned away) and rejected (this true spiritual message from Allah): so they will know soon (enough) the real truth, of what they mocked at! Do they not look at the earth — how many noble things, of all kinds we have produced therein? Verily, in this is a sign (a hidden spiritual truth) but most of them do not believe. And verily, thy Lord is He, Exalted in Might, The Most Merciful.” “Without a doubt, it is (announced) in The Mystic, (Spiritual) Books of the former peoples, (and prophets).” And “Without doubt it is (announced) in the mystic Books of former peoples.” “It will profit them not that they do enjoyed (this life)!” “Seest thou not that they do wander distracted in every valley? 42. “Verily Allah doth know (everything), whatever that they call upon besides Him; and He is Exalted (in power) The Wise. And such are the Parables (the hidden spiritual messages) We set for mankind, but only those understand them, who have Knowledge.” 27. “We have put forth for men, in this Qur’án every kind of Parable, (hidden spiritual message) in order that they (humanity) may receive admonition. (It is) a Qur’án in Arabic, (a book of spirit), without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil.” by His command doth He send the spirit of inspiration to any of His servants as He pleases, that it may warn men,” and instruct men in His spiritual word, 54. “a Guide and a Message to men of understanding.” (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 14, 16, 22, 24, 26, 27, 39, 40 and Hadith, Bukhari Vols 3,4 and 9, Book 93, # 532)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 1. “Grant that reward which Thou hast appointed to our souls, O Ahura Mazda (God)! 2. Of this do Thou Thyself bestow upon us for this world, and the spiritual world;” (The heaven in this earthly life and the spiritual heaven of the next world) “From the same jug (doest) Mazda distributes the portion to all. But one gets honey therefrom, and another gets poison as his share, instead. The pot is the same, and so its content is also the same. The mentality of the recipient makes the difference.” As I have said before, it is all about the true mentality of the believers, whether they find themselves in heaven or hell. It’s a state of spiritual mind. (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 833 and The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 40)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “We present hereby and we make known, That the Gathas (The Holy Writings of Ahura Mazda, God) (may) be to us, our guardians and defenders, and our spiritual food (and spiritual sustenance), yea, which (may) be to us, our very souls, both food and clothing, for such are these Gathas to us; our guardians and defenders, and our (spiritual) food, even such they are, both food and clothing to the very soul of mankind.” Then, 9. “The teacher of evil destroys The Lore, (and perverts and destroys The Spirit of The Holy Word of Ahura, God). He by his false teachings destroys the very design of (spiritual) life and he prevents the possession of Good Thought from being prized. These words of my spirit, then I (do) wail unto you, O Ahura Mazda, and to the Right! And he it is, that destroys and desolates the righteous man.” So than, 3. “the best of teachings, which is beneficent to mankind; Ahura teaches through The Right; Ahura’s Spiritual Word and Teachings. He, The Holy One, even Thyself, O Mazda, that knows the true, secret lore (of right, spiritual thought), through the wisdom of Good Thought;” 6. “And (so) we worship The Holy Zarathushtrian law, and we worship the good Mazdayasnian religion, and the mathra, which is heart devoted and bounteous, (imparting the heart’s devotion); and (so) we worship the Mazdayasnian Religion, maintained in the Understanding of the saint; and we honor that science, which is the Mathra Spenta, and the innate spiritual understanding, Mazda-made, and the derived understanding, heard with ear, and Mazda-made. 7. Yea, we worship Thee O Ahura Mazda, The Holy Lord. And we worship every Holy Spiritual Yazad; and every Holy earthly Yazad (who exists)!” and those who abidest within the true spirit of the Gathas.” “Zarathushtra asked of Ahura Mazda (God): O Ahura Mazda, Thou most Bounteous Spirit! Maker of the corporeal worlds, The Holy One! Which was that word (the message), which Thou didest declare to me, before the sky, before the water, before the earth, before the plants, before the holy man, and before all the incarnate world; even before all the good creatures made by Mazda, and which contain the seeds of righteousness? Thereupon, Ahura Mazda said: The Ahuna-Vairya, O Spitama Zarathushtra, these are the words of spirit, which I pronounced before the creation of this heaven,” “And this Our word, (Our spiritual message), I have proclaimed as a symbol, (The True, Spiritual, Word of Ahura), to be (discovered) and learned, and to be recited, as it were, to everyone of the beings (we humans) under the influence of, and for the sake of Righteousness, The Best!” “This is the word, (even) the whole of this (spiritual) word of Ahura Mazda. He who is the best (of all) Ahura Mazda, (He, ever) the same, (as He is).” “The Zarathushtrian law, and of the long descent of the good, true Mazdayasnian Faith, (the holding in mind and devotion, to the Mathra Spenta, and spiritual knowledge of The True Mazdayasnian Religion), for the propitiation of the real, true understandings, which is, innate, and Mazda-made, and of that, which is heard by the ear; and for Thy propitiation, the Fire’s, O Ahura Mazda’s son! [(Pazand); (yea) thine, the Fire’s, O Ahura Mazda’s son] with all the fires, and for the propitiation of Mount Ushi-darena, the Mazda-made, radiant with sanctity; and of all the Holy Yazads, spiritual and earthly, and all of the Holy Fravashis, the redoubted and overwhelming, those of the ancient lore, and those of the next of kin and of the Yazad of the spoken name!” (The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 19, 22, 25, 32, 49 and 55)

 HINDUISM: “Seek refuge in thy soul; have there thy heaven, (true heaven is spiritual, to be found within the soul), under the spirit’s buckler from the world, which hath wisdom’s mark!” Heaven is of the spirit, spiritual in nature, and is found within the soul, not the physical existence. “Krishna speaketh in this wise! Yea, and whoso, full of faith, Heareth wisely what it saith, Heareth meekly, when he dies, Surely shall his spirit rise To those regions where The Blest, Free of flesh, in joyance rest.” Krishna tells us that heaven is, again, free of flesh. (Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapters 2 and 18)

 Hinduism: 1. “The sacred law, which (is of the spirit), is followed by men learned (in The Veda, The Sacred Writings), and assented to in their hearts by the truly, virtuous, who are ever exempt from hatred and inordinate affection. So then, According to the (sacred spiritual words and teachings) of the revealed texts, The Kudakarman (tonsure) must be performed, for the sake of spiritual merit, by all twice-born men in order to increase his spiritual merit.” 91. The “learned Brahmanas, who know and who study the Veda and desire bliss after death, let him wake and think of (the acquisition of) spiritual merit, arising from the true (spiritual) meaning found in The Veda.” (Hindu, Laws of Manu chap 2 and 4)

 BUDDHISM: 13. “Blinded indeed is this world. Few are those who see the truth. Like a bird breaking out of the net” the net of this physical world “few are those who go to heaven.” The righteous, spiritual seeing man, becoming free of the physical body, is like the bird breaking free of the net; is one of the few who make it into spiritual heaven beyond. “When we subject ourselves to the least differentiation, or particularization, transformation takes place: otherwise all things would be, as void as empty space, as they inherently are. By letting our minds dwell on evil things, hell arises. By letting our minds dwell upon good acts, paradise is manifested.” It is our state of mind that matters for this world and the next; heaven and hell are a state of mind. (Buddha, Sixth Patriarch and The Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards).

 Buddhism: “He (the man), who has no entrapping, clinging desires, to lead him in any direction (other than, the true word and teachings of Brahma, God); The Buddha whose home is in the infinite, the pathless as he is; those wise men, who are much given over to true meditation, and find real true pleasure in the peace of a spiritual way of life, even the devas envy them, (and their knowledge in the ways and actions of the) perfect Buddhas, as recollected as they are. Then, to hear the true spiritual teaching of the Buddha, is difficult, and so the real, true achievement of Buddhahood is very difficult.” “Understand, words carry only an imaginary phenomenal meaning. When The Lord referred to them He never referred to their actual existence He has only used the words as figures and symbols.” “The Blessed One adumbrates (partial disclosure, hint at) in the terms of the Dharma (for the Dharma is), in reality, inscrutable and inexpressible. Being a purely spiritual concept,” (Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 14 and Buddha, Diamond Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “If he to whom I speak listeneth and he to whom I call is established (in the faith) and is (really, truly) knit into the communion of Life (Haiyi, God), and built into the great fabric of Reality, I will take his hand and be his Saviour and Guide, to the great Place of Light, to the Everlasting Abode, heaven.” “Raising then my eyes and lifting up my countenance toward the Place, which is all portals of radiance and light, glory and beauty, repute and honour, and to the Abode, which is all beams of light; I adore, laud and praise The Mighty, Strange (other-worldly) life.” “The assembly of souls, which proceeded from Him, on the Last Day, when they leave their bodies, will rejoice in Him, will, in-deed, embrace Him, and will rise up, and behold the outer Ether, and the everlasting Abode.” So then “Bliss and peace there shall be on the road which Adam built well. Bliss and peace there shall be on the road which the soul takes. Go, soul, in victory to the place from which you were transplanted, the place of joy, in which the face shines (heaven). The face shines in it, the form is illumined and does not grow dim. The soul has loosened its chains and broken its fetters. It shed its bodily coat, then it turned about, saw it, and shuddered. The call of the soul is the call of life, which departs from the body of refuse.” It is the soul, not the physical body that takes it’s flight down the road to heaven. The physical body is cast aside. (Sabeanism, Bliss and Peace and The Ginza Rba chapters 9 and 18)

Sabeanism: “I came to this congregation of souls, for The Life (Haiyi, God) has sent me forth. There were some who bought my wares (the real actual spirit of my true teachings); those who came to their end and lay down. Those who bought my wares, the eyes (of such a one) were filled with light and (true, spiritual, understanding). Filled with light were his eyes (on) beholding the Great (One, Haiyi, God), in the House of Perfection. There were also, those who did not buy my wares. They went on and reached their final end and lay down they were blind and saw not and their ears were stopped and they heard not, and their hearts were not awakened, to behold The Great One in the House of Perfection. As They called out to them, they answered not (the spiritual call). And when they call who will answer them? Because it was given to them, but they took not, of the spiritual bread; so who will give to them when they ask?” “Lord of The mystic (spiritual) books, Lord of ‘Letters-of-Truth’ The name of The Life (Manda-d-Haiyi, God) and the name of Manda-d-Hiia be pronounced upon thee! The name of the Great Mystic Wellspring (the manifestation) is pronounced upon thee, and the name of the Great Mystery, the true mystic spiritual Word of (Haiyi, God), is pronounced upon thee.” So, “The Great First Word (Haiyi, God), Who assured me of sight in mine eyes. Pour wisdom into my heart! Open the eyes of my True, Spiritual Understanding!” “Wreath is light, its weapon the living (spiritual) word of (Haiyi), and its seal the chosen, pure one (the manifestation of God). Every man who openeth it, (the spiritual word) and readeth (the book and teachings) therein shall live and shall be whole and his name will be set up in The House of Life, in the name of The Great Sublime Life, from the worlds (of light?).” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 63, 90, 171, 173 and 410)

 BABI RELIGION: “The generality of the people had made do with its (the message of God‘s) outer literal meaning. For the Bábís its inner (spiritual, symbolic) meaning stood revealed. As in extreme Shi’i esotericism such meaning was not necessarily related to the obvious meaning of particular words and phrases. At the least, scriptural texts were to be understood in terms of symbol and metaphor. Thus messianic prophecies were not to be literally fulfilled.”

          (Peter Smith, The Babi & Baha’i Religions, p. 37)

 Babi Religion: “Call Thou then to mind the day when the Fountainhead of divine unity sought to attend the school which is sanctified of all save God, that perchance the righteous might become acquainted, to the extent of a needle’s eye, with that which is concealed behind the veil of the inner mysteries of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Say, We, in truth, entered the school of inner meaning (the inner spiritual meaning) and exposition at a time when the minds of all that dwell on earth were wrapt in heedlessness.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 6)

BAHA’I FAITH: “All the texts and teachings of the Holy Testaments have intrinsic spiritual meanings. They are not to be taken literally. I, therefore, pray in your behalf that you may be given the power of understanding these inner real meanings of the Holy Scriptures, and may become informed of the mysteries deposited in the words of the Bible, so that you may attain eternal life, and that your hearts may be attracted to the Kingdom of God. May your souls be illumined by the light of the Words of God, and may you become repositories of the mysteries of God, for no comfort is greater and no happiness is sweeter than (the) spiritual comprehension of the divine teachings. If a man understands the real, meaning of a poet’s verses, such as those of Shakespeare, he is pleased and rejoiced. How much greater his joy and pleasure when he perceives the reality of The Holy Scriptures, and becomes informed of the mysteries of the Kingdom!”

Baha’i Faith: “I pray that the divine blessings may descend upon you day by day, that your hearts may be opened to perceive the inner significances of The Word of God. There is no fruit in knowing the mere letters of the Book. Most of the Jews had memorized the texts of the Old Testament and repeated them night and day, but inasmuch, as they were ignorant of the (true) meanings, they were deprived of the bounties of Christ. I pray that you may be quickened by the breaths of The Holy Spirit and illumined, by the rays of The Sun of Truth. May you be favored, with heavenly blessings in The Threshold of God and attain to eternal life. This is my prayer. May God bless and enlighten you.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 459)

Baha’i Faith: “In the spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must be a center of illumination, and that center is the everlasting, ever-shining Sun (of) The Word of God.” The “divine things are too deep to be expressed by (mere) common words. (So), The Heavenly Teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved, for ages to come. When the spiritually minded (people) dive, deeply into the ocean of their meaning they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure, than to study God‘s Word, with a spiritual mind.” So, “Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover, all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause, a Cause through which the potentialities, of the might of God have been revealed and His sovereignty established.” “Immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths, lay hidden the pearls of wisdom, and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in My name, The All-Merciful.” “O My servants! Through the might of God, and His power, and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I have brought forth and revealed unto you, the pearls that lay concealed, within the depths of His everlasting ocean.” “O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts. Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light.” “O My servants! My Holy, My Divinely Ordained Revelation, may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search, and the efforts, he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been preordained, in God‘s irrevocable, and hidden Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power, or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations, which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake, of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.” “Arise, then, and make steadfast your feet, and make ye amends for that which hath escaped you, and set then yourselves towards His Holy Court, on the shore of His mighty Ocean, so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom, which God hath stored up within the shell of His radiant heart, may be revealed unto you….” But, “today the world of humanity is walking in darkness because it is out of touch with the world of God. That is why we do not see the signs of God in the hearts of men.” For,”The power of The Holy Spirit has no influence,” on men today. “This humble servant is filled with wonder, inasmuch as all men are endowed with the capacity to see and hear, yet we find them deprived of the privilege of using these faculties.” (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 305, Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 171) (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 79 and Baha’i World Faith – p. 254 and Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 33, 136, 325 and 327 and The Proclamation of Baha’u’llah, p. 8)  Judaism: Deuteronomy 29:4 “Yet The LORD hath not given you (them), an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.”  Christianity: Acts 4:25 “(the) people imagine vain things;” 5:38 “(and) it will come to nought!“

    So then,  Christianity: 2 Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith,” 4:16 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 5:2 “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.” So then, I would have you know that: 1 Corinthians 2:4 “My speech and my preaching (is) not with, (or of the) enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and Power (of the Word of God); that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in The Power of God.” And why is this, because of-course, God is a spirit, and so His true reality, is also spiritual, as-well. And we now find that God lives in a spiritual, non-visible Kingdom, we all call heaven, and so then, all of His messages and teachings for us, are also, all of a spiritual nature, as-well; because, everything that is, in-fact, related to God and the place where He dwells is completely spiritual in nature; and then, if you actually add unto the fact, that we are all created in His image, then we are also spiritual beings as-well, when we escape from this physical body. Well, it’s a lot to think about. So then people, think about it. I mean really think about this people. Does any of this spiritual truth, and spiritual reality of God and His true teachings and His true spiritual relationship with us, seem to make any real kind of sense to any of you at this point?

 Christianity: 1 Corinthians 2:6 “Howbeit we speak (the) wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught:” 2:7 “But we speak the (spiritual) wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God hath ordained before the world unto our glory:” 2:8 “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified The Lord of Glory (Jesus Christ).” 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Baha’i Faith: “O SON OF BEING! Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me. Enter therein and tarry not. This is that which hath been destined for thee in Our kingdom above and Our exalted dominion.” (Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words)

 Christianity: 1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 2:11 “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God,” for they are spiritually discerned. 2:12 “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words, which man’s wisdom teacheth but (that) which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” 2:14 “But (again) the natural man receiveth not the things of The Spirit of God: for they are but foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 2:15 “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is (not) judged, of no man.” 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of The LORD, that he may instruct Him?” 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, (of the spiritual), but as unto carnal (the physical, of the flesh), even as unto babes in Christ.” For 3:2 “I have fed you with milk and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able (to bear it).” 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal, (physical or literal thinking): for there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” These people see not yet into the spirit and the spiritual nature of the word of God, because they are still in reality, caught up in the physical nature of the world and are blind to the true spiritual nature of the word of God. They see not, and so Paul, therefore has to be gentle with them and only teach them that which they can understand, at that time.

 Christianity: 1 Corinthians 3:8 “And (now) every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 3:17 “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy; which temple are ye (than)?” So then, 3:18 “let no man deceive himself, if any man amongst you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool; that he may be wise.” 3:19 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He (God, The Creator) taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” 3:20 “And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” 3:21 “Therefore let no man glory in men.” 4:4 “For I know nothing (of, or) by myself; yet, am I not, hereby justified, (for) He that judgeth me, is The Lord.” 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the (its) time,” 4:14 “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.” 4:20 “For the Kingdom of God (heaven) is not in word, but in power.” Because, 15:40 “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another,” For, “It is sown a natural body; (and) it is raised a spiritual body. (For) There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” For, 15:50 “this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, (heaven); neither doth corruption (the physical world and body of man) inherit incorruption (heaven, the kingdom of God).” For, Baha’i Faith: “They say: ‘Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?’ Say: ‘The one is reunion with Me; (and) the other thine own self,”’ “Thy paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me.” (Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 132 and The Arabic Hidden Words) For,  Christianity: 1 Corinthians 15:39 “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.” And therefore, 15:40 “There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” 15:42 “So also, is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption (of the flesh); it is raised in incorruption (of the spirit):” 15:43 “It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:” 15:44 “It is sown a natural body; (and) it is raised a spiritual body.” 15:45 “And so it is written, The first man Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” 15:46 “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and (then) afterward that which is spiritual.” 15:47 “The first man is of the earth, (was) earthy; (but) the second man is The Lord from heaven.” 15:48 “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also, that are heavenly.” 15:49 “And as we have borne the image of the earthy we shall also (now) bear the image of the heavenly.” For as I say again: “flesh and blood (or the physical body of man) CANNOT!!! inherit the kingdom of God.” So, Baha’i Faith: “According to Them, Heaven is the state of perfection, and Hell that of imperfection; Heaven is harmony with God‘s will and with our fellows, and Hell is the want of such harmony; Heaven is the condition of Spiritual Life, and Hell that of spiritual death. A man, may be either in Heaven, or in Hell, while still in the body. The joys of Heaven are spiritual joys; and the pains of Hell consist in the deprivation of these joys.” (Bahá’í Faith, Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha’u’llah and the New Era p. 190)  Babi Religion: “THERE is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in the Divine Unity, more exalted than to obey God‘s commandments, and there is no fire in the eyes of those who have known God and His signs, fiercer than to transgress His laws and to oppress another soul, even to the extent of a mustard seed. On the Day of Resurrection God will, in truth, judge all men, and we all verily plead for His grace.” (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 78)

 CHRISTIANITY: Colossians 1:9 So then, “We do not cease to pray for you and desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of The Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” And remember, 1 Corinthians 10:1 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;” “And did all eat of the same spiritual meat,” “And did all drink of the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4 “A living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,” and “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up as spiritual house(s), acceptable unto God.” Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual:” so, 8:4 “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” 8:7 “Because the carnal, (and the physical thinking) mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed can (it) be.” 8:8 “So then, they that are in the flesh (the worldly minded literal, thinking, people), cannot please God.” 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, (the spiritually minded), if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” 1 Peter 4:6 “For this cause (then), was the gospel preached to them that are dead (the truly carnal, literal worldly, minded people), that they might be judged according to men, in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:4 “And such trust have we through Jesus Christ to God-ward,” 3:5 “not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing, as of ourselves; but our (true) sufficiency is of God;” 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of The New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter, (the physical, all too literal translation of the word of God), killeth, but of the spirit (the spiritual, symbolic understanding of the word and letter of the word of God) that giveth life,” to mankind.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now (than), The Lord is that Spirit: and where The Spirit of The Lord is, there is liberty.” And so, 3:18 “We all, with open face beholding, as in a glass, The Glory of The Lord, are changed into the same image (of God) from glory to glory, even as by The Spirit of The LORD.”

    So then, let me ask? Does it seem to make any real kind of sense, that there are a great, many people, in fact called, by God’s true, chosen ones, and yet there are still only a very, few people actually chosen, by The Father?  Christianity: Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Or does it now, seem to make a real, kind of sense, that the gate leading to the destruction, of most of mankind is very broad and that most of the people are, in fact, going straight down this wrong path leading to their very, own destruction? Matthew 7:13 “For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be, which go in thereat:” Does it now seem to make more sense that the true actual gate leading to the true, actual, spiritual heavenly life is, in fact, very small, straight and narrow, with only a very few of the true, believers, actually, really finding it? Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”  Judaism: 4 Ezra “And he answered me, saying, ‘The most High hath made this world for many, but the world to come for few. There be many created, but few shall be saved.”’ (Deuterocanonical  Apocrypha, Esdras 2) Islam: 46.“But few of them will believe.” 40. “But only a few believed with him.” 24. “Those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, …..how few are they?” (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 4, 11 and  38)  Zoroastrianism: 2.“I know wherefore, O Mazda (God), I have been unable (to achieve) anything. Only a few herds are mine (and therefore it is so) and because I have got but few people.” “And (in the majority) are people of small understanding who do not seek for better understanding;” so only a few will seek out the truth and be chosen. (Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 46 and Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Vendidad)  Hinduism: “Of many thousand mortals, one, perchance, Striveth for Truth; and of those few that strive- Nay, and rise high- one only- here and there Knoweth Me, as I Am, the very Truth.” (Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 7)  Buddhism: 13. “Blinded indeed is this world. Few are those who see the truth. Like a bird breaking out of the net, few are those who go to heaven.”6. “Few are those among men who have crossed over to the other shore, while the rest of mankind runs along the bank.”(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))  Babi Religion: “Yet when the time came for inmost essences to be drawn forth, only its sifter of wheat donned the robe of discipleship. This is the mystery of what was uttered by the kindred of the Prophet Muhammad — upon them be the peace of God — concerning this Revelation, saying that the abased shall be exalted and the exalted shall be abased.” (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 83) Baha’i Faith: “I see before me an assemblage of souls who are of the chosen and not of the many called.” “Many are called, but few are chosen.’ The chosen have heard and understood the call from the divine assembly.” (Bahá’í Faith, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 418 and Divine Philosophy, p. 59) All of this is true, because God is, as Jesus Christ states in Christianity, a spirit, and a spiritual being, and so His word and message and teachings are all, naturally, of a spiritual nature as-well. So, many are called, because God and His manifestations are calling out to everyone; but than again, only a very few are chosen, because only a very few people are actually listening for, and to God’s spiritual message and teachings!  Christianity: Matthew 20:16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” And again, many people are going down the wrong path leading to their very, own personal, destruction, because they are not, in fact, actually, listening for God’s spiritual call and message at all; but are instead, listening to the blind, misguided, banter and ravings of the spiritually blind leaders spouting out their one thousand, or two thousand, or several thousand year old, theologies, dogmas, doctrines, traditions and ignorance, with out even the slightest, tiny little regard to the very, real possibility that these religious leaders they are listening to, so fondly, with all of their wonderful, promises and assurances, might not actually, really know what they are actually talking about, but are just blind leaders of the blind! I mean we are warned:  Christianity: Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch,” or hell or what-so-ever, or what-not etc… So yes wide is the gate, leading to destruction, because nobody is actually listening to God and His true messengers, they have the words and teachings of men to listen to instead; just like the Jewish people did in the time of Christ; I mean why listen to a mere carpenters son, when you have the extremely educated Pharisees to listen to, or the extremely educated Mullahs to listen to etc… There is always someone else to listen to, and there are always some old doctrines, dogmas and theologies, and old man made, tried and true, ancient, ancestral beliefs to tell us what we need to believe in; instead of this new message from one of God’s New Divine Teachers and Manifestations. So then, just why should we listen to this strange, new upstart, telling us that the things, which we have been told to believe in, all of our lives, is not actually the actual, real truth, and that we now need to listen and think for ourselves and that we now need to come to our very own conclusions instead of just listening to what we are being told to believe in. So yes, I would, in-deed, say, that the actual, spiritual gate, leading to God’s eternal life, and eternal joy and glory, is very small, and narrow, in-deed, because, of-course, nobody is actually listening to God and his messengers, with their newfangled spiritual message; that the people now actually have to think about. The people have their old tried and true teachings, they have been taught since they were infants, in their minds, why do they need more, or for that matter just why do they need the confusion and uncertainty of having to actually think for themselves about anything related to God? They just want to wait, for their priests and clergy, to tell them what to believe in. That’s the way it was with their fathers, and their fathers before them etc… Why change now? But then, what do all of the prophets, manifestations, and messengers of our actual, Creator, God actually have to say about all of this?  Christianity: John 8:38 “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your fathers.” Then 8:39 “they answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father (and) Jesus (than) saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham,” but instead, “Ye do the deeds of your father(s).” 8:44 “Ye are (instead doing) of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father, ye will do.” For, 8:42 “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent me.”  Judaism: Amos 2:4 “Thus saith The LORD they have despised The Law of The LORD, and have not kept His commandments, and their lies have caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:” and so, Jeremiah 11:10 “They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which have refused to hear my words; and have broken (with) my covenant, which I made with their fathers.” So that, 12:10 “Many (of their) pastors have destroyed My vineyard (the true religion of God) and they have trodden My portion under foot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness; they have made it desolate.”  Judaism: Ezekiel 22:26 “Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned Mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” Zephaniah 3:4 “Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.”

So then, Islam: 104. “When it is said to them: ‘Come to what Allah (God) hath revealed; come to the Messenger:’ they say: ‘Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.’ What! even though their fathers were void of real, true, knowledge and guidance?” (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 5).”

  ZOROASTRIANISM: “One should rely on his own conviction, and not allow himself to be drifted by the opinions of others.” “Let not any of you lend ear to the creed and canon of the knave.” “Do not hear the advice of those who deprecate religion. They do more harm to you than anybody else by their misleading doctrines. For those priests who disseminate vice among men are morally blind.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan, 87, 169, 197, 748 and The Denkard)

 HINDUISM: “Nor must we by any means, forget that even though the oral tradition, when once brought under proper discipline, is a most faithful guardian; it is not without its dangers in its incipient stages. Many a word, may have been, totally and completely, misunderstood, and many a sentence confused, as it was told from father to son, and passed down throughout the ages.” “Lastly, we must remember that those who handed down the ancestral treasures of ancient wisdom, would often feel inclined to add what seemed useful to themselves, and what they knew could be preserved in one way only, namely, if it was allowed to form part of the tradition that had to be handed down, as a sacred trust, from generation to generation. The priestly influence was at work, even before there were priests by profession, and when the priesthood had once become professional, its influence may account for much that would otherwise seem inexplicable in the sacred codes of the ancient world.” (Hindu, Upanishads vol. 1, Introduction to the Upanishads, vol. 1)

 BUDDHISM: So then, the “clinging to the memory of erroneous speculations, and the doctrines accumulated, since the beginningless time; people tend to hold fast to such ideas, in the same way, that the ignorant and simple-minded people, who are favorably influenced by the erroneous views of the philosophers, do not recognize that the views that are influencing them, are only dream-like ideas, originating from the mind itself, and that consequently, they are held fast by their notions. In the same way there are people of this day also being brought up under the influence of these similar, erroneous views whose mentality is now really being conditioned by the habit forming energy of these false-imaginings and who later on, will declare those who hold the (actual) true doctrine (as iniquitous) and by so doing will bring themselves and others to ruin. By the natural law of cause and effect, these blind and submissive, totally mistaken, followers of pernicious views, uproot the meritorious causes that otherwise would lead to unstained purity. They are to be shunned by those, whose desires, are for the more excellent things.” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “In The Name of The Great Life (Haiyi, God), The Great Light be magnified! To you do I call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received The Sign. Hearken not to the talk of all peoples and generations; Let not their stumblings cause you to stumble, Stumble not because of their stumblings!” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 89)

 Babi Religion: “‘My faith in this Cause,’ he fearlessly retorted, ‘is born not of idle imitation.'” (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 406)

BAHA’I FAITH: “The nations and religions are steeped in blind and bigoted imitations. A man is a Jew because his father was a Jew, the Muslim follows implicitly (in) the footsteps of his ancestors, in belief and observance. The Buddhist is true to his heredity as a Buddhist. That is to say, they profess religious belief blindly and without investigation, making unity and agreement impossible. It is evident, therefore, that this condition will not be remedied without a reformation in the world of religion. In other words the fundamental reality of the divine religions must be renewed, reformed (and) revoiced to mankind.”

    “For it is evident they have not found reality, and are not engaged in its adoration. They are holding to certain imitations which have descended to them from their fathers and ancestors. They have become accustomed to passing a certain length of time in temple worship and conforming to imitations and ceremonies. The proof of this is that the son of every Jewish father becomes a Jew and not a Christian; the son of every Muslim becomes a follower of Islam; and the son of every Christian proves to be a Christian; the son of every Zoroastrian is a Zoroastrian, etc… Therefore religious faith and belief is merely a remnant of blind imitations which have descended through fathers and ancestors. Because this man’s father was a Jew, (So) he considers himself to be a Jew. Not that he has investigated reality and proved satisfactorily to himself that Judaism is right — nay, rather, he is aware that his forefathers have followed this course; therefore, he has held to it himself.” (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 141 and 221)

Baha’i Faith: “Bahá’u’lláh (urges) the independent investigation of truth.” “Each individual, is following the faith of his ancestors who themselves are lost in the maze of traditions, (with their) reality steeped in dogmas and doctrines.” “If each investigate for himself, he will find that Reality is one (and) does not admit of multiplicity; is not divisible. All will find the same foundation and all will be at peace.” So, “Rend asunder the veils of theology, lest they prevent thee from the region of My Name, the Self-existent,” and blind thee from the real truth. (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, pp. 98 and 276)

    So here we have it, or at least I hope those reading this have figured it out by now! We humans, are not only supposed to look at and study His, God’s, Holy Words and Writings, spiritually, for our very own selves; we also need to try and ignore all the other disinformation that some people might be trying to whisper, erroneously into our ears; but we are also, actually supposed to really be trying to seek out the spiritual nature of our Father and try to become more like Him, our Creator, Himself; and of-course, we are also, supposed to try, and become spiritual beings like our Creator, as-well. Baha’i Faith: “Surely, when we realize how God loves and cares for us, we should so order our lives that we may become more like Him.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 120)

   As for, all the other writings of God from all the other religions of God, we are also told in His other holy writings to look for the spiritual side and nature of the words of God, and to study and to seek, and to become more spiritual, in nature, like God, our Father and Creator, as-well.

 ISLAM: 7. “He (Allah, God), it is Who has sent down to thee The Book (The Qur’an): in it are verses basic, or fundamental, while others are allegorical,” (they are spiritual symbolisms, or parables, not so readily seen, or understood, by the people). For, 58. “This is what We have rehearse unto thee, of the Signs and the Message of Wisdom; this similitude, (semblance or likeness).” But, 60. “The truth (comes) from Allah (God) alone; so be not of those who doubt.” So then, 46. “Think ye, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight, and sealed up your hearts, who — a god other than Allah — could restore them to you? See how We explain the Signs (of Allah), by various (spiritual symbols): Yet they, (the people), turn aside.” 269. “He (God) granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted, receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp (Allah’s, God‘s) message but men of (true) understanding.” As for the ones, 108. “whose, hearts, ears, and eyes Allah has sealed up, they take no heed, (of the hidden spiritual meaning, hidden away within Allah’s Holy Words).” 46. “Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) may thus learn wisdom, and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts, which are in their breasts.” 57. “As to those who believe and work righteousness, Allah will pay them (in full) their reward; but Allah loveth not those who do wrong.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 2, 3, 6, 16 and 22)

Islam: 48. “To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scriptures that came before it, (the past religions), and guarding it in safety; so judge between them, by what Allah hath revealed and follow not your vain desires, diverging from the truth, (the true spiritual nature that is found within the word), that hath come to thee.” 1. For “these are the symbols or (the spiritual, symbolic Verses), of the Perspicuous Book. We have sent it down, as an Arabic Qur’án, in order that ye may learn (true, spiritual) wisdom. 7. Verily in it are Signs (and spiritual symbols) for Seekers (after The Truth).”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 5 and 12)

Islam: 24. “Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? — a goodly Word, (a word of spiritual nature and understanding), like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and it’s branches (that reach) to the heavens — It brings forth it’s fruit, at all times, by the leave of it’s Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order (to teach them), that they may (grow in the spirit), and receive wisdom and admonition.” And, “Allah will establish, in strength, those who believe, with The Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter (in the spiritual realm); For their Lord inspired (This Message) to them: and ‘Verily We shall cause the wrongdoers to perish! But, Allah will leave, to stray, those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth.” “Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have changed the favor of Allah into blasphemy (tampered with the word) and caused their people to descend to the House of Perdition? Into Hell? They will burn therein — an evil place to stay in!”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 14)

Islam: “Let every nation follow what they used to worship, and now we are waiting for our Lord. Then The Almighty will come to them in a shape, other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, ‘I am your Lord’ and they will say, ‘you are not our Lord,’ they will be blind to the new manifestation of God, Allah will send them.” “They have eyes to see, but don’t see the true (spiritual) light of Allah when it dawns, and fail to hear the true (spiritual) truth of His words, but, instead, hold onto the literal words of their holy books, failing to see the new light of the spirit of God in the (spiritual) words of the new manifestation, and the new book.”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 9, Book 93, # 532)

Islam: 35. “The worshippers of false gods say: ‘If Allah had so willed, we all should not have worshipped aught, but Him, and neither we, nor our fathers — nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His; So did those who went before them. But what is the (true) mission of the Messengers, but to preach the Clear Message?” “For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command), ‘Serve Allah and eschew Evil;’ of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom Error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth). 101. “When We substitute one revelation for another, and Allah knows best what He reveals (in prophetic stages), they say, ‘Thou art but a forger:’ but most of them understand not.” It is, “The Holy Spirit that has brought the revelation from (Allah, God), Thy Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a true guide and Glad Tidings. Those who believe not in the Signs of Allah, Allah will not guide them, and theirs will be a grievous Penalty.” “It is those who believe not in the Signs of Allah (His true spiritual message, teachings and writings), that forge falsehood; it is they who lie!” “All this is because, they love the life of this world, better than the Hereafter; and Allah will not guide those who reject faith. Those are they, whose hearts, ears, and eyes Allah has sealed up, and they take no heed. Without doubt, in the hereafter they will perish.” “But verily thy Lord will, to those who leave their homes after trials and persecutions and who thereafter strive and who fight for the faith, and patiently persevere; thy Lord, after all this, is Oft-Forgiving, and Most Merciful.” “One day every soul will come up struggling for itself, and every soul will be recompensed for all its actions, and none will be unjustly dealt with.” “But say not, for any false thing that your tongues may put forth, ‘This is lawful, and this is forbidden,’ so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah, will never prosper. (In such falsehood) it is but a paltry profit; but they will have a most grievous Penalty.” “So then We have taught thee The Inspired, (The True, Spiritual, Message of Allah); So follow the ways of Abraham, the true (one) in faith, for he joined not other gods with Allah.” Than, “Invite (all) to the ways of thy Lord, with wisdom and beautiful, preaching; and argue with them in the ways that are best, and are most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and those who receive guidance.” “And do thou be patient, for thy patience, is but from Allah; for Allah is with all those who restrain themselves, and those who do good.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 16)

Islam: 99. “The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim (the Message, the true spiritual word): but Allah knoweth all that ye reveal and ye conceal.” 84. “Say: ‘Everyone acts according to his own disposition: but your Lord knows best who it is that is best guided on the Way.”’ “They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: ‘The Spirit (of the word cometh) by the command of my Lord; of (the spiritual) knowledge, it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)” “If it were Our Will, We could take away that which We have sent thee by inspiration: then would thou find none to plead thy affair in that matter as against Us;” “except for Mercy from thy Lord: for His Bounty to thee is, (indeed) great.” 13. “But because of their breach of their Covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard: they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the Message that was sent them, nor wilt thou cease to find them, barring a few, ever bent on (new) deceits.” And, 14. “From (others), too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a Covenant, but they forgot a good part of the Message that was sent them: so We estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the Day of Judgment. And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done.” But then, 67. “O Messenger! proclaim the (Message), which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord (Allah, God).” “If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission: and Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guideth not those who reject Faith.” Say: ‘O People of the Book! Ye have no ground to stand upon, unless ye stand fast by the Law, of The Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you, from your Lord.’ It is the revelation, that cometh to thee from thy Lord, that increaseth, in most of them, their obstinate, rebellion and blasphemy. But sorrow thou not over (these) people without Faith.” For, “those who believe, and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians (Scriptures) and any who believe in Allah (God) and the Last Day and who work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” “but than to forgive them, and overlook (their misdeeds); for Allah loveth those who are kind.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 5 and 17)

Islam: 34. “We have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from (the story of) a people who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who fear (Allah, God). Allah is the Light (and spirit) of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the East, nor of the West, whose Oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it. Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His (true, spiritual) Light. (For), Allah doth set forth Parables (hidden spiritual teachings), for men to follow; and Allah doth know all things.” “Seest thou not that it is to Allah, Whose praises, all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate. Each one knows its own mode of prayer and praise and Allah knows well all that they do. Yea to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the final goal (of all).”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 24)

Islam: 2. “These are Verses of the Book that makes (things) clear. It may be that thou frettest to thy (very) soul with grief, that they do not become Believers. If (such) were Our Will, We could send down to them from the sky a Sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility. But there comes not to them a newly-revealed message from (Allah) The Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom. And they have indeed, (turned away) and rejected (this true spiritual message from Allah): so they will know soon (enough) the real truth, of what they mocked at! Do they not look at the earth — how many noble things, of all kinds we have produced therein? Verily, in this is a sign (a hidden spiritual truth) but most of them do not believe. And verily, thy Lord is He, Exalted in Might, The Most Merciful.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 26)

Islam: 191. “Thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, the Most Merciful.” And, “verily this is a Revelation from The Lord of the Worlds;” and “with it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth — to thy heart and mind that thou mayest admonish in the perspicuous Arabic tongue.” “Without a doubt, it is (announced) in The Mystic, (Spiritual) Books of the former peoples, (and prophets).” And “Without doubt it is (announced) in the mystic Books of former peoples.” “It will profit them not that they do enjoyed (this life)!” “Seest thou not that they do wander distracted in every valley? And that they say what they practice not? So call not on any other god with Allah, or thou wilt be among those that are under the Penalty.” “And put thy trust on the Exalted in Might, the Merciful — For it is He Who heareth and knoweth all things. Shall I inform you, (O people!), on whom it is that the evil ones descend? They descend on every lying, wicked person and they pour hearsay vanities and most of them are liars. And the Poets it is those straying in Evil, who follow them:” “Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage much in the remembrance of Allah, and defend themselves only after they are unjustly attacked. And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take!”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 26)

Islam: 42. “Verily Allah doth know (everything), whatever that they call upon besides Him; and He is Exalted (in power) The Wise. And such are the Parables (the hidden spiritual messages) We set for mankind, but only those understand them, who have Knowledge.” 59. “Say: Praise be to Allah and Peace be on all His servants, whom He has chosen (for His Message). And (Who) is better? Allah, or the false gods they associate with Him?” 86. “And thou hadst not expected that the Book would be sent to thee except as a Mercy from thy Lord: therefore lend not thou support in any way to those who reject (Allah’s Message).” 18. “And if they reject (the Message), so did (the many) generations before them; and the duty of the messenger is only to preach (the message) publicly (and clearly).” And 44. “Allah created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): verily in that is a sign for those who believe. Than Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish Regular Prayers: for Prayer restrains, from shamefulness and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do. And dispute ye not with the People of the Book (the Christians), except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, ‘We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you;” for “Our Allah and your Allah are one; and it is to Him, that we bow. And thus (it is) that We have sent down the Book to thee. So the People of the Book believe therein, as also do some of these (pagan Arabs); and none, but Unbelievers reject Our Signs. And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book, before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand; in that case, indeed would the talkers of vanities have doubted. Nay, here are Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with (true spiritual) knowledge: and none but the unjust reject Our Signs. Yet they say: ‘Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘The Signs are indeed with Allah: and I am indeed a clear Warner.’” “And is it not enough for them that We have sent down to thee the Book, which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is Mercy and Reminder to those who believe. Say: ‘Enough is Allah for a Witness between me and you; He knows what is in the heavens and on earth. And it is those who believe in vanities and reject Allah, that will perish (in the end).”’

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 27, 28 and 29)

Islam: 58. “Verily We have propounded for men, in this Qur’án, every kind of Parable (spiritual hidden truth); but if thou bring to them any Sign, the unbelievers are sure to say, ‘Ye do nothing but talk vanities.’ And for, thus, (hath) Allah seal up the hearts of those who understand not. So, patiently persevere; for verily the promise of Allah is true: nor let those shake thy firmness, who have (themselves) no certainty of faith.” For, 11. “Thou canst but admonish: such a one as follows the Message and fears The (Lord) The Most Gracious, unseen; give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous.” 17. “And Our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message.” 3. “And thus proclaim the (spiritual) message (of Allah)!” And, 37. “he (the manifestation) has come with the (very) truth and he confirms (the Messages of) the (true) messengers (before Him).” 12 “Verily We shall give life to the dead and We record that which they sent before, and that which they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence). Set forth to them, by way of a parable, the (story of) the Companions of the City. Behold, there came messengers to it.” And, 27. “We have put forth for men, in this Qur’án every kind of Parable, (hidden spiritual message) in order that they (humanity) may receive admonition. (It is) a Qur’án in Arabic, (a book of spirit), without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 30, 36, 37, 39)

Islam: 13. “He it is Who showeth you His Signs — but only those receive — who turn (to Allah).” “Call ye, then, upon Allah with sincere devotion to Him, for He is the Lord of the Throne of authority, and by His command doth He send the spirit of inspiration to any of His servants as He pleases, that it may warn men,” and instruct men in His spiritual word, 54. “a Guide and a Message to men of understanding.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 40)

Islam: 21. “Allah has decreed: ‘It is I and My Messenger who must prevail: For Allah is One full of strength and able to enforce His Will.”’ “Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred.” “For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever).” And, 15. “(Here is) the Parable, (of the story or the symbolic spiritual, depiction) of the Garden (heaven for the Muslims), in-which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible: rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits, and Grace from their Lord.” “And among them are men (the true believers) who listen to Thee;” To Your true spiritual message for mankind. “For those who receive Guidance, He increases (the light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint (from evil).” And “Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. For they are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah, that will achieve true felicity.” And for, 41. “Those who reject the true message of Allah, when it comes to them, (they are not hidden from Us); and indeed it is a Book of exalted power (and true spiritual, understanding).” 5. “Shall We then, take away The Message from you and repel (them), for — ye are a people (who are) transgressing beyond (all) bounds? But (than) how many were the prophets We sent amongst the peoples of old? And never came there a prophet to them, but they mocked him.” For, 44. “The (This Qur’án), is indeed, The Message, for thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be brought to account.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 41, 43, 47 and 58)

Islam: 1. “The (Prophet) frowned, because there came to him (a certain) blind man, but what could tell, but that perchance he might (see and) grow (in spiritual understanding)? Or that he might receive admonition and the teachings might profit him? Though it is no blame to thee if he grow not (in spiritual understanding). For (the message, it should be), it is indeed a Message of (spiritual) instruction: Therefore let who will, keep it in remembrance. For it is in Books held (greatly) in honor and exalted (in dignity) and kept pure and holy.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 80)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: “Zarathushtra asked of Ahura Mazda (God): O Ahura Mazda, Thou most Bounteous Spirit! Maker of the corporeal worlds, The Holy One! Which was that word (the message), which Thou didest declare to me, before the sky, before the water, before the earth, before the plants, before the holy man, and before all the incarnate world; even before all the good creatures made by Mazda, and which contain the seeds of righteousness? Thereupon, Ahura Mazda said: The Ahuna-Vairya, O Spitama Zarathushtra, these are the words of spirit, which I pronounced before the creation of this heaven, before the making of the waters, and the plants, and the four-footed kine, before the birth of the holy biped man, before this sun with its body. Ahura Mazda, (God) declared to me, that this entire creation of the pure (the good), which exists at the present, and that which is in the course of emerging into existence, and that which shall be, with reference to the performance and realization of the actions of a life devoted to Mazda. This word is the most emphatic of the words, which have ever been pronounced, or those which are now spoken or those which shall be spoken in future; for (the spiritual, eminence of) this utterance, is a thing, of such a nature, that if all of this corporeal, and living world should learn it, and the learning should hold fast by it, they would be redeemed, from their mortality (raised up to a spiritual existence)! And this Our word, (Our spiritual message), I have proclaimed as a symbol, (The True, Spiritual, Word of Ahura), to be (discovered) and learned, and to be recited, as it were, to everyone of the beings (we humans) under the influence of, and for the sake of Righteousness, The Best!“ “And ‘as’ (the worshiper has) here spoken it forth, when he has thus ‘appointed’ the ‘Lord and regulator,’ so (by thus reciting these spiritual authoritative words), he acknowledges Ahura Mazda, (as The Prior To, and The Supreme), over, those creatures who have ‘the mind’ as their first (the created ones). And, as he acknowledges Him as The Greatest of them all so he assigns the creatures to Him (as to their True Creator and Originator), The Good Ahura Mazda (and they therefore come) from Him. And as he recites (to) The Creator of mind, he acknowledges Him, as Superior, and Prior to the Mind; and as he makes Him the one who indicates (all the spiritual truth) to mind, (saying), manage of mind, which means that by this much he makes Him (it’s, the minds director) and then he makes Him, The Lord of All True Actions.” 14. “And when he acknowledges Him for the creatures thus, ‘O Mazda!’ he acknowledges Him, (as their ruler), when he assigns the creatures to Him thus. He then assigns the Kingdom to Ahura, saying: ‘Thine, O Mazda! is the Kingdom.’ And he assigns a nourisher and protector to the poor, saying: Yim drigubyo dadat vastarem; that is, as a friend to Spitama. This is the word, (even) the whole of this (spiritual) word of Ahura Mazda. He who is the best (of all) Ahura Mazda, (He, ever) the same, (as He is).”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 19)

 Zoroastrianism: “The Zarathushtrian law, and of the long descent of the good, true Mazdayasnian Faith, (the holding in mind and devotion, to the Mathra Spenta, and spiritual knowledge of The True Mazdayasnian Religion), for the propitiation of the real, true understandings, which is, innate, and Mazda-made, and of that, which is heard by the ear; and for Thy propitiation, the Fire’s, O Ahura Mazda’s son! [(Pazand); (yea) thine, the Fire’s, O Ahura Mazda’s son] with all the fires, and for the propitiation of Mount Ushi-darena, the Mazda-made, radiant with sanctity; and of all the Holy Yazads, spiritual and earthly, and all of the Holy Fravashis, the redoubted and overwhelming, those of the ancient lore, and those of the next of kin and of the Yazad of the spoken name!” “We worship, The Good, True Mazdayasnian Religion, and the Mathra, which is heart-devoted and bounteous imparting the heart’s devotion to the saint; yea we worship The Good, True Mazdayasnian Religion maintained in the understanding of the saint; and we honor that science which is the Mathra Spenta, and the true, innate understanding Mazda-made, and the derived understanding, heard with ear, and Mazda- made.” “And we worship then, every Holy Spiritual Yazad; and every Holy Earthly Yazad (who exists)!”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna chapters 22 and 25)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “We present hereby and we make known, as our offering to the bountiful Gathas which rule (as the leading chants) within (the appointed times and seasons of) the Ritual, all our landed riches, and our persons, together with our very bones and tissues, our forms and forces, our consciousness, our soul, and Fravashi. That which Gathas (may) be to us, which are our guardians and defenders, and our spiritual food, yea, which (may) be to our souls both food and clothing, such are these Gathas to us, guardians, and defenders, and (spiritual) food, even such they are, both food and clothing to the soul.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna chapter 55)

 Zoroastrianism: 9. “The teacher of evil destroys the lore, (perverts and destroys the spirit of the word). He by his false teachings destroys the design of (spiritual) life and he prevents the possession of Good Thought from being prized. These words of my spirit I wail unto you, O Mazda, and to the Right. And he it is, that destroys and desolates the righteous man.” “I will speak of that which He, The Holiest declared to me, as the word that is best for mortals to obey; while he said: ‘they who, for my sake, render Him obedience, shall all attain to Welfare and True Immortality by the actions of The Good Spirit – (He) Mazda Ahura.” “I will speak of Him Who, is The Greatest of all, praising Him, O Right, Who is The Most Bounteous to all that live. By The Holy Spirit, let Mazda Ahura hearken, in whose Adoration I have been instructed by Good Thought. By His Wisdom, let Him teach me what is best, (the true spirit of the word of Mazda Ahura).” “Where-of He ordains, that men shall attain, who so, are living, or have been, or shall be: in immortality shall the soul, of the righteous be joyful; and in perpetuity shall be the torment of Liars. All this doth Mazda Ahura appoint by his Dominion.” Because, “Him thou shouldst seek to win for us by hymns of adoration (the spiritual hymns in thy mind): ‘Now indeed have I seen it with mine eyes, (The Kingdom) of the good spirit and of (good) action and (good) word, (the spiritual teachings of Mazda), since I have learnt to know Mazda Ahura through Right’ (right thought and right deed). Let us than, offer Him homage in the House of Song.” For, “Him thou shouldst seek to propitiate for Us, together with Good Thought, Who at His will, maketh us weal or woe.” “May Mazda Ahura, by His Dominion, bring us to work, for prospering our beasts and our men, so that we may through Right have familiarity with true, Good Thought.” And, “Him thou shouldst seek to exalt with prayers of piety, Him that is called Mazda Ahura forever, for that He hath promised through His own Right and Good Thought, that Welfare and Immortality shall be for us, in His Dominion of true strength and perpetuity in His house forever.” So then, “Whoso therefore, in the future lightly esteemeth the Daeva, and those mortals that lightly esteem Him – even all others save that one who highly esteemeth him, – unto him shall the holy Daena, of the future deliverer, as lord of the house, be friend, brother, or father, O Mazda Ahura.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 32 and 45)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “For His Holy Spirit and for Best Thought, deed and words (of spirit), in accordance with Right, Mazda Ahura (God) with Dominion and Piety, shall give to us Welfare and Immortality.” For, “The best (work) of This Most Holy Spirit, He fulfills with the tongue through words of good true (Spiritual) Thought and Teachings, with work of his hands through the actions of Piety, by virtue of this knowledge: He, even He, Mazda, Who is the Father of Right.” For, “Thou Art The Holy Father of This Spirit, which has created for us the luck-bringing cattle, and for its pasture to give it peace (has created) Piety when he had taken counsel, O Mazda, with Good Thought.” And so, “from This True Spirit have the liars fallen away, O Mazda, but not The Righteous. Whether one is lord of little, or of much, he is to show forth, love to the righteous, but be ill unto the Liar.” “And all the best things which by This Holy Spirit Thou hast promised to the righteous, O Mazda Ahura, shall the Liar partake of them without Thy will, who by his actions is on the side of ill thought. But, through This Holy Spirit will, Mazda Ahura, and through The Fire, Thou wilt give the division of good to the two parties, with support of Piety and Right. This verily will convert many who are ready to hear — (the true spiritual teachings of good mind and good thought).”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 47)

 Zoroastrianism: 3. “The best of teachings, which beneficent mankind; Ahura teaches through The Right; Ahura’s Spiritual Word and Teachings. He, The Holy One, even Thyself, O Mazda, that knows the true, secret lore (of right, spiritual thought), through the wisdom of Good Thought;” “whoso, O Mazda, makes his thought (now) better, (now) worse, and likewise his self, by action, and by word, follows his own inclinations, wishes, and choices, he shall in thy purpose be in a separate place at last.” So “Let good rulers rule us, not evil rulers, with the actions of the Good Lore, (the good words of spirit, of Mazda), O Piety!” Then, “violence must be put down! Against cruelty, make a stand, ye who would make sure of the reward of Good Thought (pure action and deed and pure spiritual thought), through Right, to whose company the holy man belongs. His dwelling place shall be in Thy House, O Ahura.” “Is the possession of Thy good Dominion, Mazda Ahura, is that of thy Destiny assured to me Ahura? Will Thy manifestation, O Thou Right, be welcome to the pious, even by the weighing of actions by The Good Spirit?” “When shall I know whether Ye have power, O Mazda and Right over everyone whose destructiveness is menace to me? Let the revelation of Good Thought (right spiritual teachings), be confirmed unto me; the future deliverer should know how his own destiny shall be.” “When, O Mazda, will the nobles understand Your (true, spiritual) message? When will Thou smite, (and put down), the filthiness of this intoxicant, through which, the Karapans evilly deceive, and the wicked lords of the lands with purpose fell?” “When, O Mazda, shall Piety come with Right, with Dominion the happy dwelling rich with pasture? Who are they that will make peace, with the bloodthirsty Liars? To whom will the Lore (the word and teachings) of Good Thought come?” “These, (followers of, Your words, and spiritual teachings), these shall be the deliverers of the provinces, those who exert themselves; O Good Thought in their action, O Asha, to fulfill their duty, face to face with Thy command, O Mazda. For these are the appointed smiters of Violence.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 49)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “I announce, and (will) complete (my Yasna, my spiritual teachings) to the lords of the spiritual creatures, and to the lords of the earthly creatures and to the lords of those, which live under the waters, and to the lords of those which live upon land, to the lords of those, which strike the wing, and to the lords of those, which roam (wild) upon the plains, to the lords of those of (home-beasts) of the cloven hoof, holy lords of the ritual order.” 4. “And in this Zaothra with this Baresman I desire to approach Thee, The Lord, with my praises, Thou Who Art Ahura Mazda, The Spiritual Lord and Regulator of The True Spiritual Creatures, The Lord and Regulator of The Spiritual Creation.” 1. “With baresman brought hither together with the zaothra for the worship of The Creator Ahura Mazda, The Resplendent, The Glorious, and for that of the Bountiful Immortals, I desire to approach with my praises, and the memorized recital and fulfillment of the Mazdayasnian Laws, and the recital of the Gathas, and the well-timed and persistent prayer for Ahura Mazda, and of that which is heard by the ear; and of all The Holy Yazads, spiritual and earthly, and all of All The Holy Fravashis, the redoubted, and overwhelming, those of The Ancient Spiritual Lore, and those of the next of kin, and of the Yazad of the spoken name!”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Visperads 1 and 2 and The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 22)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “And we worship Ahura Mazda with our sacrifice, and the well-timed prayers for blessings and also both, the remembrance and the practice of the good Mazdayasnian Religion and the heard recital of the Gathas (The Holy Writings) and the prayers for blessings of The Holy Lord, The Resplendent, The Glorious, The Immortal. And we worship, that which is Thine! And we worship the most true religious (spiritual) knowledge, Mazda-made, and Holy and The Good Mazdayasnian Law.” 6. “And we worship the Zarathushtrian law, and its long descent; and, we worship the good Mazdayasnian religion and the mathra which is heart devoted and bounteous, (imparting the heart’s devotion to the saint); and we worship the Mazdayasnian Religion, maintained in the Understanding of the saint; and we honor that science, which is the Mathra Spenta, and the innate spiritual understanding Mazda-made, and the derived understanding, heard with ear, and Mazda-made. 7. “Yea, we worship thee Ahura Mazda, The Holy Lord. And we worship every Holy Spiritual Yazad; and every Holy earthly Yazad (who exists)!”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 25)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “We sacrifice to Ahura Mazda, the Holy Lord of the ritual order, and to the Bountiful Immortals, who rule aright, who dispose of all aright; and we sacrifice to the entire creation of the clean, of the spiritual and of the mundane, with the longing blessing of the beneficent ritual, with the longing blessings of the benignant religion, of the Mazdayasnian Faith.” “We are praisers of good thoughts, and of good words and of the good actions (deeds); of those now, of those hereafter and of those being done; and of those completed. We implant to them, our homage, and we do this the more, and yet the more since we are (praisers) of the Good (Spirit from whom they spring).” “That, therefore, would we choose Thee, O Ahura Mazda! Thou O Righteousness The Beauteous! That we should think, and speak, and do those thoughts, and words, and deeds, among actual good thoughts, and words, and actions, which are the best for both the worlds (the physical and the spiritual).” “And together with these gifts and actions, which are thus the best, we would pray for, and from the humble heart, from the potent, and from the weak.” “Under the shelter of the ritual Order, let us do so in the active fulfillment of its (precepts, and following it’s teachings of spirit) toward every one of the (clean) and better creatures which are fit to live, with gifts for both the worlds the material and the spiritual.” “Yea, those words and sayings and teachings, O Ahura Mazda! We would proclaim as Righteousness, and as of the better mind; and we would make Thee the one who both supports (us in our proclamation) of them, and who throws still further light upon them (as they are), by reason of Thy Righteous Order, Thy Good Mind, and Thy Sovereignty and Power, and through the instrumentality of our praises of Thee, O Ahura Mazda! and for the purpose of (still further) praises, by Thy spoken words, and for (still further spiritual) spoken words, through Thy Yasnas, and for (still further) Yasnas (would we thus proclaim them, and make Thee the bestower of our light).” 1. “And now in these, Thy dispensations, O Mazda! Do Thou wisely act for us, with abundance, and with Thy bounty, and Thy tenderness, as touching us; and grant, to us, that reward, which Thou hast appointed to our souls, O Ahura Mazda! Of this do Thou Thyself bestow upon Us, for this world and of the spiritual; and now, as part thereof, do Thou grant for us, that we may attain to fellowship with Thee and Thy Righteousness for all the duration.” “And do Thou grant us, O Ahura! men who are righteous, and both lovers and producers of that which is the Right as well.” “So than, let there be a kinsman lord for us, with the laborers of the village, and so likewise let there be the clients (or the peers). And by the help of those may we arise. So may we be to You, O Mazda Ahura! holy and true, and with free giving of our gifts.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 35 and 40)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “(O Zarathushtra) – The best possession known is of Zarathushtra Spitama, which is that Mazda Ahura will give to him through Right the glories (and gifts) of a blessed life, unto all time, and will likewise, to them that practice and learn the words (of spirit), and the actions of His Good Religion.” “Then let them seek the pleasure of Mazda with the thoughts, and words, and actions; unto Him praise, gladly, and seek His worship, even Kava Vishtaspa, and Zarathushtra’s son, the Spitamid with Frashaoshtra, making straight the true spiritual paths, for the Religion of the future Deliverer, which Ahura ordained.” So take counsel together with thine own understanding (and seek out the true knowledge for yourselves), with good insight and practice, The Holiest works of Piety.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 53

 Zoroastrianism: 1. “We present hereby, and we make known, as our offering to the bountiful Gathas, which rule, (as the leading spiritual chants), within (the appointed times and seasons of) the Ritual, all our landed riches, and our persons, together with our very bones and tissues, our forms and forces, our consciousness, our soul, and Fravashi.” “That which, Gathas (may) be to us, which are our guardians and defenders, and our spiritual food, yea, which (may) be to our souls both food and clothing, such are these Gathas to us, guardians, and defenders, and (spiritual) food, even such they are, both food and clothing to the soul. And (may) they be to us (for this our offering), abundant givers of rewards, and just and righteous ones, for the world beyond the present, after the parting of our consciousness and body.” 3. “And may these (Praises of the Offering) come forth, and appear for us with power and victorious assault, with health and healing, with progress, and with growth, with preparation and protection, with beneficence and sanctity, and abounding with gifts toward Him who can understand; yea, let them appear (with free liberality to the enlightened), let them appear as Mazda, the most beneficent, has produced them, He the one who is victorious when He smites, and who helps the settlements advance, for the protection, and the guarding of the religious order (The True Mazdayasnian Religion) of the settlements, which are now being furthered, and of those, which shall bring salvation to us, and for the protection of the entire creation of the holy, (and the clean).” “And may’st thou, (O Asha! who abidest within the true spirit of the Gathas), give to every holy man, who comes to you with this prayer for a blessing, and endeavoring to help himself, according to his good thoughts and words and deeds.” “We are therefore worshipping both the (divine) and Righteousness and the Good Mind, and the bountiful, (spirit within the Gathas), that rule, as the leading chants within (the times and the seasons of) the holy ritual order.” “And we worship the Praises of the Yasnas, which were the production of the ancient world (the ancient religions), those, which are (now) recollected, and put in use, those which are now learned and taught and those which are being held (in spirit, in the mind and so) being repeated to those and remembered and recited and those worshipped and thus are the ones, which further the world through grace in its advance. And we worship the part(s) of the Praises of the Yasnas, and their recitation, as it is heard, even their memorized recital, and their chanting, and their offering (as complete).”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 55)

 Zoroastrianism: 1. (Introduction.) (To the increase of our homage and praise of God, Ahura Mazda) we offer this service, which, as our defense, may shield us, which is worship with its beneficent results; and Blessedness is with it of a verity, and Piety as well. And of this worship the results here mentioned are, the well-thought thought, the word well spoken, and the deed well done, (the spiritual religion and teaching of the true Mazdayasnian, belief system); and let this our worship shelter us from the Daeva and from the evil-minded man.” 2. “And to this worship do we confide our settlements and persons, for protection and care, for guarding, and for oversight; and in this worship will we abide, O Ahura Mazda! and with joy. In this worship do we exercise our choices; and to it will we approach, and to it will we belong; yea, to the revering worship, will we confide our settlements, and persons, for protection, and for care, for guarding, and for oversight, to such worship as is the praise of such as You.” “He is in verity the bestower of blessings, and to Him, O Ye Bountiful Immortals! we render, (and His do we make) Your Greatness, Your Goodness, and Your (Spiritual) beauty, and let this man, the cattle-owner, approach to guard over us; and may he be our watchman together with The Righteous Order, and with store forour nourishment and full generous liberality, together with sharing of the goods, with gentleness, and with Ahura Mazda’s sacred Fire!” 6. “And we offer hereby our thoughts, and words, and actions, to the Bountiful Spirit, and may the creative stars of Ahura Mazda, The One True Creator, shine down on us, and round about us with all in vigor, and endowed with the blessing of The Lord (Ahura).” 7. “Praise be to Thee, O Fire of Ahura Mazda, and may’st Thou come to (us in) The Greatest One of The Engrossing Interests, for the help, of the great (effort), for the joy-producing grace of the great (interest of our cause); grant us both Weal and Deathlessness!” 8. “We sacrifice to the entire collection of the Praises of the Yasna, with the careful structure of their (spiritual) language, which has reached the most its object. And we offer (our homage) in our celebrations to Thy body, O Ahura Mazda! The most beautiful of forms, these stars, and to that one, the highest of the high such as the sun was called. Yea, we worship the Praises of the Yasnas, which were the production of the world of old.” For they, are to be found in the religions of old.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 58)

 Zoroastrianism: “Let him praise the Law, O Spitama Zarathushtra! And long for it and embrace the whole of the Law, as an excellent horse turns back from the wrong way and goes along the right one, smiting the many Drujes. 30. “Go forward with praises, go forward the way of the good Mazdean law and of all those who walk in her ways, men and women.” “He who wishes to seize the heavenly reward, will seize it by giving gifts to him who holds up (the Law) to us in this world here below ….” 31. “Let him give (the Law) to him who is unfriendly to her (the holy spiritual law), that he may become friendly. Wash, than, thy hands with water, not with gomez, and let thy son, who will be born of thy wife, do the same. Thus thy thought will be powerful to smite him, who is not so; and thy speech will be powerful to smite him, who is not so; that thy deed will be powerful to smite him.” 32. “Hear me! Forgive me! We, the Amesha-Spentas, will come and show thee, O Zarathushtra! the way to that world, to long glory in the spiritual world, to the long happiness of the soul in Paradise.” “To bliss and Paradise and to The Garo-nmana of Ahura Mazda, beautifully made and fully adorned, when his soul goes out of his body through the will of fate, when I, Ahura Mazda, gently show him his way as he asks for it Ashem Vohu, Holiness is the best of all good.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments)

 Zoroastrianism: “Ohrmazd (Ahura Mazda, God) is Lord! Ahriman (Satan) he keeps at bay, He holds him back. May Ahriman be struck and defeated, with devs and drujs, sorcerers and sinners, kayags and karbs, tyrants, wrongdoers and heretics, sinners, enemies and witches! May they (all) be struck and defeated! May evil rulers not exist, (or) be far away! May enemies be defeated! May enemies all not exist, (or) be far away!” “O Ohrmazd, Lord! I am contrite for all sins and I desist from them, and from all bad thoughts, bad words and bad acts, which I have thought, spoken or done in the world, or which have happened through me, or they have originated with me. For those sins of thinking, speaking and acting, of body and soul, worldly or spiritual O Ohrmazd! I am contrite I renounce them. With these words I distance myself (from them).” “In the name of God (Ahura Mazda), may the bounteous miraculous power and glory of Ohrmazd The Lord increase. May it (i.e. the prayer) reach Srosh, the righteous, the vigorous, whose body is the command, having a hard weapon, powerful of weapon, The Lord of the creations of Ohrmazd. I am contrite for all sins and I desist from them, from all bad thoughts, bad words and bad acts and bad deeds, which I have thought, spoken or done in the world, or which have happened through me, or have originated with me. For those sins of thinking, speaking and acting, of body and soul, worldly or spiritual, O Ohrmazd (Ahura Mazda), I am contrite, I renounce them. With these words I distance myself (from them).” And I profess myself to be a Mazda-worshiper, a follower of Zarathushtra, opposing the Daevas and accepting all the Ahuric doctrine.” “With propitiation of Ahura Mazda. Praise be to the name of Him Who always was, always is and always will be. (He is), by name, the Yazad Spena Menoi. Even among the spiritual (Yazads). He is Menoi (i.e. an invisible spirit i.e. Ahura Mazda, God). One of His Own names is also Ohrmazd. (He is) The Greatest Lord, The All-powerful and The All-wise, Creator, Nourished, Protector, Compassionate, Virtuous, Forgiver, The Pure and a good dispenser of justice and all powerful (omnipotence).” “Thanks be to That Greatest Architect who, with His own, unrivaled strength and wisdom, created the sublime world the six amahraspands of higher rank and many wonderful Yazads, and the bright paradise of Garothman (heaven), the revolution of the sky and the shining sun, the brilliant moon and the numerous stars of different germs and the wind, atmosphere, water, fire, the earth, trees, beneficent cattle, the metals and mankind.” “Adoration and praise, be to Thee The Righteous Lord, Who made man the very greatest of all earthly creatures, and through (the gift of) speech and the power of reasoning, created them for the sovereignty of the times and for the management, of Your creatures through the contest in battles against the daevas. Homage be to The Omniscient One, to Him Who is Compassionate, Who, through Zartosht Spitaman of holy farohar, sent for the creatures the apostleship (of the religion), the knowledge of, and the trustworthiness with regard to, the Religion, the innate wisdom, and wisdom acquired through the ears, and the instruction of, and guidance for all who are, were, and will be, and the science of sciences, viz., the bountiful Manthra, so that the soul at the Chinwad bridge, may be released from hell, and may cause them to pass over to the Best Existence of the Holy, the Bright Sweet-Smelling, and The All-Beneficent.” “In obedience to Your command, O Compassionate One, I accept your pure religion, and think, speak, and practice (Your religion and spiritual teachings in accordance with it). I am steadfast on every meritorious deed and desist from all sins. I keep pure my own personal conduct and completely preserve the six true powers of life, viz., the first, thought, second, word, third, deed, and again fourth, reasoning, fifth, memory, and sixth, intellect.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1)

 Zoroastrianism: “Not at all, would the spiritual Yazads find support, and stability, in the material world.” 11. “We sacrifice to the immortal, radiant, swift-horsed Sun. When the Sun warms with its light, when the sunlight gives warmth, there stand, the spiritual Yazads, a hundred and a thousand. They gather together this glory. They distribute this glory. They bestow this glory upon the earth, made by Ahura Mazda, with the furtherance of the world of Asha, with the furtherance of the material existence of Asha, with the furtherance of the Sun that (is) immortal, radiant, swift-horsed.” 1. “With propitiation of Ahura Mazda. Ashem Vohu…. Praise be to the name of Him Who always was, always is, and always will be. (He is), by name, the Yazad Spena Menoi. Even among the spiritual (yazads). He is Menoi (i.e. an invisible spirit). One of His own names is also Ohrmazd. (He is) The Greatest Lord, Powerful and Wise, creator, nourisher, protector, compassionate,virtuous, forgiver, pure, a good dispenser of justice and all powerful (Ahura Mazda).”

(The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1)

 HINDUISM: “Tell me one thing, and tell me certainly; by what road shall I find the better end? Krishna, I told thee, the blameless Lord, there be paths shown to this world (through The Holy Word); two schools of wisdom. First The Sankhya’s, which doth save in way of works, prescribed by reason; next, The Yog, which bids attain by meditation, spiritually.” “Yet these are one! No man shall ‘scape from act by shunning action; nay, and none shall come by mere renouncements unto perfectness.” Let deeds and acts of the spiritual self be thy adorning.

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 3)

 Hinduism: 1. “Learn that sacred law, which (is of the spirit), is followed by men learned (in The Veda, The Sacred Writings), and assented to in their hearts by the truly, virtuous, who are ever exempt from hatred and inordinate affection. But a learned man after fully scrutinizing all this with the eye of knowledge, should, in accordance with the authority of the revealed texts, be intent on (the performance of) his duties. For a man who obeys the divine laws prescribed in the holy revealed texts, and in the sacred traditions, gains fame in this (world) and after death, unsurpassable bliss. According to the (sacred spiritual teaching) of the revealed texts, The Kudakarman (tonsure) must be performed, for the sake of spiritual merit, by all twice-born men in the first or third year. 175. “But a student who resides with his teacher must observe the following restrictive rules, duly controlling all his organs, in order to increase his spiritual merit.” 224. (Some declare that) the chief good consists in (the acquisition of) spiritual merit and wealth, (others place it) in (the gratification of) desire, and (the acquisition of) wealth, while (others state that it is) in (the acquisition of) spiritual merit alone, and (others say that the acquisition of) wealth alone, is the chief good here (below); but the (correct) decision is that it consists of the aggregate of (those) three.” The spiritual, the physical and the actions preformed for the good of all.

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chap 2)

 Hinduism: 91. “Learned Brahmanas, who know that, who study the Veda and desire bliss after death, do not accept presents from a king. Let him wake in the muhurta, sacred to Brahman, and think of (the acquisition of) spiritual merit and wealth, of the bodily fatigue arising therefrom, and of the true (spiritual) meaning of the Veda.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chap 4)

 Hinduism: 35. “When (someone), having done, is doing, or is about to do an act, and feels ashamed, the learned may know that all (such acts bear) the mark of the quality of Darkness.” “And when someone desires to gain, by an act, much fame in this world, and feels no sorrow on failing, on his part, know that, that act bears the mark of the quality of Activity.” “And as for the mark and action of the quality of Goodness, (spiritual, goodness of the soul); which, (someone), with his whole heart, desires to know, this he is not ashamed to perform, and at which his soul and spirit, rejoices,” which lead his soul, to spiritual goodness of the soul. Then, “the craving after the sensual pleasures (of this life) is declared to be the mark of Darkness (a darkness within the soul and spirit of mankind), while the pursuit after material, wealth in this life, bears the mark of Activity, and the desire to gain of spiritual merit is the mark of Goodness (within the soul); each later named quality is better than the preceding one.” “I will now, very briefly declare in due order, what transmigrations in this whole (world a man) obtains through each of these qualities.” “Those people endowed with Goodness (of spirit and deed), reach the state of gods, (spiritual actions and a spiritual mind), and those endowed with Activity the state of men and those endowed with darkness ever sink to the lowest condition of beasts; that is the threefold course of transmigrations.” “But know this, the threefold course of transmigrations that depends on the (three) qualities (to be again) threefold, low, middling, and high, are all in accordance to the particular nature of the actions, and of the knowledge (of each man).”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chap 7)

 BUDDHISM: “And whenever (man), whilst enraptured in mind, (man) in his spiritual frame (his soul or spirit) and his mind, become tranquil; at such a time (man) has gained, and is developing the (real, true spiritual), Element of Enlightenment; Tranquility; and thus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection. And whenever, whilst being tranquilized in his spiritual frame and happy, his mind becomes concentrated-at such a time he has gained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment and concentration; and thus this element of enlightenment reaches it’s fullest perfection.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 Buddhism: “He (the man), who has no entrapping, clinging desires, to lead him in any direction (other than, the true word and spiritual teachings of Brahma, Vishnu, God); The Buddha whose home is in the infinite, the pathless as he is; those wise men, who are much given over to true meditation, and find real true pleasure in the peace of a spiritual way of life, even the devas envy them, (and their knowledge in the ways and actions of the) perfect Buddhas, as recollected as they are. Than, to hear the true spiritual teaching of the Buddha, is difficult, and so the real, true achievement of Buddhahood is very difficult.” “To abstain from all evil, and then to practice all that is good, with the thorough, purification of one’s mind (and soul); this is one of the (true spiritual) teachings of the Buddhas.” “Long-suffering patience, is the supreme ascetic practice. Nirvana is the supreme way, say the Buddhas. And, he is certainly not an ascetic, who hurts others, nor is he a man of religion who causes suffering to others;” this is another spiritual teaching of the Buddhas. Than, “not to speak harshly and not to harm others, and than to live by, and practice real, self restraint in accordance with the rules (real, true spiritual, teachings) of The Order, (the real, true teachings and spiritual writings of Brahma), with the practice of moderation, and the cultivation of the higher levels of true consciousness – this is one of the teachings of the Buddhas, (and the one true Brahma).” For, “There is no satisfying the senses: (sensual, pleasures and delights), not even with a shower of money. The senses are of slight pleasure and really suffering. When a wise man has realized this, he takes no pleasure, as a disciple of the Buddhas, even in the pleasures of heaven. Instead, he takes pleasure in the elimination of cravings, (detachment).” “This is a truly, secure form of refuge; this is the ultimate refuge; by taking to this refuge one is indeed released from all suffering.” For, “a truly thoroughbred man, is hard to find, he is not born anywhere; than, happy is the attainment of True Buddhahood; and happy the teaching, the True, Teachings of the Buddha, and happy is the training of those in concord, (living in true unity). When a man venerates those worthy of veneration, be they Buddhas, or their disciples, who have transcended all obstacles and passed beyond all sorrow and tears – venerating such as these, whose passions are extinguished, and for whom there is no further source for fear, no one can calculate how great his merit, (the merit of such a man), truly is.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 14)

 Buddhism: “One is not a bearer of the teachings, (the teachings of Brahma), by virtue of much speaking, but the one who, even if he has only studied a little, has experienced the truth, in person, he is indeed a bearer of the teachings; who has not forgotten the (true spiritual teachings of The Buddhas).” “For, one is not an elder, by virtue of having much white hair or a person is just advanced in many years; for he may have grown old in vain. He in whom there is truthfulness, and non-violence, restraint, and self control, however he is wise and faultless as the sage.” Then, “it is not just by fine speech, or by the flower like beauty, that one is admirable. If one is envious, mean and deceitful, (this is of a truly evil nature); but when that sort of behavior, has truly been eliminated and rooted out and destroyed, that faultless sage is said to be admirable.” For “a shaven head does not make one a man of religion, if that person is irreligious and untruthful. How could a man full of desires and greed be a man of religion? But when a man has put aside all evil deeds, both great and small, by that putting away all of his evil deeds, he is indeed called a man of religion.” So then, “one is not a bhikkhu, by virtue of taking alms from others, but by taking up any old teaching, for he who has, here and now, ejected both good and evil, and in leading the holy life, lives in accordance with reason, (living by the teachings and true spiritual understandings of the word of Brahma) – he is indeed called a bhikkhu.” For, “silence does not make a sage, if he is really stupid and ignorant, but when a man avoids evil as if he were choosing something of value on the scales, he is a sage. That indeed makes him a sage. He who discriminates in both worlds, (the physical and the spiritual, from that which is truthful in nature, from falsehood), is for that reason in deed called a true sage.” For a “man is not a noble man, if he causes harm to other living creatures. It is, of-course, by non-violence to all other forms of life, that one is called noble.” And, “it is not, just by a means of morality and religious observances, or by a persons great learning, or by the attainments in meditation, or by one’s living alone, or by the thinking that, I am he, enjoying a spiritual happiness, which ordinary people, just do not know, that makes a bhikkhu, achieves true inner, spiritual, peace; if he has not actually, really achieved, the true elimination of in-flowing thoughts.” But by, Following the Path, (the true teachings and spiritual instructions of The Buddha) will you will put an end to this great suffering, for I have taught you the true way, making the effort is your affair, for The Buddhas have only pointed out the way (the true effort is still on your part). For those who are on the way and practicing meditation, will be freed from Mara’s (the devil’s) bonds.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapters 19 and 20)

 Buddhism: 14. “The Enlightened One, whose conquest is not turned into defeat, whom not even a bit of unconquered passions follows (him); that trackless Buddha of infinite range; whom no entangling and poisonous passions can lead astray, absorbed in meditation practice, delighting in renunciation’s peace, mindful, wise and fully enlightened; such men even the gods hold dear. Hard is it to be born as a man, hard is the life of immortals and harder is it to hear the (true, spiritual), truth sublime; hard, as well, is the Buddha’s rise. Abstention from all evil, cultivation of the wholesome, purification of the heart; this is the message of the Buddhas. Forbearance the highest ascetic practices and Nirvana is the supreme way; say the Buddhas. He is not a gone forth, (became truly a enlightened, spiritual man), who harms another! He is not a recluse who molests another! To speak no ill, to do no harm, to observe the rules, to be moderate in all eating and to devote oneself to meditation; this is, again, a message of the Buddhas. Not in a rain of golden coins Is there satisfaction to be found, of little joy, but painful are sensual pleasures; thus the wise man clearly comprehends. Even in the real heavenly pleasures (a true, spiritual man) finds no satisfaction. In the destruction of all desires, the fully-Awakened One’s disciple delights. So, not in a rain of golden coins is satisfaction to be found, and of little joy, but painful are the sensual pleasures, (of this life).” “Thus the truly, wise man clearly comprehends that, even in the heavenly pleasures, the real (spiritual) man finds no real satisfaction (in the things of this physical life), but In the destruction of all desires, The fully-Awakened One’s disciple delights. So, many men in their fear, betake themselves for a refuge to hills, woods, gardens, sacred trees and shrines. Such a refuge is not secure, such a refuge is not supreme. To such a refuge, if one should go, one is not released from all sorrow. But, he who takes refuge in The Buddha, The Dhamma (Brahma’s Spiritual Holy Writings), and the Saõgha, and he sees with wisdom, the Four Noble Truths; Suffering, The cause of suffering, The cessation of suffering, The Noble Eightfold Path leading to The cessation of suffering. He that takes refuge in The Buddha and The Dhamma and The Saõgha and he sees with true wisdom, the Four Noble Truths; Suffering, The cause of suffering, The cessation of suffering, The Noble Eightfold Path leading to The cessation of suffering. Such indeed is a refuge secure; such indeed is a refuge supreme. To such a refuge should one go, for one is released from all sorrow. So than, hard to find is the Man Supreme, for He is not born everywhere. But where such a wise one is born, truly, that family thrives happily. Happy is the birth of the Buddha, Happy is the preaching of The (True) Sublime (Spiritual) Dhamma, Happy is the unity of the Sangha, Happy is the striving of the united ones. He who venerates those venerable ones, be they The Buddhas, or disciples; those who have overcome obstacles, and gone beyond distress, and lamentation; those who are serene, and all-secure. No one is able to calculate His merit as such and such.’ He who venerates those venerable ones Be they the Buddhas or disciples.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 14)

 Buddhism: 8. “Better than a thousand pointless words is one saying to the point on hearing, which one finds peace. Better than a thousand pointless verses is one stanza on hearing, which one finds peace. Better than reciting a hundred pointless verses is one verse of the teaching (One Dhammapada, the spiritual teachings of The Buddha) on the hearing, which one finds peace.” “Though one man were to defeat thousands upon thousands of men in battle, if another were to overcome just one man – himself, he is the supreme victor.” For, “Victory over oneself, is better than that over others. When a man has truly conquered himself and always acts with self-control, neither devas, spirits, Mara or (God) Brahma can reverse the victory of a man like that.” And “Though one were to perform sacrifices by the thousand month after month, for a hundred years, if another were to pay homage to a single inwardly (spiritually) perfected man, for just a moment, that homage is better than the hundred years of sacrifices.” “And if one were to tend the sacrificial fire for a hundred years in the forest, if another were to pay homage to, just again, a single inwardly (spiritually) perfected man, for just a moment that homage is better than a hundred years of sacrifice” for, “all of the sacrifices and the offerings a man, desiring merit could make in a year in the world, are not worth a quarter of the better merit of homage to the righteous.” For, “four principal things increase in the man who is respectful and always honours his elders – length of life, good looks, happiness and health.” “Though one were to live a hundred years immoral, and with a mind unstilled by meditation, the life of a single day is better, if one is moral and practices meditation; though he were to live a hundred years without wisdom and with a mind unstilled by meditation, the life of a single day is better, if one is wise and practices meditation.” And “though, one were to live a hundred years without seeing the rise and passing of things, the life of a single day is better, if one sees the rise and passing of things.” And, “though, again, if a man were to live a hundred years, without seeing the deathless state, the life of just a single day is far , far better if one sees the true deathless state, and though a person were to live a hundred years without seeing the supreme truth, the life of a just single day is better if one sees the supreme (spiritual) truth.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 8)

 Buddhism: 25. “The restraint of the eyes (for man) is good, so is the restraint of the ears, and the restraint of the nose, as well as, is restraint of the palate, and the restraint of the body. So is the restraint of the speech, and the restraint of mind, as well as the restraint in everything; for the Bhikkhu who is restrained in everything, is freed from all suffering.” “Now the restrained hand, the restrained foot, the restrained speech; as well as the restrain in man’s highest faculty (his real actual thought processes), with the man’s joy turned inwards (towards his true actual, spiritual self), and his mind stilled, being alone and contented – that is what they call a Bhikkhu.” “When a Bhikkhu is restrained of tongue, and quotes wise sayings, and is peaceful, expounding both letter and the spirit (of the word) – his speech is good to hear.” “With joy in the Teaching of the word, and delighting in the Teaching, and pondering over the Teaching (of the spirit in the word of Brahma), the Bhikkhu, who remembers the true (spiritual) Teaching does not fall away from the Teachings.” “One should not underestimate what one has got, and one should not live envying others. A bhikkhu who envies others does not really achieve stillness of mind in meditation, even if he has only received a little, if a bhikkhu does not look down, on what he has received, and even the devas praise him, pure of life and determined as he is. When a man is without self-identification, with any object, or idea and does not grieve for what does not exist, that is what is called a Bhikkhu.” “The Bhikkhu who lives full of goodwill, with faith in the religion of The Buddha, he will find and reach the place of peace, with the satisfaction of the stilling the functions of the mind. Empty the boat, Bhikkhu. Empty the boat will sail lightly for you, when you have cut away all desire and aversion, you will come to nirvana as a result.” So, “cut away the five (lower fetters), and abandon the five (remaining fetters), and then develop the five faculties, for The Bhikkhu who has transcended the five fetters is said to be ‘crossed over the flood (into the spiritual side of self).”’ “Meditate than, Bhikkhu, don’t be careless, and don’t let your mind take pleasure in the senses. You don’t have to swallow the hot iron ball for being careless, and you don’t have to cry out, ‘This is terrible’ as you burn!” For “there is no meditation, without wisdom, and there is no wisdom with-out (true, thoughtful) meditation; when a man has both true meditation, and wisdom, he is indeed close to nirvana.” And, “when he has gone off to a lonely building, that one Bhikkhu, whose mind is at peace, experiences a more than human joy, when he recognizes the supreme inner, spiritual truth.” And “whenever he meditates, on the rise and fall of the constituent elements of this existence, he experiences joy and rapture, it is the immortality, of the spirit for men of discrimination.” “Therefore in this religion this is what comes first for a wise Bhikkhu, guarding over the senses, contentment and discipline in accordance with the rules of the Order (the spiritual teaching and religion of Brahma). He than, should cultivate friends of good character, of pure behaviour and resolute. He should be friendly in his manners, and well-behaved. As a result he will experience great joy, and put an end to suffering.” “In the same way that the jasmine plant drops its withered blooms, you too should discard desires and aversion, Bhikkhus. Be peaceful of body and peaceful of the speech, and with his mind thoroughly stilled, the Bhikkhu who has rid himself of all attachment to the world – is said to be at peace. And, You should always encourage yourself, yourself, not by someone else. And You should also restrain yourself, yourself. Thus, when you are truly self-protected like that, you will live happily as a Bhikkhu.” For once more, “one should be one’s own guard, for what other guard could one have? Because, one is one’s own destiny; therefore one should train oneself, like a merchant does a thoroughbred horse.” For, “The bhikkhu who experiences great joy, and has faith in the (True, spiritual, religion) of The Buddha, will attain The Place of Peace, and the true satisfaction of the stilling of the functions of the mind.” For, “when a True Bhikkhu applies himself, when still young, to The Religion of The True Buddha, he illuminates the world, like the moon breaking away from a cloud in a moon lit night.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 25)

 Buddhism: 26. “Cut the stream, and go across, abandoning sensuality, Brahmin. When you have truly achieved the stilling of the activities of your mind, you will know the unconditioned, (the true spiritual nature, of the true) Brahmin.” For, “when a true Brahmin has crossed, beyond duality (the two sides of man, the physical and the spiritual), then all the fetters of such a seer come to an end.” “When a man knows, on this shore, or the other shore, or both, such a one, is free from anxiety and liberated; that is what I call a Brahmin.” For “meditating, free from stain, settled in mind, with job accomplished, without inflowing thoughts, and having achieved the supreme divine purpose – that is what I call a Brahmin.” “By day it is the sun, which shines, at night, the moon shines forth. A warrior shines in his armour, and a Brahmin shines in his meditation, (and spirituality). For at all times, both by day and by night The Buddha shines in his (true, spiritual, heavenly) glory.” “A Brahmin is called so, by breaking, with evil deeds, for it is by his pious behavior, that a man is called a man of religion, and by casting out blemishes (of a bad evil nature, and turning towards a true spiritual nature) that one is called one who has gone forth.” So then, “One should not strike a Brahmin, nor should a Brahmin lose his temper. Shame on him who strikes a brahmin and shame on him, who loses his temper, because of it.” For, “nothing is better for a Brahmin than this, – that he restrains his mind, from pleasurable things (of this life). Then all suffering disappears from him; and to the same extent, that he gets rid of all thoughts of harming anyone, he does, no wrong with his body, speech, or the mind, but is restrained in all three spheres – that again is what I call a brahmin.” “One should reverently pay homage to the man from whom one has learned the truth, (the true spiritual teachings), taught by the True Buddha.” For “one is not a Brahmin by virtue of matted hair, or lineage or caste; when a man possesses both Truth and Truthfulness, and he is pure; then he is revealing, in his actions, the true spiritual nature of a true Brahmin.” For “of what real use is your matted hair, you fool? And what is the use of your antelope skin? You are tangled up inside and you are just making the outside look pretty.” For, “the man who wears robes, made up of rags, off the dust heap, who is gaunt, with all his sinews standing out, all over his body, who is also found alone in the forest, meditating (on the true spirit, and spiritual nature, found within himself and the word of Brahma) – that is again, what I call a Brahmin.” “I do not call him a Brahmin by reason of natural birth from his mother. And a man, is just a supercilious person, if he still has possessions of his own. He who owns nothing, of his own, and who is without attachment – that is what I call a Brahmin. For he who, having cut off all fetters (from the world), and does not get himself upset, but is beyond all bonds – that liberated man, is what I call a Brahmin. He who has cut off both bond and strap, halter, as well as bridle, who has removed the barrier, of himself, himself and is a Buddha – that is what I call a Brahmin.” And again, “he who endures undisturbed criticism and ill-treatment, and bonds; who is strong in patience, and that strength of his power – that is what I call a Brahmin. Than, He who is without anger and he is devout and upright and he is free from craving and is truly disciplined and in his last body, that is what I call a Brahmin.” So “like water on a lotus leaf, or like a mustard seed on the point of a pin, he who is not stuck to the senses (his physical nature), that one again, is what I call a brahmin.” For “he who has experienced the end of his sufferings, here in this life, who has set down the burden (of self), and is freed! That person is what I call a Brahmin.” For, “the true sage of profound wisdom, the expert in the right and the wrong road, who has achieved the true supreme, spiritual purpose (of this life), that is what I call a True Brahmin.” And “not by intimation, with laity, or monks, wandering about with no abode, and few needs – that is what I call a Brahmin. Abandoning violence to all living creatures, moving or still, who neither kills or causes killing – that again, is what I call a Brahmin. Unagitated amongst the agitated, at peace among the violent, without clinging among those who cling – that is what I call a Brahmin. For He is free from, desire and aversion, conceit and hypocrisy, having fallen away, like a mustard seed on the point of a pin – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who utters only gentle, instructive and truthful speech, criticizing no-one – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who takes nothing in the world that has not been given to him, long or short, big or small, attractive or ugly, that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has no desires in this world, or in the next, and is without any real longings, is freed! – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has no real attachments and has been freed from uncertainty, by true realization, and who has plunged himself into the deathless – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has even here and now transcended the fetter of the world, both good and evil who is sorrowless, faultless and pure that is what I call a Brahmin.” “He who is stainless, pure, spiritual, clear and free from impurities, is like the moon, the search for pleasure extinguished – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has transcended the treacherous mire of samsara and ignorance, who has crossed over, reached to the other (spiritual) shore (of the next world), meditating, motionless of mind, free from any uncertainty, and who is at peace, by not clinging to anything, that is what I call a Brahmin. He who is, by here and now, abandoning all sensuality and who has gone forth a homeless wanderer, the search for pleasure extinguished – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who, by here and now abandoning craving, who has gone forth a homeless wanderer, with the search for pleasure extinguished – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has abandoned all human bonds and has transcended all those, of the spiritual in heaven, being liberated from all bonds – that again is what I call a Brahmin. He who has abandoned all pleasures and displeasures, is cooled off and without further fuel, the hero, who has conquered all worlds – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has seen the passing away and rebirth of all beings, free of clinging, blessed, awakened – that is what I call a Brahmin. He whose path devas, spirits and men cannot know, whose inflowing thoughts are ended, a true saint – that is what I call a true Brahmin. He who has nothing of his own, before, after or in between, possessionless and without attachment – that is what I call a Brahmin. Bull-like, and noble, a hero, a great sage, and a conqueror, he who is motionless of mind, washed clean and awakened – that is what I call a Brahmin. He who has known his former lives and can see heaven and hell themselves, while he has attained the extinction of rebirth, a seer, a master of transcendent knowledge, and a master of all of the hidden spiritual masteries within the (spiritual) word of Brahma – that person, is what I call a Brahmin.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) chapter 26)

 Buddhism: So, “(Give) devout attention to the teaching(s) of the Blessed One.” “Study the words for yourself.” for, “to hear the true spiritual teaching of the Buddha, is difficult.” For, “the meaning of the Blessed One’s (Buddha’s) discourses, He has no (real, absolute) system of doctrine that can be specifically formulated. And why is this? Because of, what the Blessed One adumbrates (gives partial disclosure, or hints at) in the terms of the Dharma which is, in reality, inscrutable and inexpressible, with the true message being of a purely spiritual concept.”

(Buddha, Diamond Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “(The spirit of the Word of Haiyi, God), falleth on the dead man and he liveth again: on the sick man and he stretcheth himself out and is well; on the blind man and (his eyes) are opened up and he sees; on the deaf man and hearing is bestowed, and wisdom, and perception are infused into his soul.” For, “the one who partaketh of this bread pihta (the True spiritual living word of Haiyi, God), put out (for him), will be truly sinless in the Place of Light, the Everlasting Abode.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 24 and 43)

Sabeanism: “I came to this congregation of souls, for The Life (Haiyi, God) has sent me forth. There were some who bought my wares (the real actual spirit of my true teachings); those who came to their end and lay down. Those who bought my wares, the eyes (of such a one) were filled with light and (true, spiritual, understanding). Filled with light were his eyes (on) beholding the Great (One, Haiyi, God), in the House of Perfection. There were also, those who did not buy my wares. They went on and reached their final end and lay down they were blind and saw not and their ears were stopped and they heard not, and their hearts were not awakened, to behold The Great One in the House of Perfection. As They called out to them, they answered not (the spiritual call). And when they call who will answer them? Because it was given to them, but they took not, of the spiritual bread, (the word); so who will give to them when they ask?” “Lord of The mystic (spiritual) books, Lord of ‘Letters-of-Truth’ The name of The Life (God) and the name of Manda-d-Hiia be pronounced upon thee! The name of the Great Mystic Wellspring (the manifestation) is pronounced upon thee, and the name of the Great Mystery, the true mystic spiritual Word of (Haiyi, God), is pronounced upon thee.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 90, 173 and 410)

Sabeanism: So, “If thou readest, read it, as it is written, Lord of mystic (spiritual) books, Lord of the Letters-of-Truth.” For, “in the name of The Great Life (Haiyi, God), The Great Light be magnified! To you do I call, and to (you) do I teach; men who have received the sign (the true spiritual sign of The Creator). Hearken not than to the talk of all of the peoples and the generations; Let not their stumblings (and superstitions, dogmas and theologies) cause you to stumble, Stumble not because of their stumblings!” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 89 and 410)

Sabeanism: “Great First Word (Haiyi, God), which assured me sight in mine eyes, pour your wisdom into mine heart, and open the eyes of my (spiritual) understanding!” In “The name of The Great Mystery; The True Mystic (Spiritual) Word, is pronounced upon thee.” “He who partaketh of this bread (pihta), put out for him, will be sinless in the Place of Light, The True Everlasting Abode (heaven).” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba-chapters 43, 171 and 173)

So then, Sabeanism: “strengthened, and enhanced, was the great mystery of radiance, light and glory dwelling on the mouth of The First Life (God), for from It came forth from Manda-d-Hiia, (Savior, Knowledge-of-Life). For he knew and interpreted the spiritual thoughts of the First Life and perceived that they are truly, truly wondrous.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba – chapter 32)

Sabeanism: “The Great First Word (Haiyi, God), Who assured me of sight in mine eyes. Pour wisdom into my heart! Open the eyes of my True, Spiritual Understanding!” “Wreath is light, its weapon the living (spiritual) word of (Haiyi), and its seal the chosen, pure one (the manifestation of God). Every man who openeth it, (the spiritual word) and readeth (the book and teachings) therein shall live and shall be whole and his name will be set up in The House of Life, in the name of The Great Sublime Life, from the worlds (of light?).” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 63 and 171) So, “In the name of The Great Life! Hear me, my Father, hear me! Draw me upward (by the spirit) (O) Great One” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 80) Than hear me now and listen! “Be no son of The House of the world,” “Adam, look upon this world as a completely unreal thing. It (this world) is a completely unreal thing, (the physical, not the true spiritual world Haiyi, God has waiting for us).” (Sabeanism, Instruction of Adam) So, “Go, soul, in victory to the place from which you were transplanted, the place of joy, in which the face shines. The face shines in it, the form is illumined and does not grow dim. The soul has loosened its chains and broken its fetters. It shed its bodily coat.” (Sabeanism, Bliss and Peace)

Sabeanism: “He (Haiyi, God) sundered the light from the darkness, and sundered The Good from The Evil and He sundered The Life from The Death and He brought out those who love, His name of Truth, from The Darkness, (of the prison of self), to the Light (of the spiritual self), and He brought forth from Evil to Good and set man on the path from death to spiritual Life, and set them (humanity) on roads of Truth and Faith (in the spirit of The Holy Word).” He God, the True Creator, sundered the good from evil, and He broke apart or separated out, the good in this existence, from that which only appears to be bad, or evil or less good, anti-good, or nothingness. “Begone, be vanquished and brought to naught before the true glory and light of Manda-d-Hiia!” For, “when any human being, departeth out of, or leaves his physical form or his earthly body, there cometh towards him seven godlike appearances, and each standeth by his own. And Sauriel, the Releaser, cometh and He Who Releaseth The spirit and the soul from the body; Manda-d-Hiia,” For the One True God, “The Great Life (Haiyi, God) dwelleth in those that truly do love Him.” For, “I go down, before all these souls, whom The One True, Life (God) delivereth and saveth, and protecteth these souls from all that is evil. in support of life, that thou givest, no room for evil.” ‘Secure, seal and guard’ say ‘secure, seal and guard the soul of (this one), and establish it, that evil will be removed, that they (humans) will be freed from all of the fetters and bonds of this world,” and set the spirit and soul of man, on the road, to true, spiritual, truth and well being! So then, “Be no son (be no prisoner) of the House, this world.” “Adam, look upon the world, which is a completely unreal thing, it is an unreal thing, in which you can put no trust.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 8, 13, 17, 24, 48, 60, 75 and The Instructions of Adam)

 BABI RELIGION: “The generality of the people had made do with its (the words of God‘s books) outer literal meaning. For the Bábís its inner meaning stood revealed. As in extreme Shi’i esotericism such meaning was not necessarily related to the obvious meaning of particular words and phrases. At the least, scriptural texts were to be understood in terms of symbol and metaphor (and the possibility of more than one meaning).” “Scriptural texts were to be understood in terms of symbol and metaphor.” “Thus messianic prophecies were not to be literally fulfilled.” Therefore we need to “Cast off dogma and discern the true spirit (of the word) of its founder.” (The Babi  and Baha’i Religions, pp. 55 and 109) (Peter Smith, The Babi & Baha’i Religions, p. 37)

BAHA’I FAITH: “All the texts and teachings of the Holy Testaments have intrinsic spiritual meanings. They are not to be taken literally. I, therefore, pray in your behalf that you may be given the power of understanding these inner real meanings of the Holy Scriptures, and may become informed of the mysteries deposited in the words of the Bible, so that you may attain eternal life, and that your hearts may be attracted to the Kingdom of God. May your souls be illumined by the light of the Words of God, and may you become repositories of the mysteries of God, for no comfort is greater and no happiness is sweeter than spiritual comprehension of the divine teachings. If a man understands the real meaning of a poet’s verses, such as those of Shakespeare, he is pleased and rejoiced. How much greater his joy and pleasure when he perceives the reality of The Holy Scriptures, and becomes informed of the mysteries of the Kingdom!”

    “I pray that the divine blessings may descend upon you day by day, that your hearts may be opened to perceive the inner significances of The Word of God. There is no fruit in knowing the mere letters of the Book. Most of the Jews had memorized the texts of the Old Testament and repeated them night and day, but inasmuch, as they were ignorant of the meanings, they were deprived of the bounties of Christ. I pray that you may be quickened by the breaths of The Holy Spirit and illumined, by the rays of The Sun of Truth. May you be favored, with heavenly blessings in The Threshold of God and attain to eternal life. This is my prayer. May God bless and enlighten you.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 459)

Baha’i Faith: “In the spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must be a center of illumination, and that center is the everlasting, ever-shining Sun The Word of God.” The “divine things are too deep to be expressed by common words, (so) The Heavenly Teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved, for ages to come. When the spiritually minded (people) dive, deeply into the ocean of their meaning they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure, than to study God‘s Word, with a spiritual mind.” So, “Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover, all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause, a Cause through which the potentialities, of the might of God have been revealed and His sovereignty established.” “Immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths, lay hidden the pearls of wisdom, and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in My name, The All-Merciful.” “O My servants! Through the might of God, and His power, and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I have brought forth and revealed unto you, the pearls that lay concealed, within the depths of His everlasting ocean.” “O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts. Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light.” “O My servants! My Holy, My Divinely Ordained Revelation, may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search, and the efforts, he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been preordained, in God‘s irrevocable, and hidden Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power, or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations, which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake, of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.” “Arise, then, and make steadfast your feet, and make ye amends for that which hath escaped you, and set then yourselves towards His Holy Court, on the shore of His mighty Ocean, so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom, which God hath stored up within the shell of His radiant heart, may be revealed unto you….” (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 79 and Baha’i World Faith – p. 254 and Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 33, 136, 325 and 327 and The Proclamation of Baha’u’llah, p. 8)

    We have much to learn from our Creator in this life of ours, if we will just learn to work together, one with another. Think of all that we can truly accomplish together, if we only learn to work together. Together, we can unravel the secrets and mysteries that lie hidden within God’s Holy Words. We can study and learn the words of God together, in true unity, not conflict; for the more we know, about our Creator, the closer we can come to our Heavenly Father and the more we can become like our Creator and Heavenly Father, which is, in reality what we were put here for in the first place, if you think about it:  Judaism: Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: (King James Bible). Baha’i Faith: “Surely, when we realize how God loves and cares for us, we should so order our lives that we may become more like Him.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 120)  Christianity: 1 John 3:1 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; And every man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” And so, 2 Corinthians 3:18 “We all with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of The Lord, are changed into the same image (of God) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of The LORD.” So again, Baha’i Faith: “Surely, when we realize how God loves and cares for us, we should so order our lives that we may become more like Him.” For “God has created us, one and all, (so) why do we act in opposition to His wishes, when we are all His children, and love the same Father? All these divisions we see on all sides, all these disputes and opposition, are caused because men cling to ritual and outward observances, and forget the simple, underlying truth. It is the outward practices of religion that are so different, and it is they that cause disputes and enmity — while the reality is always the same, and one. The Reality is the Truth, and truth has no division. Truth is God‘s guidance, it is the light of the world, it is love, it is mercy. These attributes of truth are also human virtues inspired by the Holy Spirit.” “So let us one and all hold fast to truth, and we shall be free indeed!” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 120)

    The more we become like God the more we will become united in a common cause; and the more we worship and love God, the closer we become like the one human family God created us to be: Baha’i Faith: “The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity of mankind, which recognizes that all (men) are sheltered beneath the overshadowing glory of the All-Glorious; that all are servants of One God; for all breathe the same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the same heavens, receive effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection of One God.” “For God is One and humanity is one and the only creed of the prophets is love and unity.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, pp. 66 and 99)

    So again I say,  Christianity: JOHN: 4:22 “Ye worship ye know not what; (but) we know what we worship:” 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true, worshippers shall worship The Father in Spirit and in Truth: for The Father seeketh such to worship Him. For 4:24 “God is (in fact) a Spirit: and they that (truly) worship Him, must (really) worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.” So then ask yourself this question, are you in-fact, a true worshiper of God, or not? Are you a real, true worshiper of God, or are you just another Scribe or Pharisee, brought over from the past, blindly interpreting the word of God for yourself and possibly others, but not really, actually, paying any real attention to what the word of God, really has to say; but instead, blindly following the traditions and dogmas and theologies given to you by your clergy and your forefathers but not really, actually doing any real true actual investigating into the spirit of God’s true, holy writings for yourself!!! So I ask you, are you actually real, or just another literal, physical thinking and speaking individual; who is just, blindly looking at, and taking everything in God’s Holy Writings; The Word and Writings of God, an actual spiritual being, Who emphatically tells us that He is a Spirit, and emphatically tells us, that He does not think like us; completely physically, literally, and worldly. Or, are you in-fact, a real, truly, spiritually thinking and seeking individual, who is actually studying, and looking for and seeking out the real, true actual, spiritual meaning and interpretation of God’s Holy Words and Writings for your own personal self? Are you actually looking for, and seeking out God and the real, true spirit and truth in God’s Holy Writings, or are you just another Pharisee, taking everything you think do or say as the complete literal, physical interpretation, and the spirit of God has very little to do with you, and what you do?

    Or maybe, you are one of those people who claim to be, and actually, pretty much tell, almost everyone that you come in contact with, that you are, in-fact, saved! And so, you know, just exactly where you are going to be going to, after this worldly life of yours is over with. And I ask you; do you really, truly, absolutely, know that you are saved; and if this be the case, do you actually, really, truly, undoubtedly, absolutely know, just exactly where you will be going to, whenever this worldly life of your’s is over with? I mean really? Just what do you really, truly absolutely know for sure; think about this if you will. For, Baha’i Faith: “how often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith and quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the concourse on high! And, how often, hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!” (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 265) So I ask you again, just what do you really, truly, absolutely know, for sure, about anything truly relating to God and what His true plans are for us, when we actually do exit this mortal life? Think about it?

    So then, let me ask you this question, one more time? Are you, in-fact, a real, true worshiper of God, actually studying and seeking out His real truth, and actually seeking out the real, true spiritual meaning within His True, Holy Writings. I mean are you actually, Spiritually and Truly, Worshiping Him Spiritually, as He asks us to do: because:  Christianity: John 4:23 “The Father (actually) seeketh such to worship Him.” For, 4:23 “the true, worshippers shall (actually) worship The Father in Spirit and in Truth.” Or are you really, just someone else, worshiping God in name only, just hoping for some glorious end, and final result, to all of your endeavors, but not really, actually, taking the time, or really making the real, true, actual spiritual effort, on your part, to really get to know The True, Spiritual God, as A Real True Spiritual Being, as He wants us to?