their priests, our sins and shortcomings, or to do so in public,
as some religious sects do. However, if we spontaneously desire to
acknowledge we have been wrong in something, or that we have some
fault of character, and ask another person's forgiveness or
pardon, we are quite free to do so.

The Universal House of Justice has also clarified that Baha'u'llah's
prohibition concerning the confession of sins does not prevent an
individual from admitting transgressions in the course of consultations
held under the aegis of Baha'i institutions. Likewise, it does not
preclude the possibility of seeking advice from a close friend or of a
professional counsellor regarding such matters.

59. Amongst the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by the
door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. #36

Traditionally in the East it has been the practice to remove sandals and
shoes before entering a gathering. The part of a room farthest from the
entrance is regarded as the head of the room and a place of honour where
the most prominent among those present are seated. Others sit in
descending order towards the door, by which the shoes and sandals have
been left and where the most lowly would sit.

60. And among the people is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge #36

This is a reference to people who claim access to esoteric knowledge and
whose attachment to such knowledge veils them from the Revelation of the
Manifestation of God. Elsewhere Baha'u'llah affirms: "They that are the
worshippers of the idol which their imaginations have carved, and who call
it Inner Reality, such men are in truth accounted among the heathen."

61. How many a man hath secluded himself in the climes of India, denied
himself the things that God hath decreed as lawful, imposed upon himself
austerities and mortifications #36

These verses constitute the prohibition of monasticism and asceticism. See
the Synopsis and Codification, section IV.D. 1.y.iii.-iv. In the Words of
Paradise Baha'u'llah amplifies these provisions. He states: "Living in
seclusion or practising asceticism is not acceptable in the presence of
God," and He calls upon those involved to "observe that which will cause
joy and radiance". He instructs those who have taken up "their abodes in
the caves of the mountains" or who have "repaired to graveyards at night"
to abandon these practices, and He enjoins them not to deprive t