First and foremost, one should use every possible means to purge one's heart and motives, otherwise, engaging in any form of enterprise would be futile. It is also essential to abstain from hypocrisy and blind imitation, inasmuch as their foul odour is soon detected by every man of understanding and wisdom. Moreover, the friends must observe the specific times for the remembrance of God, meditation, devotion and prayer, as it is highly unlikely, nay impossible, for any enterprise to prosper and develop when deprived of divine bestowals and confirmation. One can hardly imagine what a great influence genuine love, truthfulness and purity of motives exert on the souls of men. But these traits cannot be acquired by any believer unless he makes a daily effort to gain them...
- Shoghi Effendi
(From a letter dated 19 December 1923 to the Baha’is of the East -
translated from Persian, included in compilation: ‘Living the Life’; also in
compilation: ‘Give Me Thy Grace to Serve Thy Loved Ones’, prepared by the
International Teaching Centre for the Continental Counsellors and their
Auxiliaries, May 2018)
