of the night. When
the lights of religion become darkened the materialists appear. They are
the bats of night. The decline of religion is their time of activity; they
seek the shadows when the world is darkened and clouds have spread over
it.

His Holiness Baha'u'llah has risen from the eastern horizon. Like the
glory of the sun He has come into the world. He has reflected the reality
of divine religion, dispelled the darkness of imitations, laid the
foundation of new teachings and resuscitated the world.

The first teaching of Baha'u'llah is the investigation of reality. Man
must seek the reality himself, forsaking imitations and adherence to mere
hereditary forms. As the nations of the world are following imitations in
lieu of truth and as imitations are many and various, differences of
belief have been productive of strife and warfare. So long as these
imitations remain the oneness of the world of humanity is impossible.
Therefore we must investigate the reality in order that by its light the
clouds and darkness may be dispelled. Reality is one reality; it does not
admit multiplicity or division. If the nations of the world investigate
reality they will agree and become united. Many people and sects in Iran
have sought reality through the guidance and teaching of Baha'u'llah. They
have become united and now live in a state of agreement and love; among
them there is no longer the least trace of enmity and strife.

The Jews were expecting the appearance of the Messiah, looking forward to
it with devotion of heart and soul but because they were submerged in
imitations they did not believe in His Holiness Jesus Christ when he
appeared. Finally they rose against Him even to the extreme of persecution
and shedding His blood. Had they investigated reality they would have
accepted their promised Messiah. These blind imitations and hereditary
prejudices have invariably become the cause of bitterness and hatred and
have filled the world with darkness and violence of war. Therefore we must
seek the fundamental truth in order to extricate ourselves from such
conditions and then with illumined faces find the pathway to the kingdom
of God.

The second teaching of Baha'u'llah concerns the unity of mankind. All are
the servants of God and members of one human family. God has created all
and all are His children. He rears, nourishes, provides for and is kind to
all. Why should we be unjust and unkind? This is the policy of God, th