Let nothing grieve thee, and be thou angered at none.

"Let nothing grieve thee, and be thou angered at none. It behoveth thee to be content with the Will of God, and a true and loving and trusted friend to all the peoples of the earth, without any exceptions whatever. This is the quality of the sincere, the way of the saints, the emblem of those who believe in the unity of God, and the raiment of the people of Bahá."
'Abdu'l-Baha

four qualities

"There are four qualities which I love to see manifested in people: first, enthusiasm and courage; second, a face wreathed in smiles and a radiant countenance; third, that they see all things with their own eyes and not through the eyes of others; fourth, the ability to carry a task, once begun, through to the end." - Baha'u'llah

None must contend with those who wield authority over the people

"None must contend with those who wield authority over the people; leave unto them that which is theirs, and direct your attention to men's hearts."
-Baha'u'llah

Patience

He, verily, shall increase the reward of them that endure with patience.
-Baha'u'llah

Let not your heart be offended

"Let not your heart be offended with anyone. If someone commits an error and wrong toward you, you must instantly forgive him. Do not complain of others. Refrain from reprimanding them, and if you wish to give admonition or advice, let it be offered in such a way that it will not burden the bearer. Turn all your thoughts toward bringing joy to hearts. Beware! Beware! lest ye offend any heart." Abdu'l-Baha

teaching better than treasure

O ye beloved of God! Repose not yourselves on your couches, nay bestir yourselves as soon as ye recognize your Lord, the Creator, and hear of the things which have befallen Him, and hasten to His assistance. Unloose your tongues, and proclaim unceasingly His Cause. This shall be better for you than all the treasures of the past and of the future, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth.

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 330)

true happiness

Man is, in reality, a spiritual being, and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy.

Do not busy yourself with your own concerns

Do not busy yourself with your own concerns: let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men.

job satisfaction

You should never be too depressed about your dissatisfaction concerning not finding a job you like, a place in the world that fits you. If you analyse it this general sense of mis-fit is one of the curses of your generation, one of the products of the world’s disequilibrium and chaos. It is not confined to your life, it is pretty general.

The more we search for ourselves...

The more we search for ourselves, the less likely we are to find ourselves; and the more we search for God, and to serve our fellow-men, the more profoundly will we become acquainted with ourselves, and the more inwardly assured. This is one of the great spiritual laws of life.

government

In every country or government where any of this community reside, they must behave towards that government with faithfulness, trustfulness, and truthfulness.

Ruhi Book 1 Quotes :: Understanding the Baha'i Writings

The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.

Beware, O people of Baha, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds.

O Son of Being! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning...

Say: O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.

Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the heaven of celestial glory.


Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues.

Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul.

Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty.

Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart enlightened.

They who dwell within the tabernacle of God, and are established upon the seats of everlasting glory, will refuse, though they be dying of hunger, to stretch their hands to seize unlawfully the property of their neighbor, however vile and worthless he may be.


A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding...

O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God's grace.

Nothing whatever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy, among the loved ones of God.

Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving-kindness for all who may cross your path.

When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.


...backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul.

Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner.

Speak no evil, that thou mayest no hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great...

O Son of Being! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of me.

For one another must ye give up even life itself.

For one another must ye give up even life itself. To every human being must ye be infinitely kind. Call none a stranger; think none to be your foe. Be ye as if all men were your close kin and honoured friends. Walk ye in such wise that this fleeting world will change into a splendour and this dismal heap of dust become a palace of delights. Such is the counsel of 'Abdu'l-Baha, this hapless servant.

From the Arabic, #29

O SON OF BEING! Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it.

...become ye light and delicate.

Therefore, rest ye assured in the confirmations of the Merciful and the assistance of the Most High; become ye sanctified above and purified from this world and the inhabitants thereof; suffer your intentions to work for the good of all; cut your attachment to the earth and like unto the essence of the spirit become ye light and delicate. Then with a firm resolution, a pure heart, a rejoiced spirit, and an eloquent tongue, engage your time in the promulgation of the divine principles so that the oneness of the world of humanity may pitch her canopy in the apex of America and all the nations of the world may follow the divine policy. This is certain, that the divine policy is justice and kindness toward all mankind. For all the nations of the world are the sheep of God, and God is the kind shepherd. He has created these sheep. He has protected them, sustained and trained them. What greater kindness than this? And every moment we must render a hundred thousand thanksgivings that, praise be to God, we are freed from all the ignorant prejudices, are kind to all the sheep of God, and our utmost hope is to serve each and all, and like unto a benevolent father educate every one.

Upon you be greeting and praise!