The Way.

 

248. The Way, is one of the names God’s messengers tend to use to describe the religion of God: The way is one of the names the messengers of God called their teachings by when they appear on this earth. This is found in all the religions of God.  Judaism: Genesis 18:19 “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of The LORD, to do justice and judgment; that The LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 24:27 “And he said, Blessed be The LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of His mercy and His truth: I being in the way, The LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

 BABI RELIGION: “This is the Way of God for all the inhabitants of earth and heaven and all that lieth betwixt them. No God is there but Me, the Almighty, the Inaccessible, the Most Exalted.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 35)

BAHA’I FAITH: “We spoke in the language of the Law, at another time in the language of the Truth and the Way;”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, A Traveller’s Narrative, p. 43)

 JUDAISM: Exodus 18:20 “And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” Exodus 23:20 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” Exodus 33:13 “Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “I have offered Myself up in the way of God,”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 52)

 BABI RELIGION: “He (Mulla Husayn), faithful to the instructions he had received, stopped at every town and village that the Báb had directed him to visit, gathered the faithful, conveyed to them the love, the greetings, and the assurances of their beloved Master, quickened afresh their zeal, and exhorted them to remain steadfast in His way.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 261)

 JUDAISM: Deuteronomy 9:12 “And The LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.” Deuteronomy 9:16 “And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against The LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which The LORD had commanded you.”

 BABI RELIGION: “Verily this is the Way of God, the Most Exalted, which hath been irrevocably decreed in the Mother Book…”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 64)

BAHA’I FAITH: “We are the Way mentioned in the Book of God, — exalted and glorified be He.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 112)

 JUDAISM: Deuteronomy 11:26 “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;” 11:27 “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of The LORD your God, which I command you this day:” 11:28 “And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of The LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” Deuteronomy 31:29 “For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of The LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.” Deuteronomy 31:30 “And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “This is the Way of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 44)

 BABI RELIGION: “Verily this is the Way of God, the Most Exalted, which hath been irrevocably decreed in the Mother Book…”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 63)

 JUDAISM: Psalms 25:8 “Good and upright is The LORD: therefore will He teach sinners in the way.” Psalms 25:9 “The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.” Psalms 25:12 “What man is he that feareth The LORD? him shall He teach in the way.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “He, verily, speaketh the truth, and summoneth all mankind to the way of Him Who is the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 214)

 BABI RELIGION: “Indeed, whosoever beareth allegiance unto Thee by walking in the way of the Báb, for him the recompense of the next world hath surely been prescribed…”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 73)

 JUDAISM: Psalms 27:11 “Teach me Thy way, O LORD,” Psalms 44:18 “Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way;” Psalms 67:1 “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us;” Psalms 67:2 “That Thy way may be known upon earth,”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Follow ye the Way of The Lord and walk not in the footsteps of them that are sunk in heedlessness. Well is it with the slumberer who is stirred by the Breeze of God and ariseth from amongst the dead, directing his steps towards the Way of The Lord.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 13)

 JUDAISM: Psalms 77:13 “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?” Psalms 85:13 “Righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.” Psalms 110:7 “He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.” Psalms 119:37 “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in Thy way.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Fear God, and lift not the hand of injustice and oppression to destroy what He hath Himself raised up; nay, walk ye in the way of God, the True One.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 46)

 JUDAISM: Psalms 128:1 “Blessed is every one that feareth The LORD; that walketh in His ways.” Psalms 128:2 “For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” Psalms 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” Psalms 139:24 “And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “From time immemorial such hath been the way of God amidst His creatures, and to this testify the records of the sacred books.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 49)

 JUDAISM: Proverbs 13:6 “Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.” Proverbs 21:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Jeremiah 5:5 “I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of The LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.” Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus saith The LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Only when the true seeker finds that attachments to the material are keeping him from his spiritual heritage, will he gladly enter the way.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 83)

 CHRISTIANITY: Matthew 22:16 “And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.” Mark 10:51 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Mark 10:52 “And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “How far have that people strayed from the way of God!”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 117)

 CHRISTIANITY: Luke 9:57 “And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whither-so-ever thou goest.” John 14: 6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “This is the Way of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Proclamation of Baha’u’llah, p. 97)

 CHRISTIANITY: Acts 18:25 “This man was instructed in the way of The Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.” Acts 18:26 “And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” 2 Peter 2:2 “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Romans 3:12 “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “A vast multitude of every class have drunk their fill of the living waters of divine knowledge, and, intoxicated, have hastened with heart and soul to the field of sacrifice in the way of the Beloved.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 112)

 ISLAM: 186. “When my servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me; let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

Islam: 68. “And We should have shown them the Straight Way.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   4)

Islam: 39. “Those who reject Our Signs are deaf and dumb, in the midst of darkness profound: whom Allah (God) willeth, He leaveth to wander, whom He willeth, He placeth on the way that is straight.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   6)

Islam: 87. “To them and to their fathers, and progeny and brethren: We chose them. And We guided them to a straight way.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   6)

Islam: 116. “Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the Way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie.” 117. “Thy Lord knoweth best who strayeth from His Way. He knoweth best who they are that receive His guidance.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   6)

Islam: 153. “Verily, this is My Way, leading straight: follow it: follow not (other) paths: they will scatter you about from His (great) path: thus doth He command you that ye may be righteous.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   6)

Islam: 1. “Alif Lam Ra. A Book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light — by the leave of their Lord — to the Way of (Him) Exalted in Power, Worthy of all Praise!”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  14)

Islam: 41. “(Allah) said: ‘This (Way of My sincere servants) is indeed a Way that leads straight to Me.”’

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  15)

Islam: 12. “They call on such deities, besides Allah, as can neither hurt nor profit them: that is straying far indeed (from the Way)!”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  22)

Islam: 117. “And We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear;” “And We guided them to the Straight Way.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  37)

Islam: 43. “So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee: verily thou art on Straight Way.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  43)

Islam: 18. “Then We put thee on the (right) Way of Religion: so follow thou that (Way), and follow not the desires of those who know not.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  45)

Islam: 3. “We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  76)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 43. “And they shall thenceforth in their doings walk after the way of holiness, after the word of holiness, after the ordinance of holiness.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Vendidad 4)

 Zoroastrianism: 29. “The soul enters the way.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Vendidad 19)

 Zoroastrianism: 5. “I who would invoke thy Obedience as the greatest of all at the Consummation, attaining long life, and the Dominion of Good Thought, and the straight ways into Right, wherein Mazda Ahura (God) dwells.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 33)

 Zoroastrianism: 13. Even that way of Good Thought, O Ahura, of which thou didst speak to me, whereon, a way well made by Right, the Daena of the future benefactors shall pass to the reward that was prepared for the wise, of which thou art determinant, O Mazda.

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 34)

 Zoroastrianism: “O Zarathushtra! Let him show them the way of holiness, let him show them at once the way thereto, which the Law of the worshippers of Mazda enters victoriously. Thus the soul of man, in the joy of perfect holiness, walks over the bridge, known afar, the powerful Chinvat-bridge, the well-kept, and kept by virtue.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments)

 Zoroastrianism: Denkard. Zoroaster, “Sovereignty, devotion, protection of the poor, keeping cattle at liberty, and many other truly meritorious actions as well as the gifts pertaining thereto, are the result of the good religion, whereby the people, who are obedient unto God, are said to be of the good ways.”

 HINDUISM: “Take the way of utmost blessedness.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 8)

 Hinduism: “I am Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Ved; The Way, the Fosterer, The Lord, the Judge. (I am…..The Way).”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 9)

 Hinduism: “Wisdom He is And Wisdom’s way, and Guide of all the wise, Planted in every heart.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 13)

 Hinduism: “This is the way, this is the immortal, this is union, and this is bliss.”

(Hindu Upanishads vol. 2, Maitrayana-Brahmaya-Upanishad)

 Hinduism: 1. “HE in the ancient way by strength engendered, lo! straight hath taken to himself all wisdom.”

(Hindu Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 1)

 Hinduism: 7. “Immortal, Sacrificer, God, with wondrous power He leads the way, Urging the great assembly on.”

(Hindu Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 3)

 BUDDHISM: 20. “This indeed is the Way – there is no other – for the purification of one’s vision. Follow this way. It leads to Mara’s confusion.” “Following this Path you will put an end to suffering. I have taught you the Way after realizing the removal of the arrow myself.” “Making the effort is your affair. The Buddhas have pointed out the Way. Those who are on the way and practicing meditation will be freed from Mara’s bonds.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: 11. “The good teaching knows not decay. Indeed, the good teach the good in this way.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: 20. “This is the only way; None other is there for purity of vision. Enter upon this path.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: “He who takes refuge within himself must first get rid of the evil-mind and the jealous-mind, the flattering and crooked-mind, deceit, and falsehood, and fallacious views, egotism, snobbishness, contemptuousness, arrogance, and all other evils that may arise at any time, To take refuge within ourselves is to be always on the alert to prevent our own mistakes and to refrain from criticism of other’s faults. He who is humble and patient on all occasions and is courteous to every one, has truly realized his Mind-essence, so truly in fact that his Path is free from further obstacles. This is the way to take refuge in (the Buddha of) oneself.” (Buddha, Sixth Patriarch)

 SABEANISM: “If he to whom I speak listeneth and he to whom I call is established (in the faith) and is knit into the communion of Life and built into the great fabric of Reality, I will take his hand and be his saviour and guide to (the way) the great Place of Light and to the Everlasting Abode.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 18)

Sabeanism: “Thou hast shown us that which the eye of man hath not seen, and caused us to hear that which human ear has not heard. Thou hast freed us from death and united us with life, released us from darkness and united us with light, led us out of evil and joined us to good. Thou hast shown us the Way of Life and hast guided our feet into ways of truth and faith so that Life cometh and expelleth darkness and goodness cometh and casteth out evil. (Like) the mingling of wine with water, so may Thy truth, thy righteousness and thy faith be added to those who love Thy name of Truth, And Life be praised.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 45)

Sabeanism: “Thou hast laid down a road (the way) for sincere and believing men to the Place of Life.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- 53)

Sabeanism: “To behold the Great One in the House of Perfection. As They called them and they answered not, When they call, who will answer them? Because it was given to them but they took not, Who will give to them when they ask? They hated the Way of Life and its Abode But loved the abode of the wicked. And lo! in the abode of the wicked Will they be held captive.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 90)