FUNDAMENTAL VERITIES OF THE BAHA'I FAITH
Introduction and Table of Contents

Developed by the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Ridgewood, New Jersey

Last Modified: October, 1996

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"Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give Thee thanks inasmuch as Thou hast called me into being in Thy days, and infused into me Thy love and Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee, by Thy name whereby the goodly pearls of Thy wisdom and Thine utterance were brought forth out of the treasuries of the hearts of such of Thy servants as are nigh unto Thee, and through which the Day-Star of Thy name, the Compassionate, hath shed its radiance upon all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to supply me, by Thy grace and bounty, with Thy wondrous and hidden bounties.

These are the earliest days of my life, O my God, which Thou hast linked with Thine own days. Now that Thou hast conferred upon me so great an honor, withhold not from me the things Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones.

I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace. Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy shadow and within the borders of Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the hearts of all that have recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the fountain of Thy living waters.

Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds."

{Baha'u'llah, Prayers Meditations, p. 178}

"Consolidation must comprise not only the establishment of Baha'i administrative institutions, but a true deepening in the fundamental verities of the Cause and in its spiritual principles, understanding of its prime purpose in the establishment of the unity of mankind, instruction in its standards of behavior in all aspects of private and public life, in the particular practice of Bah '¡ life in such things as daily prayer, education of children, observance of the laws of Baha'i marriage, abstention from politics, the obligation to contribute to the Fund, the importance of the Nineteen Day Feast, and opportunity to acquire a sound knowledge of the present-day practice of Baha'i administration."

{The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan message of 1966}

"Systematic attention has to be given by Baha'i institutions to training a significant number of believers and assisting them in serving the Cause according to their God-given talents and capacities The purpose of such training is to endow ever-growing contingents of believers with the spiritual insights, the knowledge, and the skills needed to carry out teaching and deepening of a large number of people - adults, youth and children. This purpose can best be achieved through well-organized, formal programmes consisting of courses that follow appropriately designed curricula."

{The Universal House of Justice, Message to the Continental Board of Counsellors, Dec 23, 1995}

This material was developed by:

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Ridgewood
675 Eastern Court, Ridgewood New Jersey 07450-3510
{201}652-6385

This material has been reviewed by:

Ahdieh, Tahereh               Auxillary Board Member
Fisher, Betty                  Baha'i Publishing Trust, Journal of Baha'i Studies
Johnson, Barbara              National Education Taskforce
Khazamzedeh, Alegra           National Teaching Ccommittee
Penn, Kathy                   National Education Taskforce
Smith, Peter                  Counselor
Spenner, Dale                 Baha'i Publishing Trust
Steinhauer, Helene            Baha'i Publishing Trust

Table of Contents

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For additional information contact:

Joel Nizin, Secretary
Baha'is of Ridgewood, NJ
(201) 652-6385