| 1 |
Pitanje: – Koliko ima vrsta Proroka? |
Question.—How many kinds of Prophets are there? |
| 2 |
Odgovor: – Općenito, postoje dvije vrste Proroka. Jedno su neovisni Proroci, Koje drugi slijede, dok druga vrsta nije neovisna i oni su i sami sljedbenici. |
Answer.—Universally, the Prophets are of two kinds. One are the independent Prophets Who are followed; the other kind are not independent and are themselves followers. |
| 3 |
Neovisni Proroci zakonodavci su i utemeljitelji novog ciklusa. Njihova pojava svijet odijeva u novo ruho, a uspostavljaju se temelji religije i otkriva se nova knjiga. Bez posrednika Oni primaju darove od Stvarnosti Božanstva, a Njihovo svjetlo je suštinsko svjetlo. Nalikuju suncu koje je svijetlo samo po sebi: svjetlo je njegova suštinska potreba; ono ne prima svjetlo ni od jedne druge zvijezde. Ta Mjesta Osvita jutra Jedinstva vrela su darežljivosti i zrcala Biti Stvarnosti. |
The independent Prophets are the lawgivers and the founders of a new cycle. Through Their appearance the world puts on a new garment, the foundations of religion are established, and a new book is revealed. Without an intermediary They receive bounty from the Reality of the Divinity, and Their illumination is an essential illumination. They are like the sun which is luminous in itself: the light is its essential necessity; it does not receive light from any other star. These Dawning-places of the morn of Unity are the sources of bounty and the mirrors of the Essence of Reality. |
| 4 |
Ostali Proroci su sljedbenici i promotori, jer oni predstavljaju izdanke i nisu neovisni; oni primaju darove od neovisnih Proroka i koriste se svjetlom Vodstva univerzalnih Proroka. Poput mjeseca su, koji nije svijetao i ne zrači sam po sebi, već prima svoje svjetlo od sunca. |
The other Prophets are followers and promoters, for they are branches and not independent; they receive the bounty of the independent Prophets, and they profit by the light of the Guidance of the universal Prophets. They are like the moon, which is not luminous and radiant in itself, but receives its light from the sun. |
| 5 |
Objave univerzalnog Proroštva Koje su se neovisno pojavile jesu, na primjer, Abraham, Mojsije, Krist, Muhamed, Báb i Bahá’u’lláh. U ostale koji su sljedbenici i promotori, ubrajaju se oni poput Salomona, Davida, Izaije, Jeremije i Ezekiela. Naime, neovisni su Proroci utemeljitelji; oni uspostavljaju novu religiju i od ljudi čine nova stvorenja; oni mijenjaju opća moralna načela, promiču nove običaje i pravila, obnavljaju ciklus i Zakon. Njihova je pojava poput proljeća, koje zaodijeva sve zemaljske stvari novim ruhom i daje im novi život. |
The Manifestations of universal Prophethood Who appeared independently are, for example, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Muḥammad, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. But the others who are followers and promoters are like Solomon, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. For the independent Prophets are founders; They establish a new religion and make new creatures of men; They change the general morals, promote new customs and rules, renew the cycle and the Law. Their appearance is like the season of spring, which arrays all earthly beings in a new garment, and gives them a new life. |
| 6 |
Glede druge vrste Proroka koji su sljedbenici, oni također promiču Zakon Božji, obznanjuju Religiju Božju i objavljuju Njegovu riječ. Oni sami po sebi nemaju snage i moći osim onoga što primaju od neovisnih Proroka. |
With regard to the second sort of Prophets who are followers, these also promote the Law of God, make known the Religion of God, and proclaim His word. Of themselves they have no power and might, except what they receive from the independent Prophets. |
| 7 |
Pitanje: – Kojoj kategoriji pripadaju Buda i Konfucije? |
Question.—To which category do Buddha and Confucius belong? |
| 8 |
Odgovor: – Buda je također uspostavio novu religiju, a Konfucije je obnovio moralna načela i drevne vrline, no njihove su institucije posve uništene. Vjerovanja i obredi budista i konfucijanista nisu se nastavili u skladu s njihovim temeljnim učenjima. Utemeljitelj budizma bio je divna duša. On je uspostavio Jednost Boga, međutim, kasnije su izvorna načela Njegovih učenja postupno nestajala, a iz neznanja nicali i rasli novi običaji i ceremonije, sve dok napokon nisu prerasli u obožavanje statua i slika. |
Answer.—Buddha also established a new religion, and Confucius renewed morals and ancient virtues, but their institutions have been entirely destroyed. The beliefs and rites of the Buddhists and Confucianists have not continued in accordance with their fundamental teachings. The founder of Buddhism was a wonderful soul. He established the Oneness of God, but later the original principles of His doctrines gradually disappeared, and ignorant customs and ceremonials arose and increased until they finally ended in the worship of statues and images. |
| 9 |
Obratite pažnju na to da je Krist često ponavljao da treba slijediti Deset zapovijedi iz Petoknjižja i inzistirao na tome da ih se treba pridržavati. Od tih Deset zapovijedi jedna kaže: “Ne obožavaj nikakve slike.”132 Danas u nekim kršćanskim crkvama postoje mnoge slike i slikarije. Stoga je jasno i očito da Religija Božja ne održava svoja izvorna načela među ljudima, nego se ona postupno mijenja sve dok ne bude posve uništena. Stoga se otkrivenje obnavlja te se uspostavlja nova religija. Ali kad se religije ne bi mijenjale, ne bi bilo potrebe za obnovom. |
Now, consider: Christ frequently repeated that the Ten Commandments in the Pentateuch were to be followed, and He insisted that they should be maintained. Among the Ten Commandments is one which says: “Do not worship any picture or image.”132 At present in some of the Christian churches many pictures and images exist. It is, therefore, clear and evident that the Religion of God does not maintain its original principles among the people, but that it has gradually changed and altered until it has been entirely destroyed and annihilated. Because of this the manifestation is renewed, and a new religion established. But if religions did not change and alter, there would be no need of renewal. |
| 10 |
U početku drvo bijaše u svoj svojoj ljepoti, prepuno cvjetova i plodova, da bi konačno ostarjelo i postalo jalovo, uvelo i trulo. Zato Istinski Vrtlar ponovno sadi neusporedivo mlado drvo iste vrste, koje raste i razvija se iz dana u dan, širi bogatu sjenu u božanskom vrtu i rađa zadivljujućim plodovima. Tako je i s religijama; protjecanjem vremena one se mijenjaju u odnosu na svoj izvorni temelj, istina Religije Božje posve odlazi, a njezin duh ne ostaje; pojavljuju se hereze te ona postaje tijelo bez duše. Zato se obnavlja. |
In the beginning the tree was in all its beauty, and full of blossoms and fruits, but at last it became old and entirely fruitless, and it withered and decayed. This is why the True Gardener plants again an incomparable young tree of the same kind and species, which grows and develops day by day, and spreads a wide shadow in the divine garden, and yields admirable fruit. So it is with religions; through the passing of time they change from their original foundation, the truth of the Religion of God entirely departs, and the spirit of it does not stay; heresies appear, and it becomes a body without a soul. That is why it is renewed. |
| 11 |
To znači da budisti i konfucijanisti sada štuju slike i slikarije. Oni uopće ne mare za Jednost Boga i vjeruju u izmišljene bogove poput drevnih Grka. No, u početku nije bilo tako; načela i zapovijedi bili su drugačiji. |
The meaning is that the Buddhists and Confucianists now worship images and statues. They are entirely heedless of the Oneness of God and believe in imaginary gods like the ancient Greeks. But in the beginning it was not so; there were different principles and other ordinances. |
| 12 |
Promislite opet o mjeri u kojoj su zaboravljena načela Kristove religije, i tome koliko se krivovjerja pojavilo. Na primjer, Krist je zabranio osvetu i grijeh; nadalje, On je naredio da se dobronamjernošću i milošću uzvraća na uvredu i zlo. Uvidite koliko je među samim kršćanskim narodima bilo krvavih ratova i koliko je bilo ugnjetavanja, okrutnosti, lakomosti i krvožednosti! Mnogi su od tih ratova vođeni na zapovijed papa. Time je jasno i očito da su se religije tijekom vremena potpuno izmijenile. Zato se obnavljaju. |
Again, consider how much the principles of the religion of Christ have been forgotten, and how many heresies have appeared. For example, Christ forbade revenge and transgression; furthermore, He commanded benevolence and mercy in return for injury and evil. Now reflect: among the Christian nations themselves how many sanguinary wars have taken place, and how much oppression, cruelty, rapacity and bloodthirstiness have occurred! Many of these wars were carried on by command of the Popes. It is then clear and evident that in the passage of time religions become entirely changed and altered. Therefore, they are renewed. |
