EVIL
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, (1912), Bahá'í Publishing Trust · Read original
Studio narration for this story is coming — it’ll be generated by the cloud-TTS pipeline (voice: auto-selected from the source author).
When in Bahá'í history
Paris (today: Paris, France)
‘What is evil?’
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.—‘Evil is imperfection. Sin is the state of man in the world of the baser nature, for in nature exist defects such as injustice, tyranny, hatred, hostility, strife: these are characteristics of the lower plane of nature. These are the sins of the world, the fruits of the tree from which Adam did eat. Through education we must free ourselves from these imperfections. The Prophets of God have been sent, the Holy Books have been written, so that man may be made free. Just as he is born into this world of imperfection from the womb of his earthly mother, so is he born into the world of spirit through divine education. When a man is born into the world of phenomena he finds the universe; when he is born from this world to the world of the spirit, he finds the Kingdom.’
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks (Bahá'í Publishing Trust). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19284.
Discuss this story
For adults
- Where do justice and patience meet in this story?
- How does this story illustrate the practice of justice?
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
For teens
- What is one quality you'd want to carry forward from this account?
- Which line in this story surprised you the most?
Reflection
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
- What single image from this story will stay with you?
- How does justice show up in your life right now — and where is it being asked of you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "EVIL" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
'Abdu'l-Bahá. (1912). *Paris Talks*. Bahá'í Publishing Trust. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19284/pg19284-images.html
Record yourself reading this story
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