Born in 1817 in Tehran, Persia, or present-day Iran, Bahá’u’lláh was the enlightened Prophet and founder of the Bahá’I Faith. He and His teachings are believed to be prophesied in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and other religions. Today, we present to you a selection from “Prayers and Meditations” by Bahá’u’lláh. “Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou see my tears and lamentations, and hear my sighing, my cries and bitter wailing. Shield us, then, O my God, from the mischief of Thine enemies, and assist us to help Thy Faith, and to protect Thy Cause, and to celebrate Thy glory. Thou art, truly, He Who from everlasting hath inhabited the inaccessible heights of His unity, and will continue to remain the same for ever and ever. Nothing whatsoever escapes Thy knowledge, nor is there anything that can frustrate Thee. No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the Ever-Faithful, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Lauded and glorified art Thou, in Whose hand is the empire of all things!”

Tolstoy illuminated the principle that true Christian doctrine is against violent retaliation and that we should instead do good in return for evil. Forgive not once, but endlessly. Love your enemies and be good to those who dislike you. Tolstoy also highlighted that Jesus’ primary message was to be truly human, to rise to a higher level and be born into the new life of the spirit. By embracing the higher law of love, we will be able to break the cycle of violence. We should like to share an insightful excerpt from Chapter Ⅱ of “My Religion.” “The command, ‘Resist not evil,’ is the central point of Jesus’ doctrine. It is not a mere verbal affirmation; it is a rule whose practice is obligatory. When we regard it as a command impossible of performance, the value of the entire doctrine is lost. When we declare that one may be a Christian without observing the commandment, ‘Resist not evil,’ we simply leave out the connecting link which transmits the force of the doctrine of Jesus into action.”

“Everyone thinks of changing the world but no one thinks of changing himself.” This insightful saying by Leo Tolstoy is a good reminder for all of us to reflect inward. The renowned 19th-century Russian author suggested that we ask ourselves what God really wants us to do. Yearning for more than success, fame, and wealth, Leo Tolstoy eventually established himself as a moral philosopher and spiritual leader during the last 30 years of his life. In addition to adopting and promoting the vegetarian diet, he became a fervent Christian pacifist through an interpretation of the ethical teachings of Christ. My Religion is a book by Count Leo Tolstoy, completed in 1884. It is the follow up to his book, A Confession. These two volumes show his transition from existential questions about life to a firm belief in God and the spiritual principle of nonviolent resistance as described in the Gospels of the Holy Bible. “When I apprehended clearly the words ‘Resist not evil,’ my conception of the doctrine of Jesus was entirely changed; and I was astounded, not that I had failed to understand it before, but that I had misunderstood it so strangely. I knew, as we all know, that the true significance of the doctrine of Jesus was comprised in the injunction to love one’s neighbor. When we say, ‘Turn the other cheek,’ ‘Love your enemies,’ we express the very essence of Christianity.”

Music is all around it, and there the heart partakes of the joy of the Infinite Sea. Kabir says: “Dive thou into that Ocean of sweetness: thus let all errors of life and of death flee away.” Behold how the thirst of the five senses is quenched there! And the three forms of misery are no more! Kabir says: “It is the sport of the Unattainable One: look within, and behold how the moon-beams of that Hidden One shine in you.” There falls the rhythmic beat of life and death: Rapture wells forth, and all space is radiant with light. There the Unstruck Music is sounded; it is the music of the love of the three worlds. There millions of lamps of sun and of moon are burning; There the drum beats; and the lover swings in play. There love-songs resound, and light rains in showers; and the worshipper is entranced in the taste of the heavenly nectar. Look upon life and death; there is no separation between them, The right hand and the left hand are one and the same.

Kabir was a great Indian poet who was fully devoted to the Creator. He was a Saint who not only endeavored to live the Truth, He wrote about it through His divine gift of verse. A weaver by profession, Kabir is considered as one of the world’s greatest poets and one of the most quoted authors. Kabir’s message is universal. Perhaps that is why many still revere Kabir as a Saint, whether they are a Sikh, Hindu, Muslim or modern spiritual seekers. We would now like to invite you to be sublime in the beautiful spiritual poetry selected from “The Songs of Kabir.” “Bathe in the truth, know the true Guru, have faith in the true Name!” “The moon shines in my body, but my blind eyes cannot see it: The moon is within me, and so is the sun. The unstruck drum of Eternity is sounded within me; but my deaf ears cannot hear it. So long as man clamours for the I and the Mine, his works are as nothing: When all love of the I and the Mine is dead, then the work of the Lord is done.”

The Holy Mother is considered an uplifter of souls who maintained communion with God at all times, even while engaging in various daily activities. To her disciples, she was a teacher who removed their doubts, a mother whose loving kindness brought comfort, and a Divine presence that assured them of spiritual liberation. We now would like to share with you the uplifting sayings of Sri Sarada Devi, through an excerpt from “Thus Spake The Holy Mother.” “Spiritual practice means to keep the mind steady at His lotus feet and to be absorbed in His thoughts. When the desire arises in the mind to know anything, then pray to Him alone in a lonely place with tears in your eyes. He will remove all dirt and sorrow from your mind and will make you understand everything. Always discriminate. Try to realize that the outside object which is attracting your mind is impermanent, and turn your attention to God. Always try to do the Lord’s work and at the same time try to practice Japa (repeating holy mantras or God’s name) and meditation.”

Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother, was the Divine consort and first disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. She conveyed a motherly simplicity, grace, quiet dignity, purity, selflessness, and all-embracing compassion, all of which provided comfort to her disciples and devotees. The Holy Mother is revered by Hindus as much as the mystic Sri Ramakrishna. She is thus worshipped and admired as one of the most important Saint mothers of all times. “Thus Spake The Holy Mother” is a compilation of the sayings of Sri Sarada Devi. This collection offers illumination and guidance for the soul yearning to re-connect with the Divine. “When will the grace of God descend on me? There is no such rule that grace of God will fall on one simply because one is practicing austerities. How does one get the vision of God? It is only through His grace. But one must practice meditation and Japa. That removes impurities from the mind. One must practice spiritual disciplines such as worship and so forth.”

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” These words from Mahatma Gandhi are frequently quoted by Dr. Sailesh Rao, who puts much emphasis on the transformation needed to realize his goal of World Vegan by 2026. “So we do that and then every week in Phoenix, we have an interfaith vegan church service that happens, where we draw from different faiths. We draw from Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, you name it. And we are showing how our scriptures’ foundation is compassion for all life.” “I see a beautiful world in front of us, where we are all working together to regenerate the forest, to bring back the animals, to clean up the ocean, to clean up all the water. And then we look back at what has happened and we feel proud to be a species that does belong on Earth. We feel proud to have done our job.”

“I bestow My Wisdom upon you. I am not a bridge built of promises, but verily the Light that calls to you. I teach love. My disciples must realize happiness in the love of Christ. Love can create universes. Love and Wisdom are equal.” “I expound happiness. I shall designate the path for the battle against the bazaar that is the present world. People have reached a dead end, but lightning will reveal the way out, And thunder will arouse the slumberers. Mountains have crashed to earth. Lakes have been drained of their waters. Cities have been engulfed by floods. Hunger shows its face. Yet has the spirit of humanity remained unmoved. Go, teach, stretch out the hand of aid! Seek happiness and exalt the spirit. Faith in self and the search for Truth create harmony.” “By Us and by you, together, is the spiritual culture built. The Truth of the world will stand firm. The Light will penetrate the darkness—I attest. The Gates of the Spiritual World are thrown open.” “I love being your Teacher in quests of the Spirit. The other world, where My days are, must kindle joy in yours.”

The esteemed mystical and philosophical writers Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena Roerich are two of the most influential spiritual thought leaders from Russia. They are recognized for founding a doctrine called Agni Yoga, also known as Living Ethics. Traveling extensively throughout Asia to deepen their spiritual studies, the Roerichs eventually met their Master in Darjeeling, India. Morya revealed messages of higher wisdom to Nicholas and Helena Roerich, which they recorded on paper and later gathered into a series of texts. One of these is the two-volume book titled “Leaves of Morya’s Garden.” “By holiness in life, guard the precious Gem of Gems. Aum Tat Sat Aum! (‘The Supreme Absolute Truth’ or ‘All that is’) I am thou, thou art I—parts of the Divine Self. I invoke blessings unto you. Salvation will be yours! Life nourishes the soul. Strive for the life glorified, and for the realization of purity. Put aside all prejudices—think freely.”

Zen Buddhist Master Dōgen Zenji was the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism in Japan, which promotes sitting meditation as the way to enlightenment. The Buddhist Master was one of the most remarkable Zen Masters in history and was also an outstanding poet. The book, "The Zen Poetry of Dōgen - Verses from the Mountain of Eternal Peace," is by Dōgen scholar Steven Heine. It is a complete translation of Dōgen’s collection of thirty-one-syllable Japanese poetry, or waka, plus a translation of a selection of the Master's Chinese verse, or kanshi. It offers a distinct and revealing insight into Master Dōgen’s unique style of Zen naturalist and aesthetic philosophy. "My companions Trekking The six realms - I recognize my father! There is my mother! Contemplating the clear moon Reflecting a mind as the open sky - Drawn by its beauty, I lose myself In the shadows it casts. Traveling the six realms, Seeking the primordial words Of the seven Buddhas of Nara, Which are ceaselessly Pervading all paths."

Today, we are going to continue our discussion with Dr. Rao who introduces his two books and analyzes the environmental issues from a religious and spiritual aspect. Dr. Sailesh Rao also wrote books to raise people’s awareness: “Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of Butterflies” and “Carbon Yoga: The Vegan Metamorphosis” are two of his most important works. “I wrote the first book, “Carbon Dharma,” in 2011, because dharma is what is the right thing to do. And it’s very easy to understand that. The right thing to do is to stop killing. When our killing is causing the planet to die, we should just stop the killing. So that was easy for us to do. And then, yoga is about, how do you do it? So, it’s a process of how do you get to balance in nature? How do you get in alignment with who you really are?” “And it is actually compassion for all life that is at the foundation of all religions.”

Dr. Sailesh Krishna Rao graduated in 1986 from Stanford University, USA, receiving a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Though extremely successful in his professional career, he was inspired to make a significant change after watching former Vice President Al Gore’s presentation about global warming in December 2005. Dr. Rao then founded the non-profit organization, Climate Healers in 2007. “The goal was to reverse climate change, and then when you study the problem you realize that it’s a very spiritual problem because the foundation of sustainability is really compassion for all life, and so is the foundation for all religion, it’s compassion for all life, and the foundation for our ethics is compassion for all life. So it turns out that going to a sustainable world is really going back to our ethical roots and our religious roots and taking them seriously. So the compassion for all life is the core of it all.”

We now continue with letter 115, a message of spiritual advice and encouragement from the Great Master in reply to a devoted disciple. This letter was published in the treasured collection titled “Spiritual Gems.” “No article of this world, nor friends nor relations go with us; even our body does not accompany us after death. Then why worry about those who will not accompany us?” “The [inner Heavenly] Sound Current and the Master are within you. You need no other company. …The greater the solitude, the better. There is no better luck than solitude.” “Try to lift the veil within and try to taste the spiritual joy, compared to which all the worldly designs and inventions are insignificant and valueless. He who has torn the veil within and brought the mind under control, has conquered all the world and the whole world is under his order.”

Baba Sawan Singh Ji was an Indian Saint and enlightened Master. Baba Sawan Singh Ji spiritually awakened many people through imparting the practice of Surat Shabd Yoga. Today, He is still loved and venerated as “The Great Master.” Today, we are honored to read you excerpts from the letters of the Great Master who shared some of His priceless spiritual guidance on meditation, that is, on how one’s soul can overcome the temporal world and ascend to a higher spiritual realms. “To give up worldly pleasures, to control the senses and bring the attention in one center by controlling the wild runs of the mind while still alive and kicking, is not an easy task. But what is it that with love and faith man cannot accomplish? You strengthen your will power and go ahead. Success is sure. Remember that once the seed of Nam has been planted, it must become a tree and bear fruit.”

“What shall I say of these save that they too stand in the sunlight, but with their backs to the sun? They see only their shadows, and their shadows are their laws. And what is the sun to them but a caster of shadows? And what is it to acknowledge the laws but to stoop down and trace their shadows upon the earth? But you who walk facing the sun, what images drawn on the earth can hold you? You who travel with the wind, what weather-vane shall direct your course? What man’s law shall bind you if you break your yoke but upon no man’s prison door? What laws shall you fear if you dance but stumble against no man’s iron chains? And who is he that shall bring you to judgment if you tear off your garment yet leave it in no man’s path?” “You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a grief, But rather when these things girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound.”

Born in 1883, Kahlil Gibran was an enlightened Lebanese philosopher, author, poet, artist and mystic, who immigrated to the United States when He was young. Published in 1923, “The Prophet” became Kahlil Gibran’s most famous work. Today, we would like to share with you the following excerpt from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran. “And of the man in you would I now speak. For it is he and not your god-self nor the [small self] in the mist, that knows crime and the punishment of crime. ‘Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world. But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, So the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.’”

We now continue reading from the Essene Humane Gospel about the holy birth and early years of Lord Jesus Christ. “And Joseph and Mary went into Bethlehem, the city of David. And Mary, heavy with child, brought forth her firstborn child in a cave, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger within the cave, for there was no room to be found for them in the town. And behold, the cave was filled with bright light as of the Sun, and it reflected the glory of many holy angels. And there proved to be in the cave also, an ox, and a horse, and an ass, and a sheep, and beneath the manger was a cat with her little ones, and there were doves also overhead, and each had its mate after its kind, the male with the female. Thus it came to pass that [Lord] Yeshua (Jesus) was BORN IN THE MIDST OF THE ANIMALS WHICH, through the redemption of man from ignorance and sin, HE CAME TO REDEEM FROM THEIR SUFFERINGS, by the manifestation of the sons and daughters of God, all those whosoever liveth according to the Holy Law.”

Faithful viewers, the Essene Humane Gospel is a reminder of the Godly virtues that we should live by if we are to walk the path of the Truth. God’s Arms are always opened for the sincere Truth-seekers. Today we’ll read selections from the beginning of this Gospel, in which we learn about the preparation of the coming of the great Essene Prophet John the Baptist and of the Worshipped Messiah, Lord Jesus Christ. “…Gabriel spoke further unto her, ‘O Mary, therefore also is that holy, which shall be born of thee, even Christ, the child of God, and His name on earth shall be called Yeshua, for it is He that shall save the people from bondage to sin, even all those repenting and obeying His Holy Laws. Therefore, O Mary, YE SHALL EAT NO ANIMAL FLESH, NOR DRINK STRONG DRINK, for the Holy Child shall be consecrated unto the All-Eternal from its mother’s womb, and NEITHER ANIMAL FLESH NOR STRONG DRINK SHALL HE EAT OR DRINK IN ANY FORM, nor shall ever a razor touch His head.’”

“What is needed is a Guru, a Savior, who will awaken us to Bhakti (devotion) and to perceptions of Truth. Any advanced sincere seeker may be fortunate in having the Godlike company of some one of such personages, who may kindly stand to him as his Spiritual Preceptor, Sat-Guru, the Savior.” “Aparokshajnana, the real comprehension. In this state the son of man begins to repent and, turning back from the gross material creation, creeps toward his Divinity, the Eternal Substance, God. When the developments of ignorance are stopped, man gradually comprehends the true character of this creation of darkness, maya, as a mere play of ideas of the Supreme Nature on His own Self, the only Real Substance. This true comprehension is called Aparokshajnana.” “When man thus entering into the spiritual world becomes a Son of God, he comprehends the universal Light – the Holy Ghost – as a perfect whole, and his Self as nothing but a mere idea resting on a fragment of the Aum Light.”