If you hold your head up in pride,
You arrogance will draw everyone away,
and you will hold up your head before no one,
Only to droop it down in
loneliness,
If you keep your gold to yourself,
In your vault it will remain,
And continue to be useless,
If you exercise power and dominance over others,
Their hearts will cry out in
freedom,
And at the first opportunity they will break away
Leaving you with no power, and alone
If you help a
child get an
education,
You will bring light where there was ignorance,
you will help them, and their children,
and they will thank you throughout their lives,
When then lieth happiness?
In
selfishness or other centeredness?
"And the honor and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world's multitudes should become a source of social good. Is any larger bounty
conceivable than this, that an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight."
-- `
Abdu'l-Bahá,
The Secret of Divine Civilization