ter's
Example, and ignore His Commands?

I pray that the Kingdom shall come on Earth, and that all darkness shall
be driven away by the effulgence of the Heavenly Sun.

THE SIXTH PRINCIPLE--MEANS OF EXISTENCE

4 Avenue de Camoeens, Paris

One of the most important principles of the Teaching of Baha'u'llah is:

The right of every human being to the daily bread whereby they exist, or
the equalization of the means of livelihood.

The arrangements of the circumstances of the people must be such that
poverty shall disappear, that everyone, as far as possible, according to
his rank and position, shall share in comfort and well-being.

We see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches on the one hand,
and on the other those unfortunate ones who starve with nothing; those who
possess several stately palaces, and those who have not where to lay their
head. Some we find with numerous courses of costly and dainty food; whilst
others can scarce find sufficient crusts to keep them alive. Whilst some
are clothed in velvets, furs and fine linen, others have insufficient,
poor and thin garments with which to protect them from the cold.

This condition of affairs is wrong, and must be remedied. Now the remedy
must be carefully undertaken. It cannot be done by bringing to pass
absolute equality between men.

Equality is a chimera! It is entirely impracticable! Even if equality
could be achieved it could not continue--and if its existence were
possible, the whole order of the world would be destroyed. The law of
order must always obtain in the world of humanity. Heaven has so decreed
in the creation of man.

Some are full of intelligence, others have an ordinary amount of it, and
others again are devoid of intellect. In these three classes of men there
is order but not equality. How could it be possible that wisdom and
stupidity should be equal? Humanity, like a great army, requires a
general, captains, under-officers in their degree, and soldiers, each with
their own appointed duties. Degrees are absolutely necessary to ensure an
orderly organization. An army could not be composed of generals alone, or
of captains only, or of nothing but soldiers without one in authority. The
certain result of such a plan would be that disorder and demoralization
would overtake the whole army.

King Lycurgus, the philosopher, made a great plan to equalize the subjects
of Sparta; with self-sacrifice and wisdom was the experiment b