und in the words of Baha'u'llah; but in addition to these, He
has revealed certain new teachings which are not found in any of the
sacred books of former times. I shall mention some of them; the others
which are many in number may be found in the books, tablets and epistles
written by Baha'u'llah, such as the Hidden Words, the Glad-Tidings, the
Words of Paradise, Tajalliyat, Tarazat and others. Likewise in the Book of
Aqdas there are new teachings which cannot be found in any of the past
books or epistles of the prophets.

A fundamental teaching of Baha'u'llah is the oneness of the world of
humanity. Addressing mankind, He says: "Ye are all leaves of one tree and
the fruits of one branch." By this it is meant that the world of humanity
is like a tree, the nations or peoples are the different limbs or branches
of that tree and the individual human creatures are as the fruits and
blossoms thereof. In this way His Holiness Baha'u'llah expressed the
oneness of humankind whereas in all religious teachings of the past, the
human world has been represented as divided into two parts, one known as
the people of the Book of God or the pure tree and the other the people of
infidelity and error or the evil tree. The former were considered as
belonging to the faithful and the others to the hosts of the irreligious
and infidel; one part of humanity the recipients of divine mercy and the
other the object of the wrath of their Creator. His Holiness Baha'u'llah
removed this by proclaiming the oneness of the world of humanity and this
principle is specialized in His teachings for He has submerged all mankind
in the sea of divine generosity. Some are asleep; they need to be
awakened. Some are ailing; they need to be healed. Some are immature as
children; they need to be trained. But all are recipients of the bounty
and bestowals of God.

Another new principle revealed by His Holiness Baha'u'llah is the
injunction to investigate truth; that is to say, no man should blindly
follow his ancestors and forefathers. Nay, each must see with his own
eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order
that he may follow the truth instead of blind acquiescence and imitation
of ancestral beliefs.

His Holiness Baha'u'llah has announced that the foundation of all the
religions of God is one; that oneness is truth and truth is oneness which
does not admit of plurality. This teaching is new and specialized to this
Manifestation.