About the Bahá'í Principles

The Oneness of MankindUniversal PeaceIndependent Investigation of TruthThe Common Foundation of All ReligionsThe Essential Harmony of Science and ReligionThe Equality of Women and MenElimination of Prejudice of All KindsUniversal Compulsory EducationA Spiritual Solution to Economic ProblemsA Universal Auxiliary LanguageAbout the Bahá'í PrinciplesVideo Content

A Prayer from the Baha'i Writings A Prayer from the Baha'i Writings
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Principles of the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh,
Explained by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris
November 10 - 18, 1911

Let us thank God who has drawn us together this evening. It gives me great joy, for I see that you are seekers after truth. You are not held in bondage by the chains of prejudice, and your greatest longing is to know the truth. Truth may be likened to the sun! The sun is the luminous body that disperses all shadows; in the same way does truth scatter the shadows of our imagination. As the sun gives life to the body of humanity so does truth give life to their souls.

Royal praise for development projects
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Prince Phinda (center) with the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Swaziland, Mohammed Monadjem, and a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, Maina Mkandawire.
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Truth is a sun that rises from different points on the horizon. Sometimes the sun rises from the centre of the horizon, then in summer it rises farther north, in winter farther south - but it is always the self-same sun, however different are the points of its rising.

In like manner truth is one, although its manifestations may be very different. Some men have eyes and see. These worship the sun, no matter from which point on the horizon it may dawn; and when the sun has left the winter sky to appear in the summer one, they know how to find it again. Others there are who worship only the spot from which the sun arose, and when it arises in its glory from another place they remain in contemplation before the spot of its former rising. Alas! these men are deprived of the blessings of the sun. Those who in truth adore the sun itself will recognize it from whatsoever dawning-place it may appear, and will straightway turn their faces towards its radiance.

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The Bahá'í Terraces, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
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We must adore the sun itself and not merely the place of its appearance. In the same way men of enlightened heart worship truth on whatever horizon it appears. They are not bound by personality, but they follow the truth, and are able to recognize it no matter from whence it may come. It is this same truth which helps humanity to progress, which gives life to all created beings, for it is the Tree of Life!

('Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks, Pages: 127--134)


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View a larger picture. This year the youth gathered in March to rehearse the dances with the help of Jesse Fish, an American Bahá'í youth.

"We learned much more than just dancing," said Daphni Kontou, a 13-year-old from Thessaloniki.

"We needed to focus and be disciplined, and not to waste time, otherwise we could never manage to rehearse in time for the performances. It was also very important that we had unity in the group and didn't forget what we were doing it for."

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