of Truth, and through its light and
heat will grow ever fresh and fair in the garden of life.

Therefore must the mentor be a doctor as well: that is, he must, in
instructing the child, remedy its faults; must give him learning, and at
the same time rear him to have a spiritual nature. Let the teacher be a
doctor to the character of the child, thus will he heal the spiritual
ailments of the children of men.

If, in this momentous task, a mighty effort be exerted, the world of
humanity will shine out with other adornings, and shed the fairest light.
Then will this darksome place grow luminous, and this abode of earth turn
into Heaven. The very demons will change to angels then, and wolves to
shepherds of the flock, and the wild-dog pack to gazelles that pasture on
the plains of oneness, and ravening beasts to peaceful herds; and birds of
prey, with talons sharp as knives, to songsters warbling their sweet
native notes.

For the inner reality of man is a demarcation line between the shadow and
the light, a place where the two seas meet;(12) is the lowest point on the
arc of descent,(13) therefore is it capable of gaining all the grades
above. With education it can achieve all excellence; devoid of education
it will stay on, at the lowest point of imperfection.

Every child is potentially the light of the world--and at the same time its
triple darkness; wherefore must the question of education be accounted as
of primary importance. From his infancy, the child must be nursed at the
breast of God's love, and nurtured in the embrace of His knowledge, that
he may radiate light, grow in spirituality, be filled with wisdom and
learning, and take on the characteristics of the angelic host.

Since ye have been assigned to this holy task, ye must therefore exert
every effort to make that school famed in all respects throughout the
world; to make it the cause of exalting the Word of the Lord.

("Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha", Sec. 103, pp. 129-31)
[55]

"56: Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by
man to..."

Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by man to
Almighty God is the education and training of children, young plants of
the Abha Paradise, so that these children, fostered by grace in the way of
salvation, growing like pearls of divine bounty in the shell of education,
will one day bejewel the crown of abiding glory.

It is, however, very d