TALKS BY ABDUL BAHA GIVEN IN PARIS There is no opposition between Religion and Science, they are the two wings upon which Mans Intelligence can soar into the Heights with which the Human Soul can progress. Abdul Baha. THIRD EDITION LONDON G. BELL AND SONS, LTD. YORK HOUSE, PORTUGAL STREET, W. C. 1916 Koissonas Ta onier ABDUL BAHA. PREFACE IV TUCH has already been written of the visit of - Abdul Baha, Abbas Effendi, to Europe. During his stay in Paris at 4, Avenue de Camoens, he gave short Talks each morning to those who crowded, eager to hear His Teaching. These listeners were of many Nationalities and types of thought, learned and unlearned, members of various religious sects, Theosophists and Agnostics, Materialists and Spiritualists, etc., etc. Abdul Baha spoke in Persian, which was translated into French. Of these Talks my two daughters, my friend and I took notes. Many friends asked us to publish these notes in English, but we hesitated. At length when Abdul Baha himself asked us to do so we, of course, consented in spite of our feeling that our pen is too weak for such high message. The quality of spontaneous simplicity, so ably given in French by the Translator, we have endeavoured to maintain in our humble English Presentation. S. L. B., M. E. B., R. E. C. B. and B. M. P. Mont Pelerin, Vevey. January, 1912. CONTENTS PAQB THE DUTY OF KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS . . . . n THE POWER AND VALUE OF TRUE THOUGHT DEPENDS UPON ITS MANIFESTATION IN ACTION . . 13 GOD is THE GREAT COMPASSIONATE PHYSICIAN WHO ALONE GIVES TRUE HEALING .... 15 THE NEED FOR UNION BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF THE EAST AND WEST ...... 17 GOD COMPREHENDS ALL HE CANNOT BE COMPRE HENDED ........ 18 THE PITIFUL CAUSES OF WAR, AND THE DUTY OF EVERY ONE TO STRIVE FOR PEACE ..... 23 THE SUN OF TRUTH 26 THE LIGHT OF TRUTH is NOW SHINING UPON THE EAST AND THE WEST ....... 28 THE UNIVERSAL LOVE 30 THE IMPRISONMENT OF ABDUL BAHA . . - 34 GODS GREATEST GIFT TO MAN ..... 36 THE CLOUDS THAT OBSCURE THE SUN OF TRUTH . 38 RELIGIOUS PREJUDICES 40 THE BENEFITS OF GOD TO MAN .... 44 BEAUTY AND HAHMONY IN DIVERSITY ... 45 THE TRUE MEANING OF THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE COMING OF CHRIST 48 THE HOLY SPIRIT THE INTERMEDIARY POWER BE TWEEN GOD AND MAN ...... 51 THE Two NATURES IN MAN 53 MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS .... 55 THE EVOLUTION OF MATTER AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUL 57 THE SPIRITUAL MEETINGS IN PARIS .... 60 THE Two KINDS OF LIGHT 6x SPIRITUAL ASPIRATION IN THE WEST .... 63 LECTURE GIVEN AT A STUDIO IN PARIS ... 65 BAHAULLAH 67 6 CONTENTS 7 FAOt GOOD I DBAS MUST BE CARRIED INTO ACTION . . 7 THE TRUE MEANING OF BAPTISM BY WATER AND FIRE 73 DISCOURSE AT L ALLIANCE SPIRITUALISTS . 75 THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPIRIT .... 80 THE DESIRES AND PRAYERS OF ABDUL BAHA . . 86 CONCERNING BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT ... 87 THE BAHAIS MUST WORK WITH HEART AND SOUL TO BRING ABOUT A BETTER CONDITION IN THE WORLD QI ON CALUMNY 93 THERE CAN BE NO TRUE HAPPINESS AND PROGRESS WITHOUT SPIRITUALITY 97 PAIN AND SORROW 100 THE PERFECT HUMAN SENTIMENTS AND VIRTUES . 103 THE CRUEL INDIFFERENCE OF PEOPLE TOWARDS THE SUFFERING OF FOREIGN RACES . . . .105 WE MUST NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY THE SMALLNESS OF OUR NUMBERS 107 WORDS SPOKEN BY ABDUL BAHA IN PASTOR WAGNERS CHURCH FOYER DE LAME IN PARIS . . . 109 THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, PARIS 117 THE FIRST PRINCIPLE SEARCH AFTER TRUTH . . 125 THE SECOND PRINCIPLE THE UNITY OF MANKIND . 127 THE THIRD PRINCIPLE LOVE AND AFFECTION . . 130 FOURTH PRINCIPLE THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE RELATION BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE . . .130 THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE OF THE TEACHING OF BAHAULLAH is THE ABOLITION OF PREJUDICES . . .136 THE SIXTH PRINCIPLE MEANS OF EXISTENCE . . 140 SEVENTH PRINCIPLE EQUALITY OF MEN . . .143 THE EIGHTH PRINCIPLE UNIVERSAL PEACE ESPERANTO 144 NINTH PRINCIPLE THE NON-INTERFERENCE OF RELIGION WITH POLITICS 146 THE TENTH PRINCIPLE EQUALITY OF SEX . ...