Transcription of the 14th Valley CD

The Transcription of the Valley 14

Part 1

In the name of God,
"We begin the session by drawing strength from the Absolute Power."
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the guardian of this session.
Hello, Hossein.
I ask the session secretary to present a summary of the previous session and announce today's agenda.
Hello, friends. I am Zahra, a traveler.
Today, the ninth session of the fourteenth term started at 9:00 a.m. under the leadership and guardianship of Mr. Hosseins Dezhakam, with myself, Zahra, as the secretary, and with the agenda of the Fourteenth Valley. (Applause)
Thank you, Ms. Zahra. Now, before discussing the valley, let me take a moment to thank Ms. Zahra because she is an excellent secretary. When I arrive in the morning at 7:00 or 7:15, she is already standing at the door, organizing and preparing everything here. This is something that future secretaries should learn from. She arranges everything so that the session can take place smoothly.
Now, let's move on to the Fourteenth Valley: "Love or Affection." I am happy that the Fourteenth Valley has concluded; in fact, not only has the Fourteenth Valley ended, but all the valleys have been completed. Interestingly, the Fourteenth Valley finished precisely on the fourteenth day of Esfand (the twelfth month in the Persian calendar). The size of the Fourteenth Valley is almost twice that of the Thirteenth Valley because it serves as the conclusion and summary of all the valleys, ultimately leading to the concept of love and affection.
If we carefully examine all divine religions from a different perspective, we can see that they are all based on love and affection. There is no divine or Abrahamic religion that is not founded on love and affection. We may interpret them in various ways, but their core message has always been to convey these principles to humanity and guide people on this path. All divine religions seek love and affection.
If you look at our holy book, the Quran, it contains 114 surahs, and every single one of them begins with "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim" (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). This means that all speech and expressions begin with mercy and compassion—with love. God is loving and merciful. However, sometimes when we say “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim [بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم],” we simply recite it without truly reflecting on its depth and meaning.
Sometimes, people say things without truly understanding the depth of their words. There was once a villager who, every night, would go to his barn at midnight to feed his cow. He would give it hay, water, and check on it before returning home. One night, as usual, he went into the barn, placed the hay and water in front of his cow, and left—unaware that a lion had already devoured his cow and was now sitting in its place. With complete calmness, he laid down the food and walked away. The next morning, when he returned to the barn, he was horrified to see blood everywhere—his cow had been torn apart and eaten. That’s when he realized that the previous night, he had unknowingly stood before a lion and placed food in front of that lion.
Sometimes, words or their meanings are just like this story. We assume they are light and insignificant, with no real weight or impact. But if we truly understood the power hidden behind them, we might be utterly shaken. That’s why we don’t grasp the immense meaning behind phrases like Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). If we knew what lay behind these words, we might be completely stunned on the spot. Instead, we simply say them and move on.
The Fourteenth Valley begins with a message of love because, in my personal belief, it represents Tawhid [oneness of God, the concept of monotheism in Islam] and reaching the final stage of spiritual realization. Scholars have interpreted this concept in various ways, but one of the key interpretations is that the path of love and affection, when fully realized, can be synonymous with Tawhid—oneness and unity.
I will now briefly read from the message of love:
“Love is the only true existence; all else are empty containers.” This means that what truly exists, what has value and is worth believing in, is love. Anything else is just an empty container—meaningless and hollow. Here, “containers” symbolize people. A person without love within them is like an empty container—void of real worth and it is truly the case.
If a person possesses everything—wealth, resources, knowledge, education—but lacks love, they are essentially just an empty container.
Then, the text continues:
“What I say is not my own words.”
The narrator emphasizes that these are not his personal words. Sometimes, a grocer says something, and it holds a certain value for you. Other times, a university professor speaks about a specific issue, such as physics. When a grocer says something, it has one meaning; when a worker says it, it has another meaning; when a high school graduate says it, it has yet another meaning. But when someone with a PhD or a physics professor, like Albert Einstein, says the same thing, it carries a completely different significance. These are not the same. The speaker here says, these are not my own words, I am not saying, “Love is the only true existence; all else are empty containers.” He means, as a person, he doesn’t have much importance or value.
These words belong to someone who rules or governs the infinite universe and existence. In other words, it could convey the idea that these words are like the words of God—I am speaking on behalf of Him or someone else who is extremely valuable, elevated, and powerful.
The issue I am addressing is this: “There is someone within the vastness of existence, and believing in them is not something everyone can do.” That means not everyone is capable of believing in this. “Unless those who understand its meaning—what it truly is.” They must grasp the meaning, comprehend the concept, and recognize whose message this is or what that being is and how the system operates.
Not everyone can comprehend the depth of these words [of the Love Message]; only those who truly understand their meaning can believe in them.
Then comes a crucial statement:
"Set the chariots in motion across the infinite, for the guardians of the Heavens need to know what happens on Earth."
This suggests that Earth and the heavens are interconnected. It is not a one-way system where commands only come from above [the heaven] to below [the earth]. While divine instructions descend upon Earth, there is also a return flow. This return is vital because the responses from Earth influence the next course of action from above.
When a command is given from the higher realms, it must be executed. Once executed, its results must be sent back to the heavens. Those results are essential for shaping the next directive.
This means that human actions on Earth can influence the infinite existence. The knowledge and discoveries we gain here are tested on Earth and then, the knowledge or science is sent back to the heavens, whose residents need it as well. This is a reciprocal process—it is not a one-way system where only Earth depends on the heavens; the heavens also rely on Earth.
Thus, for the guardians of the Heavens, it is crucial to understand what happens on Earth.
“Tear apart what seems impossible to tear apart.”
This phrase means that you have to explore what appears to be unbreakable, unsolvable, or impossible. For example, addiction once seemed impossible to dissect—it was thought to be a permanent, unsolvable issue. But eventually, addiction was studied, understood, and solutions were found. Even the atom, once believed to be indivisible, was split. All of them were sciences which were split. It means whatever seems impenetrable, is divisible.
To "tear apart" means to open up, to examine, and to uncover. It suggests that whatever you thought impossible to solve has a solution. We must search for this solution, create a path toward it, and refuse to accept that something is unsolvable. If we look deeply, we realize that in all of existence, there is nothing truly impossible to break through.
People often say, “This problem has no solution,” but every problem has a solution. The text then goes further and to emphasize that it is possible to take apart hard and unbreakable things like a stone, it says:
“Even within stone, go deep and separate its elements.”
A stone might appear to be just a solid rock, but inside, there could be iron, gold, or diamond veins waiting to be extracted..
The concept of breaking a solid stone has two meanings:
1. Breaking through scientific and intellectual barriers—solving problems, finding solutions, and making discoveries.
2. Breaking through hardened hearts—hearts that are as dark and solid as stone. Even these hearts can be softened, opened, and transformed. Doing so is an art.
Then, the text continues:
“When beliefs merge with true love, we begin to feel the meaning of love, and those who are around you but never love others are like empty containers.”
This means that when our faith and convictions are infused with genuine love—the love which does not exist based on contracts, or [carnal] touch, nor on superficial words, money, status, and body—later on, I talk about it more.
“Real love is not tied to body, or even the soul itself”
I will talk about it. When love exists just for the sake of love, only then can we gradually begin to experience its true meaning.
The passage also emphasizes:
“Those who are around you but never love others”
In a family, everyone may physically be present—spouses, children, siblings, friends—but are they truly present in love? That is the real question. Being present in a relationship does not mean just existing—it means being emotionally available and connected through love.
Titles such as father, mother, sibling, friend, lover, or spouse are just words. These titles have no real meaning unless they are filled with genuine love. If love exists, these relationships have value; if not, they are just empty labels.
Without love, people may live together, eat together, and carry out their daily routines, but their interactions may be filled with arguments, criticism, and even resentment.
For example, the man might say, “I am struggling with debt—please help me.” And instead of offering support, his spouse responds, “That's your fault! Why weren’t you careful? Why did you run up debt?”
He is asking for help saying Help me! Find a solution to pay off this debt.
Not only do you offer no help in paying off the debt, but you also bombard him with harsh criticism, questioning why he even got into debt in the first place! This is what happens in some systems—when someone shares their problem with us, instead of offering help, we attack them, blaming them for creating the problem themselves.
He says, “ I'm hungry, give me a piece of bread to eat.” Right now, at this moment. First, give him a piece of bread to eat, and then you can advise or guide him! But instead, we say, “It's your own fault! Make hay while the sun shines:” in Persian, its equivalent idiom is “Didn’t you think about winter when you were joyfully chirping in the summer?” For example, instead of offering something to eat, we criticize the person asking them: “Why did you become hungry?” We find a thousand faults and criticisms, yet we do not help him in his hunger.
This is an example of an empty container—if the container were full, we would say, "Here, take a piece of bread, eat first," and then we would guide him.
You see, in family systems and such matters, instead of finding a solution to the problem, people often criticize. For example, someone says, “I am in debt by ten million tomans.” A real response could be, “Alright, I can’t give you ten million, but here’s five million. When will you pay me back? How do you plan to solve this?” But instead, the conversation shifts to a blame.
This shows that the container is empty—because if someone truly loves another person, even if that person has made a mistake, even if the mistake was intentional, they will still try to help them in some way.
Well, if you remember, at the end of the Thirteenth Valley, the Inhabitants ask the Successor to speak of Love:
But the Successor responds: "Love is a valley that I must speak about in the next stage; right now, I am not capable of talking about love. I need to take a breath and seek help from the Absolute Power."
He acknowledges that he cannot do this alone—he must seek permission from the Absolute Power.
"The Inhabitants stand in line, row by row."
The scene continues—the inhabitants of the heavens stand in rows, all waiting.
"They await the return of the successor, so that he comes back to his position after taking a breath, ready to respond, [to talk about love]."
A certain atmosphere is being depicted. At the beginning of reading the 14th valley, most valleys paint a mental image—one that helps a person grasp the situation.
"The successor enters through the door."
The Successor enters because they have been waiting for him—he had left to seek guidance, and now he returns.
"He is accompanied by three Guardians and the Spirit."
This time, when the successor returns and is ready to discuss love, he is no longer alone—he is accompanied by three guardians and the spirit.
Here, spirit refers to something like the Holy Spirit. As the poet says:
“If the grace of the Holy Spirit assists once again,
Even others may do what the Messiah did.” [this is a verse of poem by Hafez Shirazi, the great Iranian poet].
This Spirit represents the angel of wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment, and it accompanies them.
"The Successor takes his place."
He enters the position where he had previously engaged in questioning and answering.
"Silence fills the room."
A complete and absolute silence takes over.
“Some of the inhabitants are filled with both eagerness and anxiety.”
They are eager to hear him speak, yet anxious at the same time. It is a stage where excitement and nervousness come together—they long to see him but also feel a sense of trepidation.
"They are also filled with intoxication [of love] and wonder."
Here, intoxication (Sukr) does not refer to physical drunkenness (like alcohol), but they are overwhelmed by wonder and surprise.
Wonder (ḥayrat) means amazement—they are astonished, especially by the presence of the guardians who have accompanied the Successor.
“They look at the successor and his companions with awe.”
The successor greets everyone and says:
"Hello! (In this position) I am ready."
I am ready to respond.
The Inhabitants say:
“It was agreed that you would speak of love and affection.”
The Successor replies:
"Very well. In the name of the human being, who is a drop from the ocean of Absolute Power..."
Here, he emphasizes that every human being—all of us—are but a drop from the great ocean of God. A human who truly embodies this essence has reached a [high spiritual] rank.
"I begin my words."
But then he adds:
"However, since the end of every point is the beginning of another line..."
This is the title of the previous valley, today, a new path is about to start.
“Since the end of every point is the beginning of another line, today, another line will [inevitably ] begin.”
“And a great branching will take place.”
This refers to a major division or expansion. Earlier, it was mentioned [in the 11th valley] that:
“When light was pregnant with darkness, it gave birth to its own child.”
The same hold true here, something new is about to emerge today—a significant branching, a new expansion will take place. The successor will soon explain what this branching means.
The Successor continues, “And since the subject of love and affection is so vast, immense, and full of secrets and mysteries, three guardians will accompany me.”
Here, he makes it clear that since the discussion of love is too grand to tackle alone and since it is filled with deep secrets and mysteries, he alone cannot break open this shell. I am not capable of speaking on such an immense topic by myself. That is why I need assistance from the Absolute Power of God.
Earlier, he had already said:
“I must seek help from the Absolute Power, as I cannot do this alone.”
Now, he reiterates that since this subject is far too vast, and I myself am not able to solve it, three guardians are going to assist me.
“Each of them will, in turn, deliver a discourse.”
Each guardian will give a speech one after the other.
A Khatabe [sermon] refers to a structured speech on an important subject—in this case, love.
"And throughout all stages, as always, the spirit will guide us with its unique gentleness and mechanism, through inspiration and revelation."
Although the three guardians will speak, the Spirit will always be present—guiding and inspiring them.
As the poet says:
“If the grace of the Holy Spirit assists once again,
Even others may do what the Messiah did.”
“Therefore, I request the guardians to take their positions in the order they find appropriate and deliver their speeches.”
He does not dictate who should speak first or second; instead, he leaves it up to them:
At this moment, the Successor exchanges his place with one of the guardians, and the guardian takes the position.
The successor steps aside, and one of the guardians moves into his place—the guardian who is about to speak.
“In the sacred name of the Absolute Power, which means in the name of God Himself, Hello, I am Sardar, a Guardian."
He introduces himself.
The inhabitants respond:
“Hello!”
Sardar says:
"I am happy that an opportunity has arisen for me to be with you..."
He expresses his joy at having the chance to be present among them.
“And to speak with you and deliver my speech”
“So, to make the best use of this opportunity, I will begin the main topic without any introduction.”
He states that since he has been given this chance, he will not waste time on introductions but will immediately get to the heart of the matter.
________________________________________
His speech begins here:
“For those who do not feel well...”
We do not speak of those who feel well.
This refers to those who are in a state of suffering, distress, or immersed in negativity.
“For those who do not feel well, there are only two options.”
For those whose state of being is troubled, there are only two possible paths:
1. “Either they join the righteous forces that seek truth and justice...”
They must purify and reform themselves, follow the straight path, and align themselves with positive and divine forces.
2.  Or they wait..."
If they do not align with the righteous forces, they can only wait for ...
“They have to wait for the destructive and restraining forces to lead them, with a great whirlwind, into the depths of darkness.”
This means that if they accepted the righteous path, it will be ok, otherwise, if they do not choose the path of righteousness, they have to wait so that the destructive and deterrent forces pull them to the depth of darkness—like a powerful storm carrying them into the abyss.
This signifies that if one remains in negativity, does the negative actions for the second time, and continues doing anti-values, the process of destruction will start automatically and the great whirlwind leads them to the depth of darkness.
________________________________________
He continues:
“So that you may fully understand...”
He says in order to make you fully understand the matter.
“So that you may truly grasp how the world and the worlds revolve around key points and to what these pillars are connected, and how human transformations begin and are completed.”
He says, so that you may truly grasp how the world and the worlds revolve around key points…
He says in order for you to know that how the world and worlds revolve around, it means to know how the worlds keep going and how they manage their affairs 
How are the world and the worlds revolving within itself? When we say it comes into rotation, we do not mean the rotation of the Earth merely; rather, we are referring to how the Earth itself is structured. “How the world and worlds”—this does not only mean the Earth but all Worlds. “How are all the Worlds in rotation on key points? and where are their pillars connected?” On what foundation are they connected? On what basis can they continue their own rotation—that is, how they continue their life, existence, or system. Or how human beings are transformed? How the transformations of humans start and continue? What causes transformations to occur in humans? We must say, the “Opposites”.
Opposites mean contrasts.
So, what sets the world in motion? What drives human transformation, what causes human movement, and what changes human essence? What are the pillars that hold and sustain this motion?
It is opposites.
Even though it may not be immediately apparent, it is opposites that create movement.
What are opposites?
"Opposites are darkness and light, white and black, truth and falsehood, fear and courage, humility and pride, kindness and anger, love and hatred."
These are opposites.
Now, he says:
"Opposites are like an impulse."
Opposites function like a shock, a jolt, a forceful push.
For what purpose?
“To awaken human beings.”
Just as a person stays awake at night if they fear being attacked, or remains alert to protect their belongings, opposites serve as a force to awaken human awareness. It might be the case that your bag has been in you car and someone else emptied it—because you were asleep. You must be awake and watch over your bag.

You must be conscious and alert in all aspects of life—otherwise, you become vulnerable.
A deer in the pasture must remain awake, or else it becomes an easy target. What is its opposite?
Its opposite is the lion, the tiger, the leopard. If the deer only eats and sleeps, it will suffer the consequences and it will fall prey.
Therefore, the deer must be aware and vigilant to prevent the attacks of the lion, the tiger, the leopard.
So, he says:
"Opposites are like an impulse (a shock) to awaken human beings (to keep them alert)."
And at first, it causes great turmoil.
This awakening initially creates an uproar—it stirs chaos, gathers attention, and triggers a great commotion.
“So that humans take up arms and engage in battle with the opposing forces.”
This means that because opposites exist, these opposites cause people to fight against them. It creates an urgent call to action—it is an Allegory with different realizations.
"Because humans..."
Why do people react this way?
"Because an unaware human..."
A person who lacks awareness,
Because a human who is principally unaware to the core, immediately seeks to defend themselves and others.”
Unaware people immediately try to defend themselves and others over the smallest things, against the opposites.
These unaware people intervene. Many examples can be provided here. One person says something to another, and you immediately jump in to defend them or try to do something. An unaware person wants to take action based on their naive principles and confront opposing forces; in other words, they want to eliminate the opposites. A person who is unaware, when confronted with an opposite, tries to remove it completely, causing a commotion.
They take action and become armed and get into conflict with opposing forces; because an unaware person in essence and principles, quickly wants to defend themselves and others. An unaware person reacts quickly. With just a small inconvenience, they immediately react, trying to fix it, and this comes from their lack of awareness. If they were aware, they would wait, think, reflect, and endure; they wouldn’t immediately respond or react, they would be a bit more reserved, and proceed calmly. Most of the time, people mess things up, when they suddenly try to confront opposing forces, their enthusiasm and emotions take over, and they respond in such a way that causes damage, and they can never achieve the right result.
Why?
“But they don’t know that in general, opposing forces are ready to use a thoughtless person’s actions to create a massive movement, one that will divert them from their path and take them toward the opposing forces' own desires.” This is how opposites work: when an unaware person quickly decides to act and eliminate the opposite forces, the opposite forces are not something trivial like a beetroot or a turnip! The opposite also has its own plans and calculations. The opposite forces are waiting for you to make a move, so it can maximize its benefit from your movement. For example, in martial arts, certain techniques rely on using the opponent's own force. For instance, if someone is standing against a wall and the opposing force wants to punch them in the face, the opponent will calmly move their head aside. When they move their head aside, the punch lands on the wall. The harder the punch, the more their bone will break, and their hand will suffer more damage.
It is however somehow good if you want to strike with your fist at his face, sometimes a person attacks with their head, trying to use their head to hit someone’s belly. The other might dodge, and the person’s head hits a concrete wall! The harder the blow, the more their skull will break.
So, as I said, the opposing force, the counter-force, is not like a turnip or beetroot standing still, watching you. It might not seem to take any action outwardly in response to you, but secretly, it makes plans. It draws up a strategy, turning your movement into a reason to attack you, expanding on it, working on it, promoting it, and subtly, in the minds of those involved, it tries to gradually create a massive destruction from within.
So, “but people do not know that the opposing force is ready to make a huge movement from a thoughtless person, directing their overwhelming flood to lead them astray and towards its own desire.”
What is the job of opposites? It says: What do opposites do? “Opposites, from the beginning,” the opposing forces in creation, “are tasked (meaning they have a mission) to create destruction until the end.” The positive and negative forces we are discussing—opposites—this is their job, their program, and their mission: to create destruction.
Their duty is solely to create destruction because it is an impulse; the impulse is like the situation of the [above-mentioned] deer and the tiger. “Opposites are tasked from the beginning to create destruction until the end and to invite the Creation, to invite the Existence, toward corruption and bloodshed.” The job of opposites is to create destruction and invite the Creation toward bloodshed and corruption. This is their work, their mission. It says: Opposites are tasked from the beginning to do this, “but” now there’s a “but.” “The more humans approach wisdom and awareness and the more they learn [instructions] in order to approach completeness, the opposite forces fade and humans gradually move closer to peace and calm.”
The opposite forces are doing their work, and their agents are inviting the Creation toward bloodshed, corruption, and these things because it is an impulse. Now it says, “For unaware humans,” it means this truth is applicable to unaware humans, “but the more humans approach wisdom and awareness and learn instructions to reach completeness, the opposite forces will fade away.”
Now let’s illustrate this—"it’s not that the forces of darkness are a separate and distinct force; they are actually from us! They are from within us. These dark forces [destructive people], which are part of the opposites, can also join the righteous group. They too must be educated. The more these opposing forces are educated, the more they understand themselves, and the more they reach awareness, they separate from the opposing forces and join the true and righteous forces.
Therefore, it’s not that these destructive people remain the same forever. We, too, were once part of the opposing forces. Imagine, we were drug consumers; we were the same, creating destruction, and we were destructors ourselves, but we slowly began to be educated, we reached awareness, distanced ourselves from our Carnal Self, and moved toward the righteous group. Pay attention to this sentence: “But the more humans approach wisdom and awareness, the more these humans move closer to wisdom and awareness, complete themselves, and reach knowledge, the opposing and vicious individuals fade and gradually move toward peace and calm.”
This means that the number of those who were once part of the opposites will diminish, and they will join the true forces. “And the destructive and inhibiting forces will be reduced and approach zero, which is a hard path, but it is possible.” So, as time passes, the destructive and inhibiting forces are reduced. For example, I was once part of the destructive forces and now I have separated from them, reduced them. Each of us, in some way, was part of these destructive forces. When we reach the point of liberation from addiction, destructive or inhibiting forces are reduced and approach zero. “Which is a hard path”, this is a hard task. It is hard for an opposing force to join the righteous group; it is not an easy task. “But it is possible,” and we have seen that this task is indeed possible.
“Waves and All That Are Created by the Permission of the Absolute Power for Evolution and all the forces whose structure began with the divine spirit, gradually find each other from great distances and connect with one another.
It means that that all waves and forces created for the purpose of evolution, even waves—all forces that have been brought into existence, including waves themselves—must come closer together. It explains that all forces whose structure originates from the divine spirit and are positive in nature will find one another from far distances.
“All positive forces whose structure began with the divine spirit gradually find each other from great distances and connect with one another.”
Each of these forces may be in different locations—one here, another there, another somewhere else—completely unaware of each other. Yet, through a series of movements, they gradually discover one another and connect.
Similarly, we ourselves—who are we? Each of us, from different points, from different cities, neighborhoods, and places, were once consumers. But from great distances, following a set of laws, principles, and specific circumstances, we gradually found one another, connected, and gathered together.
"They find each other from great distances and connect. The waves of love and affection also attract each other in the universe."
What does it mean that the waves of love and affection attract each other in the universe? It means that people—because love must exist within human beings—people who possess these qualities, meaning those who have love and affection within them, also find each other.
"And by gathering and attracting one another, they find each other."
By coming together and drawing one another in, they create a path.
"They create a path and find themselves and others who are aligned with them."
Thus, those who possess these qualities—those who have love and compassion —find each other in the universe.

When they find each other by coming together and attracting one another, through this attraction and gathering, they create a line. “They create a line and find themselves and others who are aligned with them.” Those who are aligned with people who share love, humanity, purity, and everything like themselves find each other. “And this grows every day, and the destructive forces decrease.” This means that the true forces, who are full of love and compassion, find others who are aligned with them. Once they find each other, they create a line, and with this line, they constantly attract and grow.
If we want to talk about something like drug addiction, for example, we, who were once in addiction and in the world of darkness, have come out and now it seems as though we have created a line. Where is this line? This line is us. Where is this line? It is in Karaj, it has come here, from here to Abhar, from Abhar to Shadabad, Talghani Park, to Isfahan, to Semnan, to Stockholm (Sweden). So, a line has been created that constantly grows and helps people who are caught in addiction and darkness to join this line and these lines. Once this line is created and this mechanism works, the destructive forces decrease. They keep decreasing because all of us were once part of the destructive forces and now that we have joined the righteous group, the destructive forces keep decreasing. “The repetition and continuity of this process” — now this issue, where the line of righteous people exists and the [positive] forces gather, this line continues and repeats — it “is like” the creation of “clear and pure rivers and oceans.” This movement is connected to the entire universe and the positive forces, and I have given the example of drug addiction as a concrete example so we can understand it.
“The repetition and continuity of this line is like the creation of clear and pure rivers and oceans” — a series of pure and clear oceans and rivers are created “which become the strength or food for the true forces in every part of the world.” The valley reads that the repetition and continuity of this line is like creating large, pure, and clear rivers or oceans in the world, which will nourish the true forces, feeding them. “And when this happens, LOVE, this beautiful word becomes meaningful.” When this happens, that event occurs, love becomes meaningful, “this beautiful word of LOVE becomes meaningful, and everyone will have a good thought and mindset.” When love grows, when it multiplies, everyone will develop a good thought and mindset. “And enmity and hostility will become meaningless.”
When love finds its meaning, gradually, hostility and enmity become meaningless. Just like in the past, we had a lot of hostility and enmity, but now, slowly, those hostilities and enmities have faded. Now, in some situations, we cannot claim that it is entirely gone, but much of the hostility and enmity has diminished. Because, as long as someone holds onto hostility and enmity, the greatest destruction is to the person themselves. Hostility and enmity are not free; they come with a cost, and that cost is heavy. I have used the example many times — perhaps I’ve mentioned it a hundred times by now: one person said to another, “[to punish you], I will take your ear and move you around the world.” The other replied, “Okay, but you have to walk with me too.” When you take someone's ear and plan to walk them around the world, you must walk with them as well! Now, when a person wants to create hostility and enmity, they are also involved in their own destruction too.
“And enmity and hostility become meaningless; because anything [anyone] seeking true meaning can find it in it.” Anything that desires the essence and meaning, can find the true meaning. “Anything that wants to find true meaning in essence will find it, and due to the lack of food, shelter, and many other things, people will not be in opposition to each other.” This means that when true meaning is found, people will not be opposed to each other due to lack of food, shelter, and other needs.
Some people find themselves in opposition to each other simply because they are hungry. When they are hungry and have no food, they will find themselves in opposition to others. When a person has nothing, when they have no food or shelter, they are naturally in opposition. But “if with fairness” — if everything is available to everyone, from justice and fairness — “at least half of what makes them oppose each other will disappear.” If everything is divided fairly, at least half of what causes people to oppose each other will disappear.
If a person has nothing to eat, they will naturally find themselves in opposition. But if they are given a piece of bread, or a roof to sleep under, even a small shelter will make a difference. When they are provided with fairness, half of those things that make them oppose each other will be gone. A person who is hungry will become a treacherous mercenary, they need food, money, and shelter. If a person has nothing, when a mafia group offers them money and food, a house, they will accept, and they will join mafia. Even in the system of Congress 60 we are in, we try to distribute everything fairly, at least among ourselves.
For example, we now divide everything—love, work, and almost everything—fairly. But if this division does not happen, we will all stand against each other. In no time, within a week, we will be completely torn apart because we will be opposing one another.
So, when everything is distributed fairly, [people stop opposing one another]—there are many examples of this, even in human societies—when something is shared justly among everyone, half of the reasons that cause people to take up arms against each other, to fight, or to engage in conflict, disappear. Even, for example...

I usually avoid political discussions, but for instance, if the Palestinians received even half of what they wanted from Israel, the fighting and conflicts would stop. If Israel gave them half of what they wanted, even not all their rights, what they have a legal or rightful claim to, the fighting would end. When you offer nothing, they take up arms. “If everything is available to everyone, at least half of what makes them oppose each other will disappear, and if there is pain, half of their demands will be healed.” If there is pain, at least half of it will be healed. “Or, no harm, no pain will even arise, so no healing is needed.” meaning that when someone, for example, joins a mafia group out of desperation, just providing a little food or sharing what they need will prevent them from joining such groups. When half of their needs are met, they will no longer be part of the mafia. Therefore, no harm, no pain will be caused.
“And what causes them to oppose each other and clash will disappear, and if there is pain or harm, half of their demands will be healed, or no pain will arise at all, so no treatment is needed. “Now, these seeds that were planted with true teachings, which have not fully sprouted yet, will continue to grow and multiply until they become fields that will water themselves.” Right now, the color of these sprouts is milky. He says, the seeds of true teachings, have been planted. “These seeds that were planted with true teachings,” meaning with correct and genuine lessons, “and have not fully sprouted yet,” they haven't fully grown and emerged from the seed, “but they will grow and multiply until they become fields that water themselves.”
This means they will become large fields that sustain themselves, and there's no need for constant care from outside; the fields and their forces will support themselves. “Right now, the color of these sprouts is milky.” Normally, sprouts are green, but when planting wheat, for instance, at the time of Nowruz (Persian New Year), when the first sprouts appear, they are often milky in color before turning green. He says the color of these sprouts is milky. “And after some time, they will become thunderbolts whose message is peace, and this is their sign.” These sprouts will transform into lightning thunderbolts in the world, whose message is peace, not war. In the message of love, it is also mentioned that the streams have flowed. Then it continues: “Their command is not war, but rather giving love to anyone who has light in their being [heart].” This message is clear—this is a symbol of peace, and this is their sign. Their symbol is peace, love, kindness, and caring; it is not war. They no longer fight anyone, because they are entirely composed of peace and calm. “A comprehensive effort” — Yes, let’s conclude with this phrase: “Their message is peace, and this is their symbol.” And that’s it. Thank you for listening to my words until now.

To be continued

Translated by Elahe

Transcription of the CD of the Valley 14,

Part Two
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

With strength drawn from the Supreme Power—Allah—we begin this session.
Greetings friends, I am Hossein, a traveler and the session’s guardian.
Let us take 14 seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty God, in order to free ourselves from our strongest enemy—our own ignorance and lack of awareness.
Thank you, friends.
I now ask the esteemed secretary to present a summary of the previous session and announce today's agenda.
Hello friends, I am Zahra, a traveler. Today is the eleventh session of the fourteenth round, conducted under the guidance and leadership of Master Dezhakam and with myself, Zahra, serving as the session secretary. The topic is “The 14th Valley – Part Two,” and the session commenced precisely at 9:00 AM.
Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler. Today is the 3rd of Farvardin (23 March, 2014), marking the first session for the women travelers. Once again, I extend heartfelt congratulations to everyone on the occasion of Nowruz.
On the first day of Farvardin, many of the Congress 60 members came to exchange Nowruz greetings. Here in Congress 60, everything has an educational dimension—it teaches us traditions, gratitude, and punctuality.
This isn’t about sitting around during the holidays and claiming, “I am older than you; you must come visit me.” Not at all. This tradition has an educational purpose: I want to teach you the value of gratitude.
When we reflect and accept this foundation, we realize the profound lessons Congress 60 has given us. It has rescued us from the terrifying grip of addiction and granted us something that even our parents couldn’t give us—something precious and invaluable.
This is an extremely important point, and we must learn it—because only by learning to be grateful can we absorb other lessons in life. Without it [without valuing others’ efforts], much of life’s wisdom will remain beyond our reach.
It was a wonderful day. I love the members dearly. Many came, each bringing their own energy and spirit. I sincerely hope this year will be a blessed one for everyone. I prayed for each person who came—that God, if He wills, will grant all of their reasonable wishes in the coming year.
Let's now move on to the second part of the Fourteenth Valley, which is the Valley of Love. It is as if all the previous valleys come together and culminate in this one. In this valley, we come to understand that everything is love: God is love, Existence is love, all creatures are manifestations of love. When we truly touch and comprehend this, it is as though we’ve entered the Valley of Unity, as if we have attained monotheism and a deep understanding of God.
I will first read a few lines from earlier in the text to [trigger your minds] and then focus on the part that follows, so the chain of thought remains unbroken.
This passage is a speech delivered by Sardar (Sardar is one of the Guardians and in Persian, it means Commander):
“The waves of love and affection in the universe attract one another.” If love exists, it attracts itself. “That means people who possess such qualities find one another, and through their gathering and mutual attraction, they form a unified line. They find themselves and others who are aligned with them. This movement grows each day, reducing the influence of destructive forces. Its repetition and continuity resemble the formation of clear, pure rivers and oceans—nourishment for true forces in every corner of the world. Then, love—this beautiful word—becomes meaningful, and everyone develops noble thoughts and contemplation. Hatred and hostility lose meaning, because when people truly seek meaning, they find it. And due to the absence of food, shelter, and many other needs, they no longer stand against one another.

If fairness prevails and everything is available for everyone, then at least half of the reasons that drive people to take up weapons against each other would be eliminated.” Here is a point which can be globally considered: “If fairness prevails and everything is available for everyone, at least half of the causes that lead people to fight and take up arms against one another would disappear.” This is a powerful idea that we can apply on a global scale. If everyone had access to basic needs, many of the world’s problems would greatly diminish.
We can apply this not only globally, but also within a single nation, a city, a village, a family—even within an NGO or an office. If there are resources in an office, and they are distributed fairly or at least part of it is partially distributed fairly and not entirely given to one group—conflicts will not arise. The same applies to Congress 60.
Congress 60 isn't a material organization, but let’s suppose everything it has is shared among all its members. Let’s not say everything must follow a rigid rule where nothing goes above or below a fixed line. If at least half of what people need is provided with fairness—if half of justice and half of equality are upheld—then problems simply won’t arise. Problems emerge, as the old saying goes, when “one person eats the whole, and the other eats nothing.” If one person takes everything while others get nothing, that’s where conflict begins.
If you have something and others are starving, eat half and give the rest to them.
But if you try to keep it all for yourself, naturally you’ll end up in a struggle—
and eventually, it will be pulled from your throat.
Sardar mentions: “If fairness prevails and everything is available to everyone, at least half of the reasons that make people stand against one another and take up arms will disappear.” When we look at this statement on a global scale, the term “arms” refers to weapons of war. But when we observe it on a smaller scale—say, within a family—it has the same meaning. For example, if parents treat their children with even a bit of fairness, such as giving one child 1,000 tomans and another 500 or 200, there will be fewer disputes. But if all resources are given to just one child, conflict inevitably arises among the children within that family.
Here, “taking up arms” doesn't mean that the child literally picks up a sword against their parents—it's a metaphor. The child may become rebellious, disobedient, manipulative, destructive, or cause problems.
Now apply this to a workplace: if all the benefits and resources are given to one specific person while the rest of the workers are ignored, how will the others respond? What weapons will they take up? They might begin slacking off, sabotaging operations, causing troubles, or disrupting the workflow.
This is why everything must be distributed with fairness.
If there is pain or suffering, fair distribution can ease half of it—being fair even prevents the suffering altogether, so there will be no pain in need of attention and cure. When resources are shared fairly, the need for healing diminishes, as the wound may never appear in the first place.
Let me give you an example—although it’s a bit difficult to say:
Someone comes to me and says, “I’m in a very bad situation.” I ask, “What kind of situation?” He says, “My car’s engine has burned out. I need 600,000 tomans to fix it.”
I reply, “We don’t have any money in Congress 60; we don’t offer financial help like that.” But hypothetically, let’s say I could personally give him 100 or 200 tomans.
I might say, “Here’s 200. Try to borrow the remaining 400 and sort it out over the next few months.” Even if I can’t solve his entire problem, at least I can reduce his burden and suffering a little.
Now, if we take such actions and fulfill even half of someone’s needs, that pain may not form at all. When you meet someone halfway, they won’t start sabotaging the system or throwing wrenches into the works and making troubles. Because when that happens—when a wrench is thrown in—the machine stops working. But if we help, if we offer partial support, at least that machine keeps running. Otherwise, when help is denied, people metaphorically “take up arms”—and this term represents any reaction or behavior, not just physical violence.
Now, the seeds that were planted through true education—even though they’ve not yet fully sprouted—will multiply and multiply until they grow into farmlands that can water themselves. At this moment, these sprouts are pale, milky in color. They however increasingly grow so that they will irrigate themselves, but now their color is milky.
Here, “farmlands” is a metaphor for the educational teachings that Congress 60 members receive and via which, they are liberated from addiction. Indeed, addiction is a massive problem across the globe today. But like anything else, this rising wave has a limit. As the saying goes, “A fountain that rises will eventually fall.” When the stream of a fountain reaches its peak, it begins to descend.
This writing, and I myself, believe that the rise of drug addiction will also collapse—by its own users. Drug addiction will gradually decline—not because of external efforts, but through the efforts of those who were once lost in the darkness of addiction and have now been liberated from addiction.
If their education is true and sincere, they can gradually, little by little, reduce the wave of drug abusers. These seeds that were planted—they will multiply so greatly that they will become farmlands that water themselves. And right now, these young sprouts are milky.
These days, when certain systems—regardless of the country, whether in Iran or elsewhere—seek to treat individuals with addiction, whether it’s the government or any responsible organization, they inevitably incur costs. Even the organization implementing the treatment must bear financial burdens.
For instance, when the Welfare Organization takes someone in for treatment, it creates an expense for the government. It’s not as simple as going to the Welfare Office and receiving treatment free of charge.
There are real costs involved—for the Ministry of Health, for the coordinating headquarters, for all entities involved. Though it may not be apparent at first glance, treating one person through the public system may cost the government around two or three million tomans. This cost includes medications, which may seem “free,” but the real cost of those medicines is far higher than the subsidized price.
There are also the expenses for doctor visits, psychological consultations, and overall monitoring of the treatment process by the public system. So when we look at the bigger picture, treating a single individual might, on average, costs about two million tomans. If the system aims to treat 100 people, it must allocate 200 million tomans. If it aims to treat 1,000, it needs 2 billion tomans. And if we expand this number further, the total cost for nationwide treatment quickly reaches staggering figures.
These treatment fields [other than Congress 60]—the ones dependent on public systems—are not self-irrigating. That is, they require government funding to survive and function. The government must continually inject money for these “NGOs” to grow and sustain themselves.
Now, let’s turn to NGOs—specifically, healthy and well-functioning NGOs. These organizations do self-irrigate. They do not rely on government funds. Within these NGOs, individuals voluntarily offer services and guidance, helping others reach freedom from addiction, all without spending a single penny from the public budget. No external funding is needed to be injected from the outside the NGO.
Personally, I believe that if an NGO seeks external financial aid, that money becomes tainted. Maybe not strictly “haram,” but at the very least disliked or discouraged. Because an NGO engaged in charitable work must sustain itself and remain self-reliant. If money starts flowing in from outside sources, problems and complications arise. That’s why these “fields or farms”—the branches of Congress 60—are ones that water themselves, both materially and spiritually, and in all other aspects.
Take Isfahan, for example. Before it became a branch, before it became a field, just two or three seeds were planted—meaning two or three guides, for year to a year and a half drove back and forth from Tehran to Isfahan, so that Isfahan branch was formed. Just like planting seeds, eventually the locals in Isfahan reached liberation from addiction, learned what they were required to learn, and today Isfahan is a thriving “field” that irrigates itself, it means it has its own masters, guides, students, border-guards—everything it needs.
The same applies to Arak, Semnan, Abhar, the Shadabad branch, and the Hafez branch. All of them have become fields that sustain themselves, without asking for money from the central branch.
Maybe occasionally, and temporarily, we provide a little help, but in essence, they are independent and self-sufficient. They cover their own expenses. They recruit their own students. They handle all the operations; they take pupils and they do everything needed. In other words, they are truly fields that irrigate themselves. They don’t ask for funds from the government, nor from anyone else. They are fully self-reliant.
These sprouts, at the moment, are milky in color—meaning they have not yet fully emerged or matured. Have you seen how a seedling looks when you plant seeds for Nowruz? [Sabze or seedlings are part of Haft-sin at Nowruz]. At first, it appears pale, whitish—only later does it turn green.
So, the text says: the color of these sprouts is still milky, indicating their early stage of development. But in time, they will transform into bolts of lightning, bringing a message of peace, not war.
These future lightnings carry a single message: peace. Their aim is to serve humanity, to help others, to lead people out of darkness and deliver them from the affliction of addiction. They wage no war against anyone. They are people of peace, full of love, who seek to help others through compassion, peace, and humanity. This all-encompassing effort will gain such strength and capacity that it will become like a gushing flood—yet a calm and steady one. It won’t be a violent flood that destroys everything in its path. Rather, with slow and persistent movement, it will transform barren lands into fertile lands.
The power of these decent people is like the power of a flood, it is strong, but they move gently. This movement turns infertile, lifeless lands—places where nothing grows into lands full of life and productivity.
We can interpret these barren lands as symbolic of individuals—like a person trapped in addiction, who seems entirely unproductive and lost.
Some of them may still function, but yield no real growth or benefit—like soil that gives no harvest.
But through this process, such individuals can become fertile lands. They can flourish in cities, villages, or any corner of society. To give a real example: Take the city of Hidaj. The rate of theft there was so high that only God knows how bad it was.
But when Congress 60 as established in Hidaj, many of those individuals underwent recovery. And the rate of theft dramatically dropped, because people from Hidaj are incredibly hardworking and dedicated. The people of the city are aware, supportive, and truly help one another. Back then, heroin use was rampant. They were heavy smokers of heroin and they stole anything they could get their hands on: irrigation motors from the fields, power generators, and even walnut trees were stripped bare at night. Wherever they found something, they would steal it. But as they say themselves, those days are gone, and theft is now reduced to the bare minimum.
These barren lands will become so fertile that even if stones are planted in them, the stones will break apart, and from within them, and beyond imagination, sprouts will emerge. The meaning of this part is that: These fertile lands, [strong decent individuals], who are formed through changes, will be so potent that even if you plant a rock, it will crumble, and green life will break forth.

As I’ve said before: If Congress 60’s educational system is sound, it's like a millstone that grinds wheat into flour. Even if a few pebbles slip in, the millstone—Congress 60— will grind them too. From such lands, unimaginable sprouts will rise. And then, the earth will become God’s blessed land.
At that point, you will begin to witness—in this world—the very visions you once saw in Nistan (non-Existence, the invisible realm of Existence). You will witness in Existence the things you once beheld in the non-Existence—it means you remember the memories of the Day of Alast, the contents of your [past] archives, the knowledge stored in your Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz)—those unseen truths that once existed only in the metaphysical realm will manifest in your daily life and become visible. In other words, you will see the unseen.

At that time, “Love,” which is the Fourteenth Valley, begins to revolve with such immense force that every single “sphere” within a human being becomes a melody in itself—so delightful that your ears are filled with joy just hearing it. It’s as if there is no evil in the world—because, in truth, there really isn't.
The Fourteenth Valley, which is the Valley of Love, when fully understood and reached, moves with such powerful momentum that every internal sphere in the body changes into a melody. These spheres can symbolize anything: love, Aql or wisdom, faith, thoughts, emotions, even physiology and the physical body itself. Everything can be a sphere, resonating with the harmony of love.
It is said that when love begins to spin and revolve within, a melody arises from it—so beautiful, so harmonious—that your ears rejoice in hearing it. At that moment, you feel as if there is no such thing as evil. And indeed, the truth is just that: there is no evil. Evil does not exist in reality, but we think it exists.
“You feel as if there is no such thing as evil and indeed, the truth is just that: there is no evil.” If a person truly grasps this concept, a profound understanding dawns. Most of the time, when we see people doing immoral or disruptive things, we attribute these wrong behaviors to their wickedness or inferiority. However, this interpretation is completely wrong. People’s wrong doings stem from ignorance and lack of awareness. What we perceive as malevolence is often a manifestation of their unawareness.
Now, here lies a critical misconception we all share. Whenever we speak of “knowledge” or “cognizance,” we often confuse it with “education” or “literacy.” We say, “Oh, he has a bachelor’s degree,” or “She’s a doctor, so she must be knowledgeable.” But education is not the same as awareness. Literacy or academic learning is a form of knowledge in one particular field. For example, I might have a PhD in physics—that gives me specialized knowledge in that field. But socially, I may not have achieved cognizance.
What do we mean by “socially”? It means having understanding across many realms: literature, history, art, love, compassion, affection, religion, theology—and many other things. When we speak of cognizance, we mean a broad, holistic understanding and knowledge across all these domains.
Academic education is just one branch. One may be excellent at reading and writing, fluent in English or French—but this is different from the kind of cognizance we are speaking of.
You might see a street cleaner who has attained a far higher level of cognizance than someone with advanced academic degrees. What does it mean to be cognizant? It means he greets everyone with kindness, treats people warmly, and maintains good relations. If one day he is ill and says, “My leg hurts,” you’ll see ten neighbors rush to help him, take him to the doctor, and even cover his medical bills. If he’s absent from work for two days, people ask about him, wonder what happened. Everyone loves him, and everyone helps him.
On the other hand, there might be someone with a PhD in some field, and if they don’t show up to university, their students say, “Thank God they are absent today! May they break his leg!” Why? Because such a person only sees life from one narrow angle. No matter what you say, he responds, “it is not my problem, that’s your own trouble.”
This has become common now: people saying, “That’s your problem.” We may say it sometimes too, but the intention matters. Some say it with indifference and selfishness; others might say it out of practical necessity. But in their heart, they still care.
When you understand this deeply, you begin to see that such a person [with PhD degree]—so educated, yet so isolated—is actually pitiable. They have spent their whole life pursuing education, earning degrees in one particular field, but their personal life is in ruins. They have no good relationships, no one truly loves him.
But every human being needs love. We need others to love us. If no one loves you, life becomes very difficult—unbearably so. When you reach this understanding, you realize: there is no evil. Even when someone acts out, your heart aches for them instead of resenting them. You feel no hatred or vengeance.
All so-called evil in this world stems from ignorance, from lack of knowledge, or from the absence of cognizance. So if we look deeply, we will see that in truth, there is no evil. People act wrongly only out of their own ignorance.

When the Supreme Power sent forth His words, He summoned all that He had created and was in the process of creating gather for the sake of harmony, and this calling is evident in His speech and sounds. It is as if, through His voice, He seeks to make the entirety of creation known. So observe closely—see what He has done and what He continues to do in perfecting it. When the Supreme Power released His words—when He intended to issue His commands and decrees—to make harmony among creatures, He called all that had been created and all that was in the midst of creation.
For example, you may see the presence of the کراما کاتبین , the Noble Recorders. He summoned all the forces, and this coordination was fully manifested in His words and sounds. It is as though, through His voice—through His speech and sounds—He wishes to reveal creation to us, to make us understand it.
That is to say, the purpose of the Supreme Power’s words—His voice or speech—is to make creation known to us, so that we may come to know it and recognize it. In truth, we do not yet know. Therefore, look carefully—see what He has already done, what He is doing now, and what He is doing to bring it all to completion.

Sardar:
Existence is love and compassion. Sardar says: All of Existence is made of love and compassion. All beings are love; all creatures are love. This is not limited to human beings—it includes all creatures, even those we perceive as fierce or brutal in appearance.
When it is said, “All beings of Existence are love and compassion, even those we perceive as fierce or brutal in appearance” we can interpret this in two ways:
• First, we can interpret “all beings” as humans, those who appear to have hearts of stone, those whose outward demeanor seems harsh and cruel—they too are, at their core, love.
• Second, consider animals. Be it a tiger, a leopard, a lion—creatures we label as predators, whose appearances seem violent—they too are [embodiments of] love.

How fiercely does a lioness defend her cubs? How diligently does a hyena care for her young? How devoted are animals in protecting their kind, their families, their systems of life? So we may apply this both to human beings and to animals.
Thus, it becomes clear: Existence is love and compassion. All creatures are made of love—even those whose outer form appears intimidating or rough.

The seas and oceans are love. The mountains and clouds are carriers of [God’] love for the creation. Yes, the seas and oceans are love—genuinely. Consider how oceans and seas host countless fish within themselves, nourishing them, sustaining life, and allowing Existence to continue.
Without that love and compassion, none of these creatures could survive in the sea.
The sun shines upon the oceans, water vaporizes and rises, forms clouds, transforms into rain, and falls elsewhere to be used by us—this entire cycle is an expression of love and compassion.
So indeed: all of these are love. The mountains and clouds are bearers of love for creation, from which flow the rains we need for life.
There is no other interpretation.

The melodious songs of all birds, the green plains, the water-filled ponds and their inhabitants, the ice formations as clear as crystal—refracting divine light into various colors whose beauty and delicacy render the tongue speechless—all of these bear witness. The air we breathe, which sustains our very lives. Look closely: life is beautiful.
Nature, in all its inner and outer dimensions, reveals wonder. Consider the planets and stars that swirl and dance freely, unattached to anything—for they are connected to the Supreme Power and are guided by Him.
At this point, the meaning becomes clear: God is love Himself. We can have two interpretations from the Persian sentence of "خداوند خود عشق است" we can say: “God Himself is love” or “God is the very essence of love,” and both are equally true. God is love. God is pure love. God is life Himself. Or more precisely:
God is the essence of love, the essence of life, the essence of compassion.
And it is He who has entrusted all that He has created into the hands of His creation—humankind. He has placed the sun above them, so they may live and find their path, and not surrender themselves to the depths of darkness.
Now, why do we say that God is love? Why is God Himself love, God Himself life?
Because all that He has created, He has placed at the service of His creation—humans. Look at the earth, the sky, the seas, the waters, the animals—everything has been made available to us. If any one of these was missing, life would not be possible. If there were no air, no rain, no water, no sun—life would cease to exist.
And yet He has provided all these.
He has placed the sun above us so that we may have daylight, so that darkness may not engulf us, so that plants may be nourished by it, and so that countless other benefits may flourish. He has made the sun a guide—to help us distinguish the path from the pit, and not to be surrendered to the depth of darkness and not to be surrendered to the depth of darkness.
And He is the one who has placed everything He created at the disposal of humankind, appointing the sun to shine above them so that they may live and find their way, and not abandon themselves to the depths of darkness, but rather use whatever [abilities] hidden inside them.
Here “whatever hidden inside us” can take two meanings: one related to the overt dimensions of human beings and the other related to covert dimensions.
Regarding the overt or visible dimensions: the above sentence refers to what lies within our bodies which is not visible to us. We do not see our heart, nor the kidneys, nor any of our internal organs, they are covert to us.
The other interpretation is related to the hidden and invisible aspects of human beings, which are the hidden faculties related to our external senses [as Master Dezhakam puts it, human beings have 11 senses, five internal senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch and the same five external senses, which are activated as we sleep, and the 11th one or the sixth sense is the one which relates the internal senses to the external senses]. Therefore, the five external senses, other aspects of our being, our Archive [whatever we have done in our previous lives] which has been recorded and saved, and the information embedded in us since the Alast Day [the Day of Covenant], all are considered as the hidden or invisible aspects of human beings. All of this exists within us, and yet we are unaware of it. There are countless things within us that we cannot see. We perceive only a sliver of it. God willing, one day I will be able to elaborate more on this. But for now, this much is enough: we perceive only a tiny fraction of the hidden aspects.
If the veil were lifted and we can see whatever we see in our dreams while sleeping, or if we can see whatever imprinted in us since the Alast Day, the Day of Covenant—if these veils were removed, we would be overwhelmed. We would be driven to madness from the sheer magnitude and majesty of what exists within us.
We continue the text from the previous paragraph, He is the one who has placed everything He created at the disposal of humankind, appointing the sun to shine above them so that they may live and find their way, and not abandon themselves to the depths of darkness, but rather use whatever [abilities] hidden inside them. We have to use these hidden abilities—because what lies within us is largely unseen. We perceive only a small portion of it. Even we are not able to perceive the outer world, only a fragment is seen to us. If we consider the entirety of Existence on a grand scale, we see only the tiniest fraction. So much of Existence remains unobserved by us.
Even when it comes to people—we do not truly know them.
We only know a part of their reality, but their inner essence, their inner character, remains unknown to us.

If people make use of what lies within them, though they cannot see it [easily], and also if they perceive what lies outside them, of which they perceive only a little—
and if they reconnect with Existence, always maintaining their bond with the universe, with one heart and one voice, they will attain peace, serenity, and eternal salvation. This means if people reach such awareness, such love, such realization— and if they use the sun above them to reconnect the whole Existence, they will experience peace and serenity.
But we— We are not capable of connecting with the universe.
Even in the simplest, most trivial matters, we grumble and complain: “To hell with this weather—it’s so hot!” “To hell with this rain—it makes everything muddy, it ruins my clothes.” “To hell with this snow—it’s made the roads slippery!” “To hell with this wind—it hurts my eyes, it messes up my hair.” “To hell with this heat, this cold, this breeze, this air conditioner, this apartment, these trees, these pigeons—everything!”
Every little thing, we curse. How, then, can we claim to be in harmony with Existence? How could be able this person to connect with the Existence?
Has anyone experienced actually walking into the rain—without an umbrella—just to feel the rain on their skin, to sit beneath it, to let it fall freely upon them, saying: “I want to experience the rain”?
We almost never do this. Very rarely—perhaps only children still play in the snow.
The rest of us have lost our connection to nature. We go on a picnic by a river or into the forest, and what do we leave behind? Trash, old bottles, torn plastic, discarded packaging—we leave the place polluted and walk away.
I once traveled to the north of the country and saw how the wind had blown plastic bags and paper waste all across the forest. We have corrupted the jungles. Deliberately, to claim the earth for ourselves, we destroy the trees.
The forest authorities say: “You must not cut the trees down. You’ll be fined.” So what do some do? They pour gasoline at the base of a tree, cover it with soil until the tree withers and dies—then say, “It dried up. Now we can cut it down.” This is not connection with the Existence. We have not built a relationship with nature. We flee from the Existence. We dislike the sun, the rain, the snow, the cold, the heat.
We always say: “To hell with this spring—it’s full of pollen that triggers my allergies!” you can see this attitude around the world. We have not made peace with the Existence. “To hell with people—I can't stand their appearance!” It’s always like this. This is what it means to be disconnected from Existence.
We must re-establish our connection with the Existence. All of this—this vast creation—is a gift from God, the Supreme Power, given to us so that we may become of one heart and one voice. That our hearts may be united. That our voices may be in harmony.
We live in the same home, under the same roof— Yet each of us speaks a different language. We do not understand one another. In a family—father, mother, sister, brother—none of them truly understand each other. Their hearts are not united. Each person is in their own world—they are living completely different from one another. Each has a different heart.
However, in these classes or gatherings of Congress 60, we feel even the slightest sense of peace, it is because our languages are beginning to align. I’m not saying we’ve fully unified— But we are getting closer. Our languages are becoming one. Our hearts are slowly beginning to unite, our hearts start beating as one.

Why shall we have one heart and one voice? So that we may reach peace, tranquility, and eternal salvation. Why should we become one heart and one voice?
Because it is the path to peace—so that in our families, workplaces, and society at large, we may live in harmony. Because we are always at war.
When I am talking about war, this does not mean that we get guns or swords. When we speak of peace or war here, it is not about putting down weapons or ceasing armed conflict. That kind of war is trivial. The real war is the war of words, the war of thoughts, the war of ideas. It is the war caused by our failure to be united in heart and language. To achieve peace and tranquility, we must become one heart and one voice so that we may attain salvation.
Know this: here lies a promise— The closed doors that have been shut to humanity will one day open. Those doors that are locked, will be unlocked one day, these locked doors are the hearts forged from a black alloy. The stone-hearts will open one day. What you have sown will grow, and all the fields will turn lush and green. No human will ever again go hungry and die.
It is said: The gates of heaven will open; closed doors will be unlocked.
The destructive forces will gradually diminish—like hearts forged of black stone, like hearts of stone.
What you have planted will flourish, covering the plains in green, making everything vibrant and flourishing. No one will hunger or perish. We must move forward, taking firm steps. The distance from awakening to awareness is not far—and we must move. Humans must strengthen their steps. From awakening to awareness, the distance is short. Sometimes, people are asleep [unaware and ignorant].
Many are still asleep, and may remain unaware for centuries, even thousands of years. But if they awaken, the distance from awakening to awareness is not far. Many people have awakened here in Congress 60, and once awake, the path to awareness is short. But we humans must practice patience. We must be patient.
A fresh new step toward light has been inset for each of us, and we will definitely reach it.
For each one of us, a new step toward light, a merging with illumination, has been written and destined for us. And we will reach it—certainly, we will reach it. Dear ones, my time is up and my speech comes to an end here.
Thank you sincerely for listening to my words.
Until we meet again—farewell.
Here the speaker, Sardar, concludes his speech and bids farewell, saying:
“Thank you for listening to my words.”
Some individuals think that because they speak to people, people must thank them—but here, after finishing his speech, the master, Sardar says, I thank you, because by listening to me, you have shown me kindness, and for that I am grateful. And this is what I do when I conclude my speech in all the sessions.
Then, as a sign of respect to the audience, Sardar lowers his head slightly.
He bows his head gently and leaves the podium. The next guard takes his place, while the audience remains silent, immersed in deep thought and awe.
The speech ends. He bows and leaves the stage. The audience is left amazed, pondering: What just happened? What should we do? What should we avoid? How should we respond? Should we applaud? Should we remain silent? They remain in this state of contemplation as the second speech begins.
The second speech, titled “Waves,” will be saved for the next session. Thank you all very much for listening to my words. I truly appreciate it. So far, we have read up to the second speech titled “Waves.” Thank you, friends.

Translated by Elahe

Part 3

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of Allah, we begin this session. Hello, friends. I am Hossein, the guardian of this session and a traveler.
Hello, Hossein!
 
I kindly ask our esteemed secretary, Ms. Zahra, to present a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda. Hello, friends. I am Zahra, a traveler.

The twelfth session of the fourteenth course, under the guidance and guardianship of Mr. Dezhakam and with myself, Zahra, as the secretary, began at 9:00 a.m. with the agenda “The Fourteenth Valley, Part Three.” Thank you.

Mr. Dezhakam: Thank you, Ms. Zahra. The first Speech by Sardar entitled as “the Opposites” was completed. Now, why was the subject of Opposites discussed? It was in the lecture on love. Because if we do not know what the opposites are, we cannot truly know their counterparts. If we do not know darkness, we cannot know light. If we do not know wrath, we cannot know affection. Therefore, this is why the lecture on the Fourteenth Valley, which concerns love and affection, begins with the subject of love. The second lecture is entitled “The Waves of Love.” Now, I do not know how I present and elaborate on this matter, perhaps as I continue, I can unfold it further.

In the previous valleys, we said that, by the command of God, the waves of love—or particles of love—were awakened within the particles of creation and gave them form. These waves continue to exist. It may seem to us that they are merely theories or hypotheses, but in my belief, these waves are entirely real, external entities. They are not imaginabow
ry or theoretical.
The words expressed here as “waves of love” are not simply poetic devices or artistic metaphors, as when we say someone’s stature is like a cypress, their lips like a bud, their eyebrows like a bow, or their hair’s (length) like lasso—these are all similes. But when we speak of waves of love, in my conviction, they are absolutely real. For instance, we may be sitting somewhere, within a system, and we think about someone. The moment we think of them, that person, without any spoken word, unconsciously receives our waves. Information is exchanged between us without speech.
Thus, whatever passes through my mind and reaches you, these are waves, unseen to the eye, yet emitted by all of us as well. In the “Exercise of Love,” perhaps we will speak about this further. The waves of love are emitted by one person, and the other person receives them. You become a transmitting center. Yet these waves may not be measurable by any device, even though certain brain waves can indeed be measured. Still, when they are emitted and another person receives them, from our perspective, they are undeniably real, with a true external existence.

The second speech is called “Waves.” When the Commander [one of Mr. Dezhakam’s Masters] bows his head in respect to the audience and leaves the podium, the next Guardian takes his place. Here it is explained that the Successor does not decide who should come first, second, or third; this is out of respect, as though these speakers hold higher positions of honor. No one dictates who should step forward; they come in order whenever they choose. Yet this order does not imply that one’s status is higher or lower than another’s. Never view it in such a way, for in my belief, great individuals are like flowers. You cannot compare flowers with one another. One cannot say that the rose, the narcissus, or the tuberose is the most beautiful. They are all flowers, each with its own special beauty: one has a richer color, another a sweeter fragrance, another a finer form, and yet another greater endurance. They are all flowers, and thus comparing them is meaningless. A person may prefer the tuberose, but if they claim it is “better” or “worse,” such words lack wisdom. It is like asking whether Hafez is greater than Rumi, or whether Shakespeare surpasses them. We are not in a position to make such judgments.
If I were to judge between two wrestlers or act as a referee in football—or in any contest—I would first need to know the rules of the game completely: where a handball occurs, where a foul takes place, or which action should be considered as a foul. In wrestling, if one grabs the neck alone, it is a foul. Only by knowing all these rules could I judge, and even then, a judge might err. But if I wished to determine the rank of Hafez compared to Rumi, my position would have to be higher than theirs in order to pass judgment. Yet if one reaches such a lofty station, one also gains the wisdom never to compare them against each other in the first place. Too often, we set human beings against one another: “Is Hafez greater, or Rumi?” Such comparisons resolve nothing. Each individual’s contribution is distinct and unique. For instance, is a physics teacher “higher” than a chemistry teacher? This is not a relevant question, each belongs to a different, necessary branch of knowledge. Thus, no comparison could truly be made here, therefore, no one decides which speaker should step forward first. Until one of the Guardians approaches, neither he nor we know the next speaker.
The Guardian then begins: “In the name of the Waves of Love, which are from Him.” Each Guardian begins their speech with a distinct statement. If we pay attention, the Successor begins by saying: “In the noble name of the Human Being, who is but a drop of the Absolute Power.” He gives honor to humanity. The Commander speaks and says: “In the name of the Absolute Power.” Then the next Guardian—Eagle— comes and declares: “In the name of the Waves of Love.” All of these statements are valuable. The Eagle then adds: “The Waves of Love, which are from Him.” This means that when the Guardian speaks of love, he says: it is from Him. And when another Guardian begins in the name of the human being, he says: the human is but a drop of Him. Thus, all derive their very identity from Him, whom we call the Absolute Power.
Then he says: “Hello friends, I am White Eagle, a Guardian.” The Guardian introduces himself. These names and titles used here are not like family names given at birth. For example, parents may name a child “Maria” when she is still an infant with no evident personality, a name not determined by her actions—though each name carries some intrinsic qualities. The names given to children are not based on their characters, they were given at birth. However, the names used here are granted after recognition, identity, and understanding of the individual, based on the deeds they have accomplished. These names reflect their attributes.
For example, a very thin and frail child might be named “Rostam” (laughter from the audience). Or someone who is blind might be given the name “Cheragh-Ali,” meaning “Lamp Ali” (laughter), or someone bald might be called “Zolf-Ali,” meaning “Hair Ali” (more laughter). These are names that have been chosen beforehand, without regard to reality. Yet truly, one should possess the stature and bravery to be named Rostam; or to be called Cheragh-Ali, one should have exceptionally beautiful, radiant eyes that see far more than ordinary people; or to be named Zolf-Ali, one should have extraordinary, unmatched hair. In this context, however, the names chosen here are not arbitrary but reflect the actual state of the person and serve as a title or attribute. For instance, titles such as “White Eagle” are like names bestowed in certain cultures, like the Native American (American Indians) tradition where names are given based on qualities or deeds. If you read Native American books, you will understand how such titles are conferred.
The inhabitants then say: “Hello White Eagle.” White Eagle responds: “I too am pleased to have been given this opportunity to speak.” Each Guardian who comes to speak expresses joy and gratitude that they have been given the chance to share their words. In the Congress 60 system as well, the session master thanks the Guardian, saying: “I thank the Guardian for granting me the opportunity to serve.” Gratitude is always expressed, because when we are allowed to serve or to speak, we must be thankful that such an opportunity has been given to us. It is not the place to start by saying, “Last time you promised to give fifty thousand tomans but you only gave forty thousand; where is the rest?” Such talk is irrelevant here. Instead, one gives thanks for the chance to serve, because serving and guiding human beings is so valuable, so profound, that one must be grateful whenever such an opportunity arises. In time, you will come to realize just how precious it is for one human being to help another, freely, without expectation. That is why they always give thanks.
Guardian, White Eagle maintains: “The Fourteenth Valley speaks of love. Today’s discussion will be about the Valley of Love, and as you all know, the Fourteenth Valley is the Valley of Love. I must say that the very center of the entire universe is built upon love. This is a great and profound statement.” Indeed, we must affirm that the whole of existence rests upon love. It is a claim of the highest magnitude. “I said center because, within the human being, there is also a center, and that is called the heart, which is the dwelling place of love.” Why is this so? Because when someone is grieving, or when someone loves another, they instinctively place their hand upon their heart and say, “Oh, my heart aches,” or “My heart is hurting.” This occurs whether one is ill, mourning, or in love. In such states, the hand always goes to the heart. Thus, the human body, together with Aql (wisdom) and faith, seems to move under the command of the heart. The entire human being is governed by the heart, and the heart has long been understood as the abode of love.
“Waves operate through conscious attractions; however, we may consider them as unconscious pulls.” These attractions are deliberate, though at other times we may consider them as unconscious. Yet the movements of the Waves of Love are entirely conscious; they know precisely what they are doing. We may sometimes regard them as unconscious.
“All waves of love possess an original property, descending upon the earth like golden rays of light.” From the very moment they were formed, when the Waves of Love were placed within every particle and brought all particles together. These golden waves imply the concept of majesty, power, and significance as they descend upon the earth, this statement signifies that these golden waves come from another origin, another central source.
“These rays with the hidden lights of the galaxies mingle within every existence.” When these waves descend, remember that waves already exist within the human being. They also exist within the galaxies of the universe. They are not meant for the earth alone; they are sent across the whole of existence, including our planet, though their source of theses waves remains unknown to us.
Thus, “the waves, whether through conscious or seemingly unconscious pulls, all share this primordial quality: like golden rays, they descend upon the earth. These rays merge with the hidden lights within the galaxies, within the human being, within creation, and within every living entity. They blend with the waves of all existence.”
Waves within the earth and the galaxies merge with one another. For example, waves from another person may reach me, mingle with my inner waves, and produce an effect. Or your waves may blend with those within someone else, resulting in a [new] sense. To merge means to couple, to combine, to become interwoven. When a sensation arrives, when a wave enters, it fuses with the inner waves already present, and from this union a feeling is born—and the same process works in reverse.
Let me repeat this for clarity: “The waves, through conscious or seemingly unconscious pulls, all possess an original property. They descend like golden rays upon the earth. These rays merge with the hidden lights within the galaxies and within every being. Through this union, their strength increases, then based on a specified program or command, [a person] is assigned to employ these waves.”
Thus, when waves are sent out, their power intensifies through merging. When you send waves and they combine with another’s being and elicit a response, that is when they become stronger and their force multiplies. In later discussions we will see how this exchange works: waves are sent, they are received, they are answered, and they return amplified. In this way, waves grow ever stronger.

“For the application of these forces, each one begins to operate according to a particular plan or command. At times, these waves become directed in a special way toward specific individuals to carry out the [divine] orders. They then expand, intensify, and exert greater effort to fulfill the command. For example, such a force may reach a person specifically so that it can be used to accomplish the task that has been divinely commanded.
When an individual within a system is assigned to carry out a command—for instance, Prophet Mohammad, or other great figures and leaders—what enables them to endure immense hardships, sufferings, and adversities? Where does their energy come from? Ordinary people work five or six years and become weary, exhausted, and broken down. Yet these figures bear far greater burdens: their companions are killed, their loved ones are taken from them, they are mistreated, oppressed, and placed under extreme pressure—and still they remain calm and steadfast. The reason is that from the infinite beyond, waves of energy are continuously sent to them, and they receive and utilize this power.
“For example, such waves or forces reach individuals in a special way so that it can be used to fulfill a divinely appointed task. The world—and indeed the worlds—were founded in this very manner, because for the act of creation, such immense forces were required. Notice that it speaks of ‘the world and the worlds.’ It does not only refer to the Earth, but to the entire cosmos, the physical universe, and beyond, because the formation of these worlds necessitated the use of these forces, and thus we too [human beings] are dependent upon them. In other words, all worlds in existence required such power for their coming into being, and we likewise need this force.
If that applies to the cosmos at large, let us look at a smaller scale—our own system of Congress 60 here. For the creation and functioning of the Congress 60 system, for the turning of this great cycle, we too are in need of the force of love. Without it, nothing would be possible. Our system is founded upon this force of love and compassion, manifested within the guides, helpers, and servers who sustain it. It is this very force that has made everything possible. Without it, all of us would be dismissed.
If the force were absent, we would simply say: What do you, all the individuals here have to do with me? Why should I be concerned with Parvane, Pantea and Zari?’ But something else exists here. In some places, people may be motivated by money, resources, gold, or jewels. But in the system of Congress 60, none of those things are offered. The question then arises: what is this sense, this force, that drives people here to serve? We are in need of that very force, and this force is precisely that which sustains the system.
What this force accomplishes cannot be accomplished by any other power. If every person serving in Congress 60 were paid one or two million tomans per month, believe me, the situation would not be what it is today. The spirit and direction would collapse immediately, because once money becomes the motivation, the true servants would disappear, replaced by others who lacked the will to act out of love. Their work would have no real outcome, and the whole system would crumble like a mound of clay collapsing upon itself.

So we see that it is this Force that comes forth to shape existence. It is this Force that is present among all the particles of being. We say it exists between us, but in truth it is also within water, wind, mountains, plains, deserts, the earth, the sun, the clouds—within all things. The Force of Love is present everywhere, holding all together.
The worlds and the universe have been founded in this way because for creation we required immense Forces. And what is this Force? It is none other than the Love that the Absolute Power of God employed in bringing forth creation. We are in constant need of this Force, the same Force of Love was breathed into being by the Absolute Power of God at the dawn of existence. From the very beginning He ordered: “Let the particle of Love be breathed into the particles.” This is the very Force that the Absolute Power used to bring us into creation. Without it, nothing and no one would ever gather around anything.
Now let us reflect carefully: how important, how astonishing this is! And if we expand this idea further, we will begin to see the work of the Almighty Power: what seed must be sown for existence to always remain [alive]? Consider how vast and wondrous this is.
You may try to establish a company—a small enterprise with merely two or four employees—in comparison to the Creation, the cosmos, and life itself. Yet you cannot manage it, you cannot keep everything orderly and enduring. Even a single village cannot be governed without resources. We are not even able to manage a very small part of the Existence, because our force to manage it will be depleted.
Now consider: what has the Absolute Power accomplished, what planning has been carried out, what work has been done, so that this vast universe and creation remain ever-present? That existence should not perish, that the whole cosmos not be destroyed or dissolved? This is the question it raises: how astonishing, how magnificent must it be to bring such a system into being and maintain it?!
Some people cannot even manage a household, some cannot maintain a shop. And yet for all of existence, with all its diversity of beings and forms, there has been such planning that everything stands firm, everything remains in its place, and existence itself continues to be.
Now let us carefully observe how important and how astonishing this is; and if we expand this idea, we will see what the work of the Almighty entails, and what seed must be planted so that existence may remain ever-present. If we look closely, we realize that the entire system of creation has been designed with a vision that ensures it will endure eternally, with immense planning behind it. Therefore, as we said, if we expand this matter, we will observe the work of the Almighty and the necessity of planting that seed which sustains existence. As a result, there is a need for multiple commanders to stand firm against the forces of darkness.
Thus, in order to plant this seed, and since the system of creation is based on dualities [negative and positive forces], it requires commanders—leaders who will resist the powers of darkness. Among these commanders we may count the prophets, as well as many other figures in different times and situations, whose duty is to stand against the forces of darkness; otherwise, the work would be exceedingly difficult. The text says: “True forces always seem to vanish or be destroyed.” Indeed, these true forces often appear to us as if they are annihilated or have disappeared. Yet, the compassionate Almighty revives them again into the cycle of life, granting them another chance—sometimes once, sometimes several times—so that they may learn, gain the intended awareness, and discover the meaning of love, affection, and even the simplest form of ordinary kindness.
Even the true forces that aspire to move on the path of righteousness may not yet have reached full maturity [awareness], and they may perish or vanish along the way. However, God brings them back again to the cycle of life, giving them one more chance—or several—to attain the required knowledge and to learn the meaning of love, affection, or even simple kindness. Ultimately, we must reach the stage where we have learned to practice this most ordinary and simple form of love. At times, we have not even mastered this simplest kind of love.

All that has been said so far points to the very foundation and root of life. These matters reflect the essence of life itself. And life, in its essence, is a sign of love; life itself is the very evidence of love. This love finds its true meaning and definition in the word “affection.” That is to say, affection must exist, ripen little by little, until it becomes love. Love without affection has no meaning or substance. To die is love, and revival anew is love. All of our striving, our searching, our journeying in every domain and discipline, all our attempts to attain and to discover [anything]—these are manifestations of love.
When someone searches, investigates, and strives to find something—whether it be a cure for AIDS or cholera, a new formula, a mathematical proof, a scientific theory, a discovery, or an invention—whether it is research, exploration, or service, whether it is the effort to obtain bread or any other necessity, all of this repeated striving, seeking, and discovering in every field is love. Any type of research, any type of serving [people] and transmitting it [to the world] is love. Likewise, everything undertaken by researchers, explorers, teachers, specialists, guides, physicians, professors, counselors, social workers, and leaders who strive tirelessly to search, to discover, and then to convey their findings to others—this too is love.
The following sentence makes this even clearer: “If love did not exist within all these endeavors, what else, or who else, could compel them to walk the earth, the seas, and the forests; to endure such hardships; to fall ill on this path; to detach themselves from their own possessions; and to dedicate themselves to discovery and research—not for their own sake, but in service of every single human being who has lived before them and who will live after them?”

What force compels humans to mobilize, to gather crowds of people in the pursuit of research, discovery, invention, and service? What force drives them to bear all hardships, to let go of their own belongings and personal concerns, to endure discomfort and illness, and still persist in their work? What else could this be, if not love?
What else could inspire those who have reached liberation from addiction, attained purity, and now serve as guides, Didebans, Border-guards, teachers, or secretaries, to come forth and invest their own time and energy; to serve; to travel [to different cities and villages], to listen to complaints; to endure hardships; to exert their utmost efforts; to endure heat and cold; to navigate the heavy traffic; to pay for transportation themselves; to deal with others, mentally exhaust themselves, and let go of their own personal rights and belongings—when they could instead spend this time on their job, earn money, run a business, or focus on themselves? What could make them set aside all their desires and attachments and come to serve in this system if not love?
What could have driven Louis Pasteur to endure immense hardships, suffering, and toil until he reached his discoveries? Or what has driven scientists like Robert Koch, researchers, and humans across different levels of achievement to endure the hardships? And what truly compels Congress 60 members—those who have become guides, who have served for two, three, five, or even ten years—to come and serve at their own expense, using their own money, time, energy, and effort? Is there any force other than love that could do this?
If we look closely, we see that they have detached themselves from their personal belongings, motivated by discovery and research—not for themselves, but for every human being who has lived before them and who will live after them.
Let me read the paragraph again: “If love did not exist in all of this, what else, or who else, could compel them to traverse the land, water, seas, and forests; to endure all hardships along the way; to detach from their personal attachments; and to dedicate themselves to discovery and research—not for their own benefit, but to serve every single human being who has lived before and after them?”
No, dear friends, none of these actions are forced. None of them come by compulsion. No one can make them move against their will. Rather, there is a Force that drives them, a true Force that flows to them and to us. This is the same energy I spoke of earlier—the energy and the Force that streams toward us. All these actions are not compelled by anyone; rather, they are drawn by this Force, the true and divine Force.
The golden waves flow toward us and them, and we and they absorb these waves into the particles of our being, storing them and blending them with our own thoughts and then we use them for the life of real human beings. This means that we, and the speaker himself and those who serve selflessly, those who strive and seek knowledge, have got the power of Love, they absorb the golden waves with the particles of their being, receive them, store them, and when we do, we mix them with our own thoughts, which have been purified. Our thoughts have moved from a demonic state to a divine foundation.
The Forces and waves I mentioned before, combined with the waves within us, are then used for the life of real human beings [to revive human beings]. We use them to serve others, to help and support others. The idea is this: when you observe the particles of love and affection circulating throughout our being, you can see that they give us the power to move from stillness into action.
You can see this power of love is transmitted among us, between the Guardian and the Successor and among all people and this is completely right. These waves, this energy, give us the ability to act and to serve. If not, where would we be, and where would the system of Congress 60 be, or any of these efforts? It is these waves that empower us to move from inertia. What does this mean? It means that every day we gain more endurance, every day we grow stronger. The more we come and go, the closer we move toward the Center of the Circle [of the Existence or Love].
With each act of service, each movement, each effort, we gradually draw closer—particle by particle—to the center of the circle. And this is not only toward other human beings, but toward all other beings and creatures. When we approach the Center of the Circle, we draw closer to everything. It is not only human connection we cultivate; when the waves of love and affection are present within us, we move closer, particle by particle, to one another, and to all life and the whole Existence.
He says: “Not only do we, as we approach the center of the circle, draw closer to other humans and living beings, but we also feel a sense of connection to trees, flowing streams, the breeze, plains, mountains, and various other things. We enjoy their existence and their being.”
As we move closer to the center in this way, we gain peace, serenity, and many other qualities, while these waves continuously strengthen us. When this happens, “we feel close to the flowing water, to the trees, to the breeze, to the plains, and to the mountains. We love them, enjoy their presence, and feel a responsibility to be their guardian.” We consider ourselves obliged to protect them. This means planting trees, caring for flowing water, and not polluting the environment. For instance, I once mentioned that when I went to the north [of Iran], I was disturbed by the condition of the labyrinth and tortuous road [of Chalus], near the forest. The most beautiful forests along the road were covered with old plastic, cloth, bottles—everything turned into filth.
On the other hand, some people cut down trees, dry out forests, or steal wood. But when we reach this stage of awareness, we feel compelled to act as guardians [to the environment]. Some individuals create environmental organizations—NGOs—that protect trees, streams, or seas. They see themselves as the guardians of these natural resources. When pollution kills millions of fish, or when whales are hunted, they feel obligated to protect them. They organize and actively defend whales or trees because they love and care for them. The same story is happening in Japan, where some people want to protect the whales, but others resist, make excuses and hunt the whales. Those whose job is to protect the whales and trees, make some organizations and NGOs to protect these creatures, they are doing this job out of love, if they didn’t love them or care, they could just exploit these resources for profit, selling wool, fish, or other products.
They love them, and therefore they consider themselves their guardians. These are people who care for streams, trees, the breeze, and nature in general. They take meaningful steps to increase the number of trees and to keep the environment clean.
“So, every single day, [because of this love], they gain greater continuity, and the more we come and go, the closer we move toward the Center of the Circle. Not only do we feel closer to other humans and living beings, but also to trees, flowing streams, the breeze, plains, mountains, and more. We enjoy their presence, and we feel a responsibility to be their guardians, taking practical steps to increase the number of trees and maintain their cleanliness.
The Guardian asserts: When I first arrived, I encountered the waves, which also express a form of love. Imagine this: if no relationship existed between creatures, could they gather, interact, reproduce, and thrive in this world? Truly consider it—without these connections, could they gather together, establish bonds, or multiply? Therefore, something must exist that links them, connects them, and allows interaction. Without it, all creatures would remain isolated, unable to relate or reproduce.

There must be something that comes and binds them together, connects them, and links them to one another. If that “something” did not exist, all beings would remain strangers to each other, unable to establish any connection or closeness. And when no connection exists, multiplication and reproduction cannot occur either.
“Imagine if there were no relationship at all among beings—could they exist together, move around one another, follow one another, multiply, and communicate in this world? You would certainly say: No, it is impossible to be with no connection, no relationship, and nothing linking the beings of existence.”

Even among trees and animals, a bond exists—a connection that is nothing but the link of love. Certainly, you would say: no, it couldn’t happen that there was absolutely no relationship among the beings of existence.
Thus, all this begins with the great feeling that the Almighty placed in every heart, preparing us for a long journey. Everything starts with this profound feeling of love—the Almighty instilled it in the hearts of humans, trees, even inanimate objects. This force of Love prepares us for a long journey, and without it, humans would not be capable of enduring such a journey. Even life itself, if love did not exist in the world, would not be possible. Therefore, from the very beginning, the first point is that the Almighty started everything with this force of love, and it all begins with this principle.
“So, how can the foundational principle, which is love, be ignored?” And he continued: how can we disregard the principle on which everything is built? The foundation is based on love; we must not ignore this.
“All that you need to know has been continuously conveyed in the preceding pages. Today, the intention is to etch its result into the Valley of Love so that it becomes imprinted in the hearts and applied in practice—in other words, so that structures may be built, rebuilt, or restored on a proper foundation, and the old wounds caused by unkindness, neglect, or inadvertent shortcomings can be transformed into paradise.”
He explains that throughout the Valleys, everything necessary was continuously presented, as much as possible. Today, however, he brings it here in an ambiguous form. By “he,” the reference is to the Successor or the writer. “Today, he intends to record the outcome in the pages of this work, in the Valley of Love, so that it is engraved in the hearts, applied in life, and thus the structures—human beings themselves—can be rebuilt or restored properly.”
The human “structures” have mostly become damaged or ruined over time and require repair and restoration. They carry old wounds inflicted by unkindness, neglect, and inadvertent mistakes. “And the old wounds that have formed in the hearts due to unkindness, neglect, and inadvertent faults are to be transformed into paradise.”
Over time, humans have inflicted old wounds upon one another due to misunderstandings, unkind behavior, neglect, or simple errors, and these wounds have settled in their hearts. The aim is to transform these into paradise. People have gradually lost their beliefs and now place their faith only in material things—money, houses, villas. These are certainly valuable, and what I say is no opposition to them; they are excellent—but they are only part of the matter.
Yet humanity seems fragmented, divided by these old wounds caused by misunderstanding, neglect, and unkindness. The goal is to rebuild them, restore the foundation, and transform them into paradise.
Mr. Dezhakam ended the lesson saying: “Thank you all for paying attention to my words.”

Translated by Elahe

October, 15, 2025

Part Four

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of God, we begin this session.
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the session guardian.
(Audience responds: Hello, Hossein!)
I kindly ask everyone to observe fourteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty and free ourselves from our greatest enemy,our own ignorance and unawareness.
(Fourteen seconds of silence observed)
Thank you, friends. I now request our esteemed secretary, Ms. Zahra to provide a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.

Hello friends, I’m Zahra, a traveler. (Hello Zahra)
Today marks the thirteenth session of the fourteenth round, held under the guidance and guardianship of Mr. Hossein Dezhakam, with me, Zahra, serving as the secretary. The agenda for today is the Fourteenth Valley, Part Four. The session began at 9:00 a.m. sharp.

Hello friends, I’m Hossein, a traveler. (Hello Hossein)
Alright, we’ve reached the discussion of love, specifically the second discourse titled “The Waves of Love,” which is presented by the White Eagle.
Our topic today is the subject of love as explained in the Twelfth Fourteenth Valleys of Congress 60. In Congress 60, love is understood as something synonymous with monotheism and oneness, meaning that a person can only reach true unity with the Creator when they have entered the realm of love.
Of course, this doesn’t mean pretending to be in love or calling any emotion love; it means a love that one truly feels and understands with every particle of their being, a love rooted in awareness and knowledge.
When we reflect on this, we can see that the Prophet of Islam was called the one with great character (khulq-e azim), and indeed, he was a true lover. He loved everyone and never wished harm upon any human being. For example, when he conquered Mecca, after nearly ten years of the harshest persecution and suffering from its people, and after battles in which many from both sides, including his own uncle, were killed, people thought he would now take revenge, arrest everyone, and execute them. But what happened? When he entered Mecca, he didn’t allow even a drop of blood to be shed. He didn’t permit anyone to harm even a mosquito.
That was the power of love , the immense love within him that led him to reach unity and oneness.
The same can be said of Christ. When we look at him, too, we see a being filled with love, compassion, and kindness. All great figures who reached spiritual heights were overflowing with love. Even our own mystics who advanced in the path of knowing the self and the truth all spoke of this same concept.
For example, Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani says:
“My work becomes difficult in love; my home is built upon my heart. Each time I try to flee from love, love reaches the destination before I do.”
This shows the deep value he placed upon love. He also says:
“Alas, love is a divine obligation upon everyone.”
Meaning that for anyone who wishes to walk the true path, to reach unity, to reach God , love is essential. It’s not optional; it’s a necessity.

Alas, if you have no love for the Creator, then at least awaken love for His creation, so that you may grasp the true meaning of these words. If you cannot love the Creator, cultivate love for His creatures , only then will you understand what I mean and what love truly is.
The passion of love is worth far more than the cleverness of the world, and the madness of love surpasses all forms of intellect. The ambitions of the world , its cleverness, its wealth, its status , none of these can compare to the so-called madness of love.
Then comes the final, piercing truth: Whoever is not in love is self-centered, full of resentment, and stubborn , like a beast. In other words, one who is devoid of love is not truly human.
Hafez, too, speaks of this when he says:
“Come, let us scatter the roses and pour the wine into the goblet;
Let us tear the roof of the heavens and create a new design.
And if sorrow rallies its army to shed the blood of lovers,
My cupbearer and I shall join hands and overthrow its foundation.”
Attar also touches upon this truth:
“O heart, if you are a lover, seek the Beloved;
Stand at the door of the heart, waiting day and night, for the Beloved shall come.”
It echoes the same message: If you have no love for the Creator, kindle love for the creation , for love in any form will lead you to that higher truth.
And Rumi declares:
“When the pen hurried to write,
It split itself asunder when it reached the word love.
Glory be to love , what a wonder it is, O Lord!
How radiant, how beautiful, how warm it makes us ,
Like the sun, both hidden and revealed, O Lord!”
Indeed, all the warmth of our being, all that we are, comes from love. So when we look closely, we see that the subject of love is a vast and magnificent one , a theme explored and celebrated by all the great sages. Therefore, it is not a new concept, but one that has been pursued and expressed in countless ways throughout time.
In this Fourteenth Valley, we now reach the stage where love is no longer a mere idea , it unfolds, deepens, and reveals its mechanisms.

In the last part, we read that everything we needed to know had already been explained throughout the previous pages, and today, he wishes to record the outcome of all that in this very Valley,the Valley of Love,so that it may be engraved in our hearts and put into practice. When he writes, it is not as one would write a novel or a story. His intention is to write in such a way that the words become imprinted upon our hearts,like carving something into stone,so that they remain firm, leave an impact, and be put to use. So that from these words, structures may be built,or rebuilt,upon a sound foundation, and the old wounds born from unkindness, neglect, or unintentional mistakes may be transformed into paradise.
Up to this point, I think we read last time. (Yes.)
This structure, with years of effort, has been laid down across both heaven and earth. And with a transformation in perception and thought, you too can understand what reflections and results this transformation will bring. The motion,the motion of love,through all these years of effort, has been established on earth and in the heavens. And the change it creates in human thought and perception,we will soon see its reflection.
Therefore, some of you have now come to realize this essential truth. Some of you who are here today have understood it,perhaps grasped a part of it,and in the future, others too will come to know it through firsthand experience: that love means to rise above oneself; to transcend what He has given you; to soar into the infinite with awareness and grace, and to recognize the universe in which each of us has a share,to give love, which is the very essence of our being.
Love is a kind of magic,an enchantment. Love means letting go of oneself. Ask yourself: can you truly move beyond your own self? You can’t just call yourself a lover,it’s impossible. You might like someone, you might care for them, but to love,in the true sense of the word,means to go beyond your own interests, to let go of your personal gain.
If, at the core of everything you do, your own benefit is always the main concern,if, behind every action, there is always a hidden intention for yourself,then that is not love. If you love someone because it serves you, if you hold someone in your arms because you seek your own satisfaction, then all of that is calculated. That is not the love we speak of here. That is not its true meaning.

Love means passing beyond oneself, letting go of your own being and all that He has bestowed upon you. It means being able to rise above yourself and what God has given you, or to take flight into the infinite. When you reach that level of love, you can soar in the boundless skies; or, in other words, it means passing through existence with awareness and delicacy, gaining insight into the universe.
You see, the foundation of all this is built upon knowledge, upon awareness. None of it is blind; there are no blind spots here. It must be done with open eyes, with understanding and sensitivity, so that we may discover the universe in which each of us has a share. Each of us holds a portion in this great reality, especially when it comes to giving love, which is the very essence of our being.
Here, he says: love is the essence of every soul. The question is, do we truly possess this essence? Has each of us gathered this nectar of the soul within ourselves, and are we able to offer our share of it? For love and affection spring from that very source, the essence of our life. But are we capable of sharing that essence with others? Can we?
When we speak of love, it is not mere words or exaggeration. True love, when you reach it, is not a claim or a pretense, it requires that you give from the very essence of your soul. Your possessions are nothing in comparison. Giving your wealth is one thing, but love demands more, it asks you to give from your inner essence.
So, the question remains: can we truly give from this essence that we hold within? Can we offer it, whether in kindness or in generosity, to others? Unless you give, it has no meaning. You may have a pocket full of money, but as long as you don’t spend it, it makes no difference. You may be filled with love and affection, even write poems about it, but can you give even a fraction of it away?
Can you let go of your own interests? Can you set aside your personal gains? Or is it that wherever there is a benefit or an income, that is where you go? So, love, or affection, is like the distilled essence of one’s soul. The question is: can we give it? Can we offer the best and most beautiful parts of ourselves, the pure and precious qualities within us, to others?

It’s like the story of Abel and Cain. Abel offered the very best, the strongest, finest ram he had, and dedicated it to God. Cain, on the other hand, brought a basket of wheat. He kept thinking it was too much, so he kept taking handfuls out until, in the end, he only offered a small portion.
Similarly, when you want to give a gift to someone you love, there are different ways you can do it. Sometimes you might give something small and worn out, a couple of old bills, for example. Other times, you give something new and valuable. Sometimes you come across something you no longer need, like an old, unusable ashtray, and you think, “Well, I’ll just give this as a gift.” Or, when you want to give a present to your beloved, your partner, or anyone, you might settle for something that’s of little use to you, something that doesn’t serve any purpose. You think, “I’ll just give this away.”
Other times, however, you choose the very best. For example, imagine I have four fountain pens. When I decide to give a gift to someone, I pick the finest one and give it to them. On other occasions, I might give the least valuable or the worst one.
The point here is about what is truly valuable within a human being. Beyond material things, the question is: can you offer the best parts of yourself to others? Can you give your time, which is precious to you, to someone else? Sometimes even the simplest things, two kind words, for instance, which cost nothing, are difficult for us to give. We may fail to speak even those few words of comfort or guidance to someone who is hurting or angry, even though it takes nothing from us.
So, when we speak of giving love, the very essence of our being, can each of us give from that inner essence? Can we offer the good, beautiful, and valuable parts of ourselves to others in a way that brings them joy, happiness, and comfort? True love, then, is giving not just out of obligation or convenience, but from the deepest, most precious parts of who we are.

If a person has enough generosity to do this, then they are truly in love. If someone possesses such generosity and is able to carry out this act, then they are a lover, their vessel of love is full, and it grows even fuller. The one who manages to do this, who truly gives in this way, is a lover. It’s not an exaggeration to say their capacity for love is abundant and keeps expanding.
We might assume that all of us are lovers, but let’s be honest with ourselves. Are we really? Do we have the courage and the capacity to give the very best of what we have to others? Often, we even hold back a piece of bread, a kind word, or a simple flower. And yet, we want to call ourselves lovers, to claim that everything in us is noble and pure.
But if a person truly has that level of generosity, if they can give like this, then they are indeed a lover, their vessel of love is full, and it continues to overflow. You won’t find anything like this even in paradise. Even if you were in heaven, in the highest paradise, you would not find a love of this magnitude and depth, the kind where the vessel of love is completely full. As an illustration, in paradise you may have every kind of food you desire, every comfort, every houri, every other heavenly companion, whatever exists. But even there, you won’t find anything like this. And from what you have given and what you continue to give, it’s as if you perfume, illuminate, beautify, and adorn the very space around you. What you give, when you truly give, transforms the space around you. It becomes fragrant, illuminated, beautiful, adorned, and decorated. Giving in this way is not transactional, you don’t give with the expectation of receiving something in return. If you give expecting a reward, a condition, or a return, then it ceases to be true giving.
Sometimes, we even bargain with God: “If this happens, I will do this; if I receive this house, I will give this amount.” Or we say, “If this or that works out, I’ll light candles or perform a ritual.” But true giving isn’t conditional. True giving happens purely out of love, freely, from the very essence of your being. That is when what you give truly becomes a gift.
When you give in this way, you perfume the space, you illuminate it, you beautify it, and you adorn it. Even more so, if you give from the very essence of your soul, that essence itself becomes even more fragrant, more beautiful, brighter, more adorned, and exquisitely refined.

What could be more beautiful than loving with your whole being? Truly, what could surpass this, loving something, someone, or anything, with all your heart? Nothing is greater than this. We often speak of wealth, property, money, but none of these carry the same quality, the same feeling. This is a special state; it must be experienced.
What could be more beautiful than loving with your entire being? If someone truly loves, even if they are in hell, it will not feel unbearable, because they love. Even if they cannot reach what they love, even in separation, that longing becomes sweet, valuable, and meaningful. That love itself is precious.
What could be more beautiful than this act of loving with your whole self? And what can we call this action? What is this movement, this act? It is the act of loving. Love straightens the posture, aligns the body, purifies thoughts, and clears the mind. When you love, your thoughts are not corrupt; your heart is full of that love, not negative, not bitter.
Love strengthens the body, purifies the mind, and enhances life so that humans can make the best choices. It naturally strengthens a person, makes them creative, and prepares them to learn all sciences. Love has many qualities: it aligns the body, purifies the mind, strengthens life for better decision-making, and allows humans to make the best choices. It fosters creativity and opens the mind to learning.
So, what are we seeking? What are we searching for? What is the purpose of this life? What are we truly after? Perhaps we have never considered it, and that is why some of us are still lost. We haven’t thought about what we are searching for or what we are truly seeking. Perhaps, in fact, this is exactly the case.
We haven’t fully understood the meaning of love and affection. Often, we think love is simply being infatuated with someone, if a man falls in love with a woman, or a woman falls in love with a man, that is love. And yes, that is a form of love, a part of it, but it is a particular kind, a specific aspect. True love, in its broader sense, is about loving in general, loving with awareness, across existence. Perhaps we still haven’t grasped that meaning.
Sometimes, when people misunderstand it completely, they mistake addiction for love. They say: “The greatest love in the world is smoking opium, or using meth, or drinking alcohol, or taking pills.” That is the negative extreme, because we have not understood the main concept. We have not grasped the true meaning of love. This is why some of us remain lost, confused, wandering from morning to night, from night to morning.

Now, if we talk about the crookedness, the distortions in life, the essence of the principle itself doesn’t change; rather, its scope can extend to the destruction of existence. In that case, it’s as if we understood nothing of what has been given to humans as love and creation.
But instead of focusing on the positive, we often dwell on the crookedness, the failures, the mistakes, the wrongdoings. Blessed are those who came into this world clueless and left clueless, sometimes it’s better not to understand at all. For example, I was telling a friend: “If this is what love is, if this is what life is, I don’t want my eyes to see the world anymore.” Imagine someone, man or woman, it doesn’t matter, gets betrayed, a friend turns away, a plan fails, and they conclude: “If this is love, if this is life, I no longer want to see the world.”
This is all just complaining and whining. Some people read poetry like, “Ah, a butcher’s knife to my heart!” (audience laughs) You hear lots of these songs from singers, all coming from the negative side, because people think love is only that, betrayal, heartbreak, disappointment. But love is much bigger, much broader, and there are far more important aspects to it than just this small, negative slice.
Now, if we focus on crookedness, negativity, problems, some people wake up in the morning and carry that mindset all day. We feel entitled to God. By morning, as if God is our servant, we hand Him a long list of demands to fulfill by nightfall. And at night, we prepare another list for the next morning: “God, make this person trip, let that person break their legs, bring me this money, deliver this gift, help my son get into university, fix my daughter’s relationship with her husband, may that brother-in-law of mine,” (audience laughs) and so on.
All of it is negative. From morning to night, we are constantly taking account from the world, from the government, from the state, from the earth, from the sky, from the rain: “Ugh, this cursed rain got me wet again!” “Damn this snow, now I have to shovel it off the roof.” “Damn the sun, it’s too hot, I have to run the air conditioner.” All day long, everything revolves around complaints and grievances. This is one side of the story.

There’s one point I want to make: if we spend our time, morning until night, fixating on the crooked spots on a blank page, talking only about the black dots, nothing changes the nature of those crookednesses. Focusing solely on the faults does not remove them; in fact, expanding that focus eventually leads to the destruction of existence itself. I honestly believe this. I’m not going into politics, but as an example: take the story of Bin Laden and the Taliban. If the world’s news networks hadn’t endlessly broadcast and amplified them, they would have faded away years ago. Ten years back, they would have been gone. I don’t debate whether they are good or bad, blowing up bombs is unacceptable, or suddenly eighty people are killed on some street, no one can accept that, it’s wrong, inhumane. (There’s a Persian proverb that captures a similar injustice: “One man sins in Balkh, and they behead a coppersmith in Shushtar”, meaning innocent people are punished for someone else’s wrongdoing. Or punishing the innocent for the guilty.) You’re angry with one person, yet you end up tearing apart someone’s wife and children, is that right?
Imagine these actors once lived quietly in some small village or hamlet, just a few people among many. But then, various TV networks began to promote them constantly, reporting “this did that,” “that did this,” and the whole world came to know them.
When you publicize crookedness, you make the crookedness larger and more powerful. That is one consequence. So, talking about the crookedness alone does not change the essence of the problem; rather, its scope grows until it threatens existence. In short, by dwelling only on what is wrong, we show that we have failed to understand the love and creation given to humanity.
Now consider this: if pest like forces or pseudo humans try to sow disruption in our minds, what should we do about them? Do we increase our guards endlessly? Build taller and taller walls around ourselves? No, that’s not the answer. You can’t just add more guards forever, and you can’t keep raising walls.
In the end, we act according to what you do.

The White Eagle says: “We do what you do.” In other words, “we teach them.” He explains that we try to educate those people, but you cannot educate insects. You simply can’t teach an insect; an insect’s nature is to sabotage. A microbe’s nature is destruction, and you cannot train a microbe, it is not of your kind. So, when pseudo-humans and insect-like forces interfere with our work, you might think the solution is to hire more guards or build higher walls, or to try to educate them. But insects are not teachable.
Can you teach an insect? Can you train a microbe? No, being a microbe is its inherent property; it destroys. And because you are not of its kind, you cannot educate it. Therefore, human-like people, microbes, and insects, many of them are not trainable.
But here is a crucial point: this conclusion cannot be reached before we try to teach. Before education has taken place, you cannot know whether someone is truly human or merely human-in-appearance, whether they belong among the pest-like or the microbe-like. You cannot make that judgement in advance. That’s the important truth: prior to teaching, the distinction cannot be established. We are unable, before instruction, to determine who is educable and who is not.
So, we must receive everyone the same and put them through instruction. All of this is true, but only after you have tried to educate can you tell. You cannot look at someone on the first day and say, “This person is useless; they won’t become a human; they won’t be healed.” Before training, none of us can make that call. Therefore, whether a person is truly human, merely human-looking, insect-like, or microbe-like, before education they are all the same: they must be accepted and taught.

The important point here is that this idea cannot hold true before education, because before providing education, we are not able to distinguish who is truly human, who merely appears human, who behaves like an insect, or who acts like a microbe. Therefore, everyone should be accepted equally and given the opportunity to learn.
Many times, I’ve looked at certain people and thought to myself, “This one will never change; there’s no way he’ll get better.” Yet I later saw that he did. On the other hand, I’ve said, “This one’s good, he’ll surely reach recovery,” and he didn’t. So, we really can’t make that judgment before education begins.
Now, when it comes to those human-like people who have already received education but act in the opposite way, things are different. There are some individuals who have been taught, who have seen the teachings, but in practice, they behave in the exact opposite way and cause destruction. After giving them education, you realize that whatever you teach, they act against it, and their actions lead to ruin. Such people are completely unfamiliar with the concepts of love and compassion; they are far removed from these words.
You must give them several chances, several stages of opportunity, so that maybe, just maybe, they awaken from their deep sleep. But if they still refuse to awaken, then it’s necessary to let them go, so that one day, at some point in time, their point of thought may awaken, and they may reach understanding.
You may try to awaken them over and over again, but they keep falling back asleep, continuing to act destructively. In such cases, you must let them go their own way. You might think, “No, I can fix them,” but how long can you keep trying?
Imagine a clear stream of pure water flowing, and someone comes and pours black, dirty, polluted water into it. Once that happens, your clean stream becomes contaminated,you must stop it. You can’t just say, “Leave it be.” If you leave it, it causes destruction. Or picture a box of apples: you have two rotten apples inside. If you say, “Let them stay,” those few rotten apples will spoil the rest.
So, he says: give them one or two chances. After that, if they still refuse to change, let them go their own way,until the day their point of thought awakens and they reach true understanding.

In the end, you put the words together; you build the house; you plant the flowers. So, plant them in a way that they won’t be an easy target for those who are fleeing the center.
There was a time in our system, back when we were still learning from other groups, that we used to say, “If you break your repentance a hundred times, come back.” In Congress 60 we meant: even if you relapsed a hundred times, return and work on your recovery again. At first, unconsciously, we copied that attitude from other groups: someone might quit drugs ten times, relapse some times, and we would say, “Okay, come on back.”
Later we reached a different conclusion. With the sudden-stop methods and free-fall detoxes used elsewhere, people might stop using, but they were not truly healed. No inner treatment had taken place. So even if they returned a hundred times, they could relapse repeatedly. Our approach is different. We believe in actual treatment: it takes about a year for a person to be treated. Many forces work on them, they receive instruction, and by the time they reach recovery from our perspective, the work is done. When you look back, out of a hundred, perhaps two or three return, three or four at most. In other systems, however, ninety-nine out of a hundred, or all of them, relapse repeatedly.
So, you can tell those other systems: “If you break your repentance a hundred times, come back.” But here, no. Here, if you break your repentance even once, do not return expecting the same treatment, because we don’t have the space or the resources. We don’t have the spare energy.
It’s like a university scholarship. Scholarships are given on condition: your grades must be A, your average must stay high. If your average falls, you lose the scholarship. Scholarships are reserved for those who study and earn them. If you want to loaf around, we won’t cover you,you must pay for your tuition and your housing like everyone else.
In Congress 60, scholarships are given only to those who show high marks, those who demonstrate commitment and progress. If others want to join the system and we work with them for a year and they relapse, they must pay their fees if they return. They won’t be given free treatment or a scholarship again.

So here it is said that this message applies to all of us. It says: you are the one who puts the words together, you are the one who builds the house, and you are the one who plants the flowers. Therefore, plant them in a way that they cannot be invaded by those who flee from the center.
This also applies to each of our lives. We are the ones who run our own lives and make our own plans, at least a large part of it is in our own hands. We plant our own flowers; we decorate our own homes. You build your house yourself; you choose everything yourself, the furniture, the arrangement, where to place the valuable things, you own.
Suppose you have a piece of gold or a little bit of money. It’s you who decides where to keep it safely in your home. Life works the same way. You must design and arrange your life in such a way that those who flee from the center, meaning those with negative energy, will naturally distance themselves from you. Let them drift away; don’t sit with them, don’t spend time with them. You are the one who sets this system.
If you have some gold at home and you leave it lying around, easily accessible, well, if someone with bad intentions shows up, that’s the first thing they’ll take. So, you have to place it somewhere safe and proper. The same goes for your groups, your legions, it all needs structure and care. You must organize and protect them so that those who flee from the center, the negative ones, don’t become part of them.
Guides must teach this firmly to their pupils. If a companion has been attending Congress 60 for eight months, they should understand what Congress 60 is about. They are not owed anything by Congress 60; Congress 60 offers all these services completely free of charge. If someone hasn’t learned this yet, it must be taught and reminded clearly.
In my legion for newcomers, I always tell every new member: whatever a person in charge tells you, you must say “Yes.” Because that’s where discipline and order begin. Without such order and structure, insects, meaning the disruptive forces, will enter, and our whole system will collapse. So, when we want to teach, we must first define and preserve the framework.

Education means exactly this. This is our order. This is our law. This is our boundary. This is our structure. This is our framework. These are the things that must be done, and those that must not be done. In every society, there are rules and principles to follow.
So now that we are putting the words together, building the house, and planting the flowers, we must do it in such a way that those who flee from the center, the negative ones, will naturally drift away. Because some matters belong to the realm of education.
What has been said, especially by me, must be carried out completely, without any hesitation, without excuses or objections. There’s no room for half-heartedness or leniency here. Therefore, each of you must act within your own frameworks, within your family, your life, your personal boundaries. It’s you who must define these lines. It’s you who set the red lines. It’s in your hands. You must plan and arrange things in a way that prevents disorder or negativity from taking root.
In the end, it is you who put the words together, you who build the house, and you who plant the flowers. So, plant them in a way that they cannot be invaded by those who flee from the center. This is not an easy task, but it can be done.
My time is over, and my final words are these:
Without love, one cannot speak of love. Without truth, one cannot speak of truth. You cannot speak of truth if you are not truthful yourself; you cannot speak of forgiveness if you have not forgiven; you cannot speak of trust if you do not trust.
So, without love, one cannot speak of love.
If a person does not truly possess something, even if they use the most beautiful and eloquent words about it, their words will never carry the true feeling, because the essence is missing. One must feel it.
As for me, I am a lover, and I will remain one.
These are the final words of the White Eagle. He says:
“Without love, one cannot speak of love. I am a lover, and I will remain one.”
Then he bids farewell. The White Eagle leaves the podium, and the third guardian steps forward to take his place.
At that moment, the residents wished to ask the White Eagle some questions. But they were told that under these circumstances, the guardians do not answer questions. Their role is only to deliver their message, and once they have spoken, their task is complete.

In such circumstances, it is repeatedly announced that the guardians will not be answering any questions. If you have a question, you can ask the successor at an appropriate time. It is said that, for now, only the successor will be responding to questions. The speeches are also announced and then delivered. We now come to the third speech, titled “Chains of Love,” presented by Raad.

The guardian steps onto the podium. He begins by saying, “In the name of the first lover, who is He.” These are all various ways of addressing the Supreme Power. Then he greets everyone: “Hello friends, I’m Raad, a guardian.” The residents respond in return: “Greetings to Raad.”
Raad says: “Today, I was truly delighted by the words of the dear guardians and by seeing all of you. Their speeches, their messages, and your presence filled me with joy, especially because I was also called to spend a few moments in your company. They invited me as well, they said: ‘Come and join us.’ They asked me to be in your service for a few minutes.”
Notice that he says “to be in your service.” He doesn’t speak from above, as if to say, “I’ve been invited to teach you, or to instruct you, or to give a speech.” No, he says, “I was called to serve you,” because service is born from love.
It seems he is to speak about love. It seems that the subject he must address is love itself. Therefore, he must turn inward, explore his own being, travel through ages and times gone by, unveil the days and years that have passed upon him, and bring forth all the beauty and ugliness he has witnessed, until his lips open to speak.
When we are asked to speak about something, let’s say forgiveness, there are two ways to approach it. One way is that if you are modern and up to date, you go on the internet and search for “forgiveness.” You gather everything others have said about it, compile them together, and write an essay or article. Or you might collect the sayings of great figures on forgiveness and produce a lengthy paper about it.
But there’s another way: when you are told to speak about forgiveness, you neither go online nor look it up in books. You simply sit down and think about the times you have forgiven others, how those experiences turned out, whether their outcomes were pleasant or unpleasant, and you put those reflections into words.
In that case, what you present is firsthand material, because you’re speaking from your own lived experience. You’re sharing what you have truly practiced and understood yourself, and that is genuine knowledge.

Someone who goes through books and pieces things together, that’s just weaving words. They’re weaving. There’s an old saying: “Your father was a scholar, but what good is his knowledge to you?” You might say, Shakespeare said this, Rumi said that, Hafez said something else, Napoleon said this, Victor Hugo said that, Lenin said one thing, and Marx another. Well, yes, they said those things, but they said them.
Here, when Raad speaks, he says, “I must do this myself.” He doesn’t say, “When they told me to speak about love, I’ll go online or search what others have said about it.” No, he says, “When I was told to speak about love,” and this is where it gets truly beautiful, “since I was called to serve for a few moments, it seems I must speak about love. Therefore, I must turn inward. I must look within myself to see where I stand with love, what my account is, what I’ve done, what I have.”
He must examine himself, explore within, and travel through different ages and times, even before his own birth. He must unveil the days and worlds he has lived through, in this life, the next, and across all of existence. He must uncover all that has passed over him, bring forth the ugliness and the beauty he has witnessed, until his lips begin to move, until he is ready to speak.
That’s why, in Congress 60, we always say: when someone is invited to speak, they should talk from their own experience and knowledge about the subject at hand. Everyone should speak from personal experience, and that is truly beautiful, right, and precise.
Of course, sometimes you might copy something from someone else, say, you find a paper on forgiveness written by Hassan. But Hassan had copied it from Hossein, and Hossein had copied it from Abbas, and Abbas from Taghi, Taghi from Naghi, and Naghi from Keyumars! By the time it reaches you, it’s been through a hundred hands.
Sometimes, yes, when you’re gathering or summarizing information, you can do that. There’s nothing wrong with using a few quotes or references here and there. But if you want to call that entire work your “research,” and all you’re doing is patching together what others have said, well, that’s exactly what you’re doing now.

It’s the same in universities too. Sometimes, right behind the University of Tehran, on the sidewalk, there are people selling ready-made papers, articles, and dissertations. They ask, “What kind of thesis do you need? Psychology?” You say, “Yes.” They reply, “Alright, we’ve got the fifty-thousand one and the hundred-thousand one. Which one do you want?” (laughter from the master and the audience).
There are people who sit there all day doing this, they just keep searching online. Some of them might not even have a diploma, yet they write dissertations for every academic level, mixing everything together. And the professors often don’t even realize it, they just see a patchwork of pieces from here and there.
That’s why Raad says, “If I want to speak, I must do it myself.”
Then he begins his talk:
“Love begins with affection, and affection is the question, the answer to which is love, infinite and boundless. The essence of love can be summed up in one image: the explosion of gunpowder.”
Love begins with affection; it doesn’t just appear all at once. And if sometimes it does seem to appear suddenly, when two people meet and feel as though they’ve known each other for a thousand years, that’s because they share a past; there’s destiny behind it, something written long ago.
But even then, even under those circumstances, love still begins with affection. Bit by bit, through kindness, they come to know each other more deeply.
So, love begins with affection. Affection is the question, and its answer is love, endless, infinite. And what defines love? It can be expressed in a single image: the explosion of gunpowder.
“Thank you all for listening to my words.”
Translated by: Companion Marjan

10/7/2025

Translation of the 14th valley, Part 5

In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Mr. Dezhakam: With strength taken from the Absolute Power, we begin the meeting. Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler and the session’s guardian.
Hello Hossein.
Please, so that we may free ourselves from the strongest enemy we have—our own ignorance—we will observe 14 seconds of silence and seek refuge in God.
Thank you, friends.

I kindly ask our esteemed secretary, Ms. Zahra, to present the summary of the previous session’s proceedings and announce today’s agenda.

Hello friends, I am Zahra, a traveler. Today, the fourteenth session of the fourteenth round began at 9 a.m., with Mr. Dezhakam serving as the session’s master and guardian, and I, Zahra, serving as the secretary. The agenda is “The Fourteenth Valley, Part Five.” Thank you.

Now, we have reached page 18 [in Valley 14]—these are from my notes—regarding the third Speech, for which we provided an introduction in the previous meeting, under the title “The Chains of Love.”

In the view of human beings, love is sometimes directly tied to personal interests. When interests are met, it seems that love becomes stronger; but when those interests are threatened, this love turns into something entirely different. The question is: should the word “love” ever be connected to our personal interests? If love is tied to interests, what state are we in? We come under the influence of those interests and desire them. Because someone provides us with those interests, we become fully sympathetic toward them and say, “He’s good, he’s wonderful, he’s great,” and we always remain under the shadow of those benefits.

But when our interests are endangered, the situation changes entirely. For example, suppose you imagine that someone is beneficial to you, so you like that person. If you see that this person affirms what you say, you continue to like them. But if the situation reverses—if they no longer affirm your words and instead remind you that you are mistaken—then that “love” turns into something else and becomes hatred. As a result, when love becomes tied to interests, it may transform into hatred, shifting from harmony born of self-interest to conflict and negative criticism.

In such a state, when someone loves another only for the sake of their own interests and advantages, the first point to consider is that this feeling is not love; it is merely the securing of personal benefit. Suppose someone says to me, “Dezhakam, we really, really love you.” I reply, “Very well, I love you very much too.” But if at some point I act contrary to your wishes, or you make a mistake and I point out your error and tell you that what you have done is wrong, will you still love me? Or do I become your enemy at that very moment? To what extent are you willing to sell this so-called love or affection? In other words, what is the value of this love or this claim of affection? Sometimes you see that its value is extremely small, like Judas in relation to Jesus. He followed Jesus for years, had all the noble qualities, was among the chosen ones, and could have become like John or Paul; but when he reached a certain condition, he betrayed Jesus for a few coins. At that moment, in exchange for money, he sold both himself and Jesus, he sold love, conduct, and ethical values.

So when we enter the subject of love, we must ask: what is its worth? Sometimes we might sell our love for [a very little amount of money], fifty thousand tomans, five hundred thousand tomans, or a million tomans—it depends on the circumstances.
Therefore, in discussing love as an ideal, we must review two points: Do we love a person for who they are, or for the benefits we receive? And if those benefits are removed, will we still love that person to the same extent or not? Do we cast them aside the moment the benefits disappear? In essence, love has no connection to personal interest.

The sun shines its light upon everything: upon thorns, upon flowers, upon all beings. When the sun shines on all, it is not seeking any benefit or expecting something in return. But if its interests were involved, the person would say: “I will shine on this one, and not on that one.” In this way, they would act selectively—and that has nothing to do with the truth of love.

Therefore, in the discussion of love, this point must be clarified: when interests, calculations, and personal accounting [personal benefits] enter the picture—questions like “How much benefit do I gain?” or “How much does this person love me?”—the feeling of love changes. As the old saying goes: “As long as you have money, I am your friend; I am devoted to the strap of your purse.” [As long as you have money, I love and worship you; otherwise, our friendship will disappear]. Today that “purse strap” applies to everything. So we must ask ourselves: when we love someone and show them respect and honor, what is the value of that love? How do we calculate its worth? Love must carry a cost beyond personal gain. In other words, love has nothing to do with interests. The matter of completely differs from the matter of the beloved [just as Shahāb ad-Dīn Suhrawardī, the Persian philosopher and founder of the Iranian school of Illuminationism, asserts the lover has nothing to do with the beloved, but the love itself matters], we must always keep this ideal in mind when speaking about love.

Now we read Guardian Ra’d’s speech, “Today I am exhilarated by the Guardian Sardar’ words and delighted to see you, for I too have been summoned to serve you for few moments. It seems we are supposed to speak of love; therefore, I must turn inward, explore ourselves, pass through different eras and times, unveil the days that have passed over me in the course of existence, and bring to mind all the beauties and all the ugliness, so that my lips could be opened to speak. Love begins with affection, and affection is the statement of the problem; its solution is love, which is infinite.”
He says: affection is the statement of the problem, and affection is made through connection. When affection is resolved—when it becomes clear and visible—it results in love. Thus, I say: love begins with affection. Love does not begin on its own. Infatuation may begin suddenly, but love does not arise like that. Infatuation is when you see someone, and you like them—without even speaking to them, you become fond of them. That is different. Love is when a connection is formed through time—through meetings, conversations, and shared presence. Little by little, affection grows, and what does it turn into? It becomes love.

Love begins with affection, and affection is the statement of the problem; its solution is love, which is infinite, it means love has no end. However far you go into love, there is always a higher level, a greater number, something beyond. Love is like numbers: the further you count, a greater number still exists [it is endless]. And its indicator conveys only one concept, “the Explosion of Gunpowder.” It means one of the meanings conveyed by love is the force and power of love, which is immense, it is so powerful that it resembles an explosion. Sometimes this explosion of love can lead a person into a state of nowhere-ness, which will be discussed later in this valley. We have seen that under certain conditions it happens. If other elements are not present to control the power of love, it is truly an explosion of gunpowder, because someone who is deeply in love cannot sense anything else but LOVE.

Love is a word with multiple meanings. Love is a word with varied and multiple interpretations. It can carry many different concepts, in many matters, situations, and perspectives, people understand it differently. Love is a single word, but its meaning may vary; each person has their own understanding, their own definition, their own sense of it, to each person, love means differently.
It begins slowly, little by little. Love does not appear all at once. It may begin suddenly, but for it to intensify, it must grow gradually and continues. It begins drop by drop and continues drop by drop. As it continues, it gradually takes on the meaning of affection. It begins, continues, and through this continuation, affection arises anew.
First it starts with affection, and then again affection—this process goes back and forth. As this continues, a mutual affection must exist in both the lover and the beloved. Over time, as it becomes purified, another word emerges [which is LOVE]. In the beginning, this love may contain many impurities. But both lover and beloved, in their effort to reach each other and fulfill their love, attempt to remove those impurities little by little. They may deceive each other, sometimes they may be dishonest toward each other, but they learn to stop doing so. When they no longer do that, the love becomes gradually purified. As it becomes purified, another word emerges—and that word can again be love itself [a purified love].

“The Daf and the Ney are instruments [two Iranian musical instruments], but what do they say? From all things, nothing. The daf and ney are merely two instruments. What do they say? Nothing. A daf and a ney require a musician. If a daf and ney are left alone forever—they will say nothing. They are merely tools; they have no voice unless a player picks them up [and play it]. When the drummer takes the daf, when the ney-player picks up the ney, then they can speak many things. Otherwise, the daf and ney are nothing on their own.

Human beings are like the daf and ney. A current must arise within them—a love, a commotion, a fervor, a joy, an affection must come into being inside them; otherwise, they have nothing. They are only flesh, skin, bone, and a mind. So the daf and ney alone have nothing to say. Leave them forever, they will never speak—unless a musician picks them up and plays them.

Bodies—our physical bodies—are tools. They resemble a corpse. A dead body has a nose; it has everything [required for a body], but why is it worthless? Because it is only a tool; nothing is inside it. In such a body anything may appear. Then the Guardian says again: the daf and ney are tools, but what do they say? Nothing from all things. When they lie there, they say nothing—unless someone lifts them and brings them to sound. They [Human beings] must learn the alphabet before they can write. To write, one must learn writing; to write, one must learn the alphabet. Someone who has not learned the alphabet cannot write. Likewise, in matters of love and related concerns, a person must have learned certain principles. If they have learned them, they can act; if not, they can do nothing.

“The daf and the ney are instruments, but what do they say? From all things, nothing.” They must learn the alphabet before they can write. Likewise, in order to love, a person must learn many things before they can truly love. “Love has no description”, it means love cannot be described; it cannot be defined or fully expressed in words. “Love is not directed toward the body”; love has nothing to do with the body. One may say, “I love this person because of their body”—but true love is not for the body and has no concern with it. “Love is not touch”; love is not physical contact. “Love is not words”; it is not constant talking [with the beloved about the love]. It is not an endless effort to describe the beloved, saying “you are good,” or saying “I love you.” Saying “I love you” is just words. Many people speak beautifully—but are you steadfast in action? Or do you sell it for a couple of coins? So, love is not speaking [of the beloved beauty].

Love is also not a contract. Love is not conditional: “Love me and I will love you,” or “If I get this, I will love you,” or “If you bring me this or that, I will love you.” These contractual arrangements have nothing to do with love. Love is not something that has a boundary or a limit we can define, saying: “Love is up to this point.” No, it is not like that at all. Love cannot be compared with anything. We cannot compare love to anything saying love resembles honey, chocolate, pineapple, or gold. “Love is passing through, moving forward, going and returning, becoming complete, and joining with the One from whom we originate.”

Love means passing through, it means giving up. What does “passing through” mean? It means we must give up many things. When you enter the realm of love, it involves giving up, passing through many matters. Can you give up many things? Can you give up your interests? Can you give up money? Can you give up even a small sum of money? So, love means passing through: both in the sense of moving beyond and in relinquishing many other things. It means going and going—moving forward continuously. You must go, go, go, and keep going. You must pass beyond everything, continue on, and then return.

Returning may refer to cycles, to periods, or to returning from many other matters. And then there is becoming complete. So love asks: Why passing through? For what purpose do you go? Why do you return? All of this is for becoming complete, so that the human being may be perfected. Because most of us—indeed, not most but all—are incomplete. We want to make things complete. Yet sometimes we mistake certain things for love, and certain other things for laws or rules—things that make our heads spin.

There is a story I have told once before—a story about Imam Hossein, the Master of the Martyrs. One day a man goes to visit the shrine of Imam Hossein. There, beside Imam Hossein’s sacred shrine, he begins to weep, forcefully striking his head, saying, “Oh Imam Hossein, I regret so deeply that I was not present on the day of Karbala, so that I could have sacrificed my life for you.” He kept crying and lamenting, beating his head and even complaining to God: “Why did You not bring me into existence at that time so that I could have been among the companions of Imam Hossein during the battle (on Ashura) in Karbala?”

Eventually, he falls asleep that night. In his dream, he sees the plain of Karbala, and he himself is one of Imam Hossein’s companions. The battle begins, and Imam Hossein prepares to stand and perform his prayers. Some of the devoted companions and loyal followers line up in front of him so that an arrow, spear, or any weapon will not strike Imam Hossein, allowing him to complete his prayer safely. The man stands among them, right in the middle of the row.

Suddenly the man sees an arrow approaching Imam Hossein. He stands still—stands and stands—but when the arrow comes close, he quickly steps aside and the arrow strikes Imam Hossein instead. Again he cries out, “Oh God, I made a mistake; I will not do that again!” He returns to his place and stands once more.

Then, standing there again, he sees a rider approaching on a horse, holding a large sword, coming to strike Imam Hossein’s head. As the blow is about to land, he dodges aside again, and the sword strikes Imam Hossein. Once more he pleads and begs, “No, I am not a man like this.” He returns to his spot again.

A third time, he sees a three-pointed spear—like a projectile—flying toward him. As it approaches, he instantly steps aside, and the spear strikes Imam Hossein again.

This story hold true for some lovers. Because their love is neither tested nor tried. It is nothing more than words. Sometimes people think they are lovers—even they fall in love of great figures, of noble souls, they think they are true lovers. But when the moment of trial, testing, and true experience arrives, in practice they see that the true love does not exist in them. They love their [own life and comfort] far more.

This is where [this feature of love] “passing through” comes in. What does love mean [in this story]? If you claim to love Imam Hossein, then love means that when the spear comes, you stand firm. You must give up your life, give up many things for the sake of him. This is the meaning of passing through. Otherwise, talk is empty air; you may speak as much as you want and declare, “Yes, I am like this.” But for what? Passing through means going forward, going forward, and returning—for what reason? For joining the Absolute Power, for returning to God, so that you may be united with Him.
“Love is that same Absolute Power that, in various forms, accompanies us through successive cycles, and we reach Him only when we have become complete—when we have become Him.” The Guardian now offers multiple meanings of love, saying: Love is not this; love is not that; love cannot be described. Love is letting go; love is reaching. Again, it says: Love is that very Absolute Power, that very God who, in different forms and shapes, is with us and accompanies us. And we reach Him only when we have become complete. We can reach Him, approach Him, become commensurate with Him, only when we reach that state—when we become like Him. That is, we must become Him to be able to resemble Him; we must be His very likeness to be able to reach Him. So love is that Absolute Power that, throughout the cycles of life, is always with us in different ways, and we can reach this love, this Absolute Power, this God, only when we become like Him.

The Guardian continues: “Love is not the body; love is not the soul. It says: Is love the body? No, not the body. Is it the soul? No, not the soul. What is with us from the moment we step into Existence, what accompanies us and it exists within all human beings, it is the essence of Existence.” Love is not body, nor is it soul, yet it is that which accompanies us the moment we enter Existence, and it exists within all human beings. It is the very being of existence itself, it means Existence has been formed just because of love, and it has been based on love. All of this will be explained more fully in later discussions.

Now it asks: How is it that we can one day be all of this? How can we one day be everything—everything that exists within all beings, within each particle of every individual? How can we be the whole of it? How can we become all that? This means the love that exists inside the honeybee; the love inside a mosquito; inside a human; inside all creatures, in trees, in plants—how can we ever be all of these? How can we ever, one day, be all of this? [How can we gather all this love in ourselves?].

Because it was said that love is the essence of Existence—that this it flows through the whole of existence. Now the question is: how can we ever be all of that—the Absolute Power? It means to reach love, we are to be all of it, then we are to be all of it, we have to be the Absolute Power, God Himself; however, how could it be possible that we be the Absolute Power, yet only a single drop of this vast universe has been entrusted to us. This part implies that we cannot become all of it. What does it mean? It means it is impossible for us, as just only one single drop of the universe, to reach the Absolute Power, because only a single drop has been given to us; we are but a drop.

But later on, the Guardian asserts in his speech, that single drop is enough to become part of the Infinite and in case we could be part of the Infinite, then we can be called “Human”. It is trying to say it is impossible for us to reach the Absolute Power, because He is the essence of the Existence, and we cannot be Him, since only a single drop has been entrusted to us.  And this single drop cannot be the ocean. However, if that single drop is pure—if we are good, righteous, we can reach the purpose and goal—only then do we truly become a drop. Only then does it begin to feel infinite, resembling eternity itself, resembling God, continuing without end, without perishing. If we become that drop, then we finally become a human being—a true human being, a good human being. Not an animal in the form of a human. For some of us are still animals in human form; some, excuse me, are four-footed creatures wearing the shape of a human. Their name is “human,” but they merely resemble one.

To be human means to be grateful for existence. Now, who is a human being? We want to understand what “human” really means. It says that only then do we become human. So who is a human? What is a human? Just a two-legged creature walking around can be called “human”?

To be human means to be grateful for existence. If someone reaches that stage of humanity, it means they are grateful for all of existence: grateful for the tile on which they walk, grateful for the chair on which they sit, grateful for the air they breathe, grateful for the electricity that gives light, grateful for the cucumber and tomato they eat, grateful for water—because without these, life would not exist and would not be possible. This is gratitude.
Now imagine the state of someone who is ungrateful toward their own God, their own Lord, their own Guide, ungrateful and thankless for something given to them directly, things like water, electricity, a tile—if one is human, they would be grateful to existence, grateful to the Absolute Power, to God. Grateful means thankful—because they understand what God has given them and what power exists. To be human means to give thanks to existence, to the Absolute Power, to God.
Many times, we have forgotten God entirely. For [some of us], God does not exist. We have forgotten the very God who is the Absolute Power. We forget Him, yet we believe in a fortune-teller or a soothsayer. We believe in a tree but not in God. Some of us believe in some plaster and soil, but not in God. We have created so many substitutes for ourselves that God is the last on the list. Or like some people who say: “oh, Jesus Christ, strike this God down to earth,” when they are angry with God—meaning we lower God’s station so much and raise the status of His servants so highly that we reach this point and forget God altogether.

To be human means to be grateful to existence, to the Absolute Power. It means the Fourteenth Valley: it means love. Now tell me, is this path easy? Is it easy to be grateful to God? To be grateful to the Absolute Power? To be loving?

Now tell me: is this path easy? What is it like? For instance, is it easy to forgive the sins of those who have wronged you? Can you forgive the one who wronged you? If someone has wronged you and you forgive them, then you are human. If someone has wronged you but you cannot forgive them, you are not yet human.

Of course, the above statements should not be misinterpreted and changed to a deviant belief. Sometimes people commit sins and must be punished; punishment may be necessary. I am not saying punishment should be avoided. But can you forgive? People cannot forgive.
One of our young men [of Congress 60] once had an accident. Early one morning, he hit an old man on the street. The old man fell and died. This man who died lived alone in Tehran and his daughters lived abroad. He never gave them anything—never supported them. When he died, I think his family should have given something to the young man who struck him, because the old deceased man had immense wealth—billions, God knows how much. His blood money was due in one of the special months [The forbidden months when the amount increases.] The insurance paid forty million tomans; the total amount was fifty-three million, so thirteen million remained. And this young man did not have that thirteen million to pay, so the old man’s daughters wanted to send him to prison over those thirteen million. The deceased had left enormous wealth for his daughters abroad—yet they wanted the blood money of their father. Insurance paid forty million; only thirteen million remained. This young man could not pay it, so he faced prison for that amount.

People have become like this. What have they understood of love? Of compassion? For them, love, compassion, and God are all dollars, banknotes, and money. For some people, money is all that matters. They have not yet grasped even the slightest essence of love.

It is like forgiving the sins of those who have wronged you. Is it really that hard to let go of thirteen million? They cannot do it. They cannot move past it. They cannot let it go.

What does it mean to be human? We said “being human” means [expressing] gratitude for existence, gratitude for the Absolute Power—that is, the Fourteenth Valley. Now tell me, is this job easy? Is it easy, for example, to forgive the sins of those who have wronged you, is it easy to let go of yourself—can you let go of yourself [your desires and wants]? Or can you let  go of yourself so that you may reach your Inner World [the world out of the physical boundaries], so that you may reach within. This is the meaning of “being human”. Or consciously flying from the boundlessness of the body to the boundlessness of existence. If you wish to be human, one part of it is forgiveness: can you forgive the sins of those who have wronged you? Can you let go of yourself to reach within? Can you do this? Can we consciously soar from the physical body to what lies the World Beyond, and reach the true meaning of being human? Which of us can do these things?

Yes—the practice of this work, the practice of this great task, is difficult. All these things we mentioned are hard; they are not easy.

If someone has wronged you—can you forgive them? Yes, the practice of this great act—forgiving the one who wronged you—is difficult, but it can be done; you can forgive them.
Perhaps you are surprised, or some may be amazed, that the world and the worlds are truly moving away from darkness. It says: perhaps you may be surprised or amazed that truly the world and the worlds are distancing themselves from darkness.

Look at the history of humanity in the past: constant terrible wars, terrible oppression, terrible misery. Germany with France; France with England; England with Japan; Japan with China; China with Taiwan; Taiwan—Japan with China; Iran with Rome; Rome with Iran; Iran with Greece. One would rise and go to Greece and burn it down to conquer Athens. Or another would rise from Athens, Greece and come to burn Persepolis. Each against the other. Napoleon would rise from France and march to the end borders of Russia to conquer it; then the whole country would be perished, or Stalin remained in his country but executed or killed millions of people.

Look everywhere: cities, villages— Tamerlane would march and commit horrifying acts everywhere. Long ago, when Tamerlane came to take Sabzevar, for example—if I am remembering correctly, I think it was Sabzevar or another city—because the city would not surrender, when he finally took it, he cut off people’s heads and built towers and minarets out of skulls to strike fear into everyone else. A madman!

Or another madman, Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. For example, when he wanted to take Kerman, Kerman resisted him. He besieged the city, and when he finally conquered it, he blinded all the inhabitants. He gouged out everyone’s eyes because they had not surrendered to him.

Or the Germans came with two to three thousand airplanes to bomb London or Moscow. Or one or two thousand planes rose from England [London] to bomb Berlin, bombing entire cities. Any corner of this earth you examine—everywhere there were conflicts, battles. Over what did they fight? Over Land, Money, Wealth. What killings, what crimes, what massacres occurred [just God knows].
Then, all of a sudden, cholera would strike, or typhoid, or plague, and entire tribes and towns would perish. But how about now? Why was there so much war in Europe? Because they lacked land—farmland. They needed land for agriculture; the more farmland they had, the more income they had. They were constantly at each other’s throats like cats and dogs because they lacked awareness and wisdom.

But now what have they done? Now they say: why do we need land? What should we do? For example, remove borders. The economy is something; money is something else; planning is something else. Remove all of it. So many nations—fifty-something countries—removed their borders. At one time they fought over two meters of land, over a river: some said “This river belongs to us,” others said: “That river belongs to us.” Wars and bloodshed over whether a river belonged to them or to the others. Or barren deserts!
So now the world—and the worlds—have truly moved away from darkness. These things really no longer exist. For example, those days that the KGB, had walled off Russia—those days are gone. I was listening to a program on television; I’m not making a political point here. What I’m saying is that the world, and the worlds, have distanced themselves from darkness. I’m saying that they were talking about these nuclear warheads—Ukraine had bought 5,000 nuclear warheads; missiles with nuclear warheads. And this Kyrgyzstan I don’t know, but they say it has 1,400 nuclear-armed missiles. There are lots of nuclear missiles in the world. Now America and others also have several thousand nuclear warhead missiles. Meaning, with the missiles humankind has made for destroying the Earth, if they wanted to destroy the entire solar system, by God, they could. They could wipe it out—with this number of nuclear weapons maybe they could destroy the Earth 200 times over. But now they are gradually dismantling them.

When I say the world or the worlds are moving away from the darkness, I [did not mention a political fact] and I had no political angle. But if you see, now almost everyone has enough to eat. Yes, they say there is unemployment, but comparatively, at least basic food reaches almost everyone in the world. Compared to forty years ago, things are completely different. Even those of you who are very poor—at least you each have two or three pairs of shoes now. I’m not saying twenty or thirty pairs, but at least two or three. Each of you at least has several sets of clothes. There was none of this before in old ages.

Back then, if we had very merciful parents, when we were child, they would take us to a shoemaker, we would put our feet on cardboard, and the shoemaker would draw around our feet with a pencil, and take our measurements. Then he would say, “For example, your shoes will be ready in a month.” He’d finish them before the New Year, and we would wear that one pair of shoes for a whole year—at least a year. A whole year on our feet. Not like you! It was different because—excuse me—we ran like mules [long long distances], climbed everywhere, wore shoes out fast. The wearing-out rate of our shoes was very much, just like a car that barely moves versus one that’s constantly on the road. The soles of our shoes would wear through. We’d take them to repair shops; they would add new soles and heels. Our parents wouldn’t buy us new shoes, they changed the sole and heel ten times. When the shoes would wear out, the holes in winter and cold were miserable. Everything was like that.

Rice barely existed—people didn’t eat rice at all. No one ate chicken. Just rich people sometimes would eat chicken and rice! Many elders used to say, “If your debt reaches 100 tomans, eat chicken and rice every night.” A hundred tomans was a lot amount of money in that time. This saying meant, once you hit that much debt, eat chicken and rice every night [it means when you are in an outstanding debt, it does not matter if you eat rice and chicken every night].

Now, rice is an ordinary thing. Meat and chicken are completely ordinary foods. So you see, compared to the past, stomachs are far fuller than before, the economy is better. People have better clothing, food, education. If you had seen a school with a hundred children, among them you would see about five with “trachoma”—an [infectious] eye disease that caused itching. I never got it, but many did. In those schools, ringworm [causing bald patches on head] was common; many had it. There were many diseases. What I’m saying is that today—not only in our own country but worldwide, in Europe and America as well—human beings have truly moved away from the darkness.

Now, when a famine strikes somewhere in the world, or when an earthquake happens, immediately helicopters and planes and relief forces from other countries will be sent to that area. They quickly send doctors, medicine, vaccines—everything—right away. When an earthquake happens, other countries immediately send their forces, their tents, their aid, their dogs to rescue people from under the rubble. None of this existed on Earth in old times. Now Europeans each have a car, a home, and a livelihood. This holds true for Iranians; there is no difference. People now, compared to before—though, we all complain, [we are living in comfort] and this is a sign that the world and the worlds have moved away from darkness.

So here, when it says: if we take everything into account, you may be surprised—or some may be astonished—that the world and the worlds truly are moving away from darkness. But the notebook, or the book, of love and affection never closes.

In those times when darkness prevailed, the book of love was open. And now, even though the world enjoys a high degree of relative comfort, love is still present, and the book of love never closes. Rather, it remains forever intertwined with what was set into motion at the very beginning [the Alast Day]. These circles are continuously expanding infinite radii, and as love spreads, destructive forces fade away. The true meaning of what has been breathed—the Divine Soul— into human beings becomes clearer and more evident.

Therefore, it is said although distance [from the beginning of the world] may arise, the book of love and affection never closes, because what began is still continuing. The circles of love and affection keep expanding infinite radii [of love], and this process continues throughout the universe, in all worlds.

When I was watching television, sometimes small issues were discussed—for example, the fact that Japan protects whales and bans their hunting, yet there is an exemption which allows hunting whales for the sake of scientific research studies. Some sources say that Japan abuses this provision and hunts whales with enormous ships, while many people confront them with small boats to prevent it.

Love and affection for existence and for animals have always been present [in human beings]. Some people devote their own lives to defend [whales and other animals] and protest hunting them and ask why such things are allowed to happen.
“The process of spreading of love still continues, and as love grows stronger, destructive forces diminish or disappear. Ultimately, our understanding of what has been placed within human beings becomes deeper.” The divine spirit and nature infused into humanity becomes more apparent over time, and we realize how precious the gem of our existence truly is.

The human being has two sides: rebellion and righteousness, corruption and goodness. Now, tendencies are shifting from the negative to the positive. The positive [divine] aspect that has been breathed into humans is gradually and steadily revealing itself. As a result, the book of love and affection never closes; it remains connected to its beginning. The circles of love and affection are continuously expanding, destructive forces fade with the growth of love, and the truth of what has been breathed into the human being becomes clearer with each passing day.
Thank you, dear ones. I am very grateful to you.

Translated by Elahe

Part 6

Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler. I kindly ask the honorable secretary, Ms. Zahra, to present the summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.
Secretary: Hello friends, I am Zahra, a traveler.
Audience: Hello, Zahra.
Secretary: Today is the fifteenth session of the fourteenth round, held under the guidance and supervision of Mr. Dezhakam and with me, Zahra, serving as secretary. The session, with the agenda of the Fourteenth Valley, Part Six, began promptly at 9 a.m. (Applause from the audience)
Mr. Dezhakam: Thank you. Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler.
Audience: Hello, Hossein.
Which session are we on regarding the Fourteenth Valley?
Secretary: The sixth.
This is the sixth session on the Fourteenth Valley. In the previous session, it was discussed that the perspective of a lover is different. Sometimes we love because of our desires—because we love ourselves. In such a case, we sacrifice the beloved for the sake of our own love. But a true lover is not like that; a true lover never sacrifices the beloved.
I mentioned that when the topic of love is brought up, immediately and automatically, what manifests in everyone’s mind is the image of a creature’s love for another creature, or a human being’s love for another human being. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that; that too is a kind of love. However, in the Valleys, we view love on a much higher level—love for the whole of existence, love for life itself. That is the kind of love that brings eternal peace and comfort to a person.
If you are a lover and your account is settled with love, then people’s actions will not appear to you as negative, fault-finding, or full of hatred. But if you are not a lover—if you do not love people—then whatever anyone does will seem wrong to you, and the sharp edge of your criticism will cut that person, and your tongue will become bitter.
Generally, this bitter tongue may appear in an encounter with a taxi driver, a grocer, a chauffeur, a cleaner, a doctor, a university professor, or a relative. Such a person is not a lover; they have not yet reached the love we are speaking of. The tongue of a lover is like silk—soft and gentle. Of course, a lover may sometimes appear angry, but in truth, a lover is never truly angry. They may pretend to be angry, but in their essence, anger has no meaning. They may pretend to be wrathful, but true inner anger rarely arises within them.
Therefore, the dialogue you are referring to, the kind of talk you make—these do not come from love. A lover never allows himself to speak critically behind someone’s back. A lover never permits himself to point out others’ faults, because he knows that people’s flaws are rooted in their ignorance—in their lack of awareness.
If there are germs somewhere, if a food is contaminated, do you think people would eat it if they knew? Of course, not—no one would. And if there were a pleasant, sweet, and refreshing drink, but you knew it contained poison—would you drink it? No, you would not. So if you let them know “this drink contains poison” and they still drink it, that means they are ignorant; they do not know. When you say “it has germs, it has a virus,” and they still consume it, that too comes from ignorance.
That sharp and bitter tongue which constantly criticizes others and dislikes people is because of their ignorance. Such a person does not know how much harm and damage this hatred toward others brings upon themselves.
In the Valley we also said that some people are like insects, and some merely appear human. We do not deny this—it truly exists. Yet even toward them, one must show flexibility. Perhaps one day they will awaken; for now, they do not wish to awaken. Their ignorance is immense—they carry a whole truckload of ignorance. Yours may be just a taxi full, or a small pickup full of ignorance, but theirs is a whole lorry or trailer full of ignorance. That is why they have not awakened yet; it has its own logic and wisdom—they must go through experiences until their heads hit the stone —as the old saying goes—until they become aware and come out of that state.
So, one of the most prominent characteristics of love is that a lover loves people. The bad deeds of others do not seem bad to him. As Hafez Shirazi said, “نیکی پیر مغان بین که چو ما بدمستان هر چه کردیم به چشم کرمش زیبا بود”  “See how generous is the Lord… He still looks upon us with love, no matter what we have done; though we drunken ones behaved badly, all our acts appeared beautiful to Him.
This means that although we do wrong, to the one who truly loves us, our wrongdoings seem beautiful to him, because He fully knows that our wrongdoings are coming from being drunken. In the past, when people drank wine, some would become cheerful, while others would start fights, curse, or even use knives. Such behavior was called “bad drunkenness.”
Similarly, people today may also act in a state of “bad (severe) drunkenness.” But to a true lover, these bad drunken acts do not seem ugly. The lover’s heart holds no resentment. He tries to guide, to help. As the great Rumi said:
“Through love, thorns turn into roses; through love, wax becomes iron; through love, vinegar becomes honey,” to the end of the poem, it has been mentioned what happens if love is removed. “Without love, wax itself turns into iron.”
Human beings have two faces—all human beings, without exception. They possess two sides: one is the face of anger and negativity, and the other is the face of goodness and positivity. Through our own behavior and actions toward others, we determine which face they show us—their good one or their bad one.
If someone says that a person has no negative side, no anger, or no darkness within, I cannot accept that. These aspects exist in everyone. As it is said in the holy Qur’an: “And the Nafs (Self) and Him who proportioned it, and inspired Nafs with its wickedness and its righteousness”—" وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا—Surah Ash-Shams, verse 7 and 8.”

“Human beings stand at a crossroads”—وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡن — [Surah Al-Balad, verse 10] meaning both tendencies of wickedness and righteousness exist within human Self. Both are part of human nature.
When a person has developed and matured spiritually, the positive side dominates and shines brightly, and the negative side becomes much smaller. But if someone claims that the negative side does not exist at all, I would say that is not possible—having these sides is part of being human.
Therefore, it is we who determine whether others show us their bad side or their good side. For example, imagine a car accident. Someone hits another car. The one who caused the accident, though not necessarily at fault, comes out and says politely, “I’m so sorry, please forgive me.” The other person, instead of calming down, starts to get more and more heated—his temper rises. The first person continues to remain calm and apologetic, but the other keeps provoking him. Then suddenly, the calm one snaps—he punches the other man in the mouth and breaks his teeth.
This means that he had been patient and composed, but when he saw the other was taking advantage of his calmness, his bad side emerged. As we say, his “genie came out,” he got angry, and he did something the other person could not have imagined.
So, that individual’s behavior provoked the other to reveal his negative face. And this is something we constantly do: through our own behavior and attitude, we determine whether people show us their positive or negative side.
If someone is always showing you their negative side, you should know that something is wrong in your own conduct—there is a flaw somewhere in your way of dealing with them.
I myself have been attending Congress for ten years now [this CD was provided in 2013], and I can hardly recall any instance where I have acted in such a way that someone showed me their bad side. I do not remember ever getting into a serious argument, being insulted, or engaging in conflict with anyone—it has almost never happened.
It is not that all those people are saints—rather, I have tried to conduct myself in such a way that these incidents, these frictions and clashes, do not occur. If I behaved differently, they would certainly show me their negative side. The same applies to all the members of Congress 60—they interact with others in such a way that people do not reveal their bad or negative face.
This is a key and very important point that we study in the 9th Valley, the Threshold of Chaos. It is we who guide others to the threshold of chaos. If we think carefully, we will realize that through our own behavior and actions, we can lead others toward or away from such states. Yet, at times, we justify our harshness by saying, “If I act kindly, he’ll take advantage of me; he’ll become spoiled or arrogant.” By saying this, we grant ourselves permission to behave rudely or harshly.
Our actions should always remain calm. Of course, a guide or teacher may occasionally show anger toward a pupil, and that is quite natural—it’s not a problem, and I’m not opposed to it. But even then, one must always observe the proper limits, because you can apply pressure to a person only up to a certain point, to their tolerance point or the threshold of chaos. When someone feels completely suffocated, they reach their breaking point—they snap.
Becoming a lover, therefore, is not a matter of decision or declaration. You cannot simply say, “Starting tomorrow morning, I will be a lover. From now on, I will love everyone.” You cannot do that—it is impossible. A person must go through much pain and inner breaking before reaching the stage where they can genuinely love all human beings.
I am only explaining these qualities so that you may recognize them one day, and, God willing, one day gradually step into this Valley—to love people, to act toward them with gentleness, not hatred; to avoid resentment and blame. We must strive to reach that level. This is the true nature of a lover. Otherwise, through harshness, you can turn even the kindest of people into harsh and aggressive ones—people will then reveal their rough face to you.
Sometimes, when you interact with someone, you may realize that they are among those “human-like beings” or “insects” or “microbes,” as mentioned before. In such cases, the instruction—just as in the previous Valley—is to gradually create distance. Reduce the closeness, weaken the connection, and eventually, when necessary, cut it off entirely.
This does not mean that we must say, “Since we are lovers, we must always be good to everyone, whether they are good or bad.” No. When you see that someone is truly harmful, you slowly distance yourself—step by step. Greet them politely, say, “Hello, how are you?”—but not to turn your face away (laughter from the audience)—just naturally and calmly. Greet them, pass by, and gradually let the relationship fade away. Do it subtly, without making it obvious, until one day the connection naturally and completely comes to an end.
Of course, sometimes there is still a balance to maintain—there is a limit. This matter is like an art, like tightrope walking. You must walk on the rope carefully; if you lean too far to the left, you fall; too far to the right, you fall; if you stand still, you may still fall. Whatever you do, there is always a risk of falling—until you learn the proper balance.
There are times when you show too much kindness to someone, and that person loses themselves or, you might give them certain allowances or privileges, and they begin to take advantage of them. When that happens, as the old saying goes—and as people in Kerman would say—“He rubs up his sleeves” (laughter from the audience), it means they will behave badly toward you. In Kermani dialect, they say “var mimaland bala” meaning “they roll up their sleeves.” So when someone “rolls up their sleeves” for you, it means they are ready to confront you, to challenge you, to no longer listen to you.
So here too, it’s a kind game, the game of maintaining balance. When you want to act with kindness, you cannot simply say, “I will always be loving and kind no matter what.” Sometimes that can cause problems. You must take one step at a time: show kindness, observe the response, and if the other person takes one step forward, then you may take another. But if you take five steps forward and see that the other person does not take even one step toward you—first time, second time, third time, fourth time—you must stop. You should not keep advancing while the other keeps retreating.
It’s the same with granting privileges or opportunities. You give someone some facilities; if they use it well and appreciate them, you can grant them more. Even you may give them some authorities, if they do well, then you grant them more authorities; otherwise, you shift gears—you reverse. This is the principle.
So when you want to show your live, even here, there is a calculation—a measure to everything.
And how can we find this proper balance? We can only discover it through knowledge and awareness.
So, as I was saying, we must find the balance through knowledge and awareness, and that sense of proportion comes only with experience. This is not an easy task—it must be achieved gradually, step by step.
What I tell you in class—those are only the main points. We analyze and discuss them theoretically. But truly living these principles and acting upon them—that is a whole different matter. It is far from easy to apply these rules in the real life.
If you think that merely sitting in a spiritual class, listening to a great teacher, and hearing profound things will immediately transform you, that is not the case. You might memorize and repeat what you’ve heard, but true understanding comes through practice. You can see that even great figures who attend the best classes for years, can lose their temper over the smallest things. So, this was the message: I hope that one day you will truly become lovers, understand how this system works, and this principle must grow everywhere.
Now, if your universal love—your love for all of existence—becomes strong and steadfast, then your personal love will also become strong and steadfast. But if your universal love is not strong and firm, your personal love cannot possibly become strong either.
Your personal love can only gain strength and stability when your universal love is strong, because that universal love is supported by the knowledge and awareness you have accumulated; it gives you the capacity to preserve love. Without such awareness, you cannot sustain your personal love. Therefore, this is extremely important—you cannot say, “I will elevate my personal love to the highest level, but I will ignore universal love.” In my view, that is impossible. Such a thing simply cannot happen. The two must coexist; only then can a person truly be a lover.
We have now reached the point where we said that the world is moving toward positive forces, toward chains of love that are becoming stronger and stronger. The Book of Love will never be closed, and the worlds are distancing themselves from darkness, as we have already explained.
Now let us read from the next section, where it says:
“These circles continue to expand endlessly in their radius, and as love and affection increase and spread, the work of destructive forces declines. Thus, the real meaning of what has been breathed into humankind will become more and more evident.”
This phrase—“what has been breathed into humankind”—refers to what God says [in the holy Quran]:
“I have breathed into man from My own spirit.” [و نفخت فیه من روحِی, Surah Sad, verse 72]  and [in Surah Al-Asra], it mentions, وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي ‘they ask you about the Spirit, and you [must] say: “it is under the command of my Lord” [verse 85].
In this verse, “I have breathed into man from My own spirit.” [و نفخت فیه من روحِی, Surah Sad, verse 72], the Lord states, I have bestowed upon the human being a part of My spirit—from My knowledge, wisdom, perfection, attributes, (or however you wish to interpret it—it makes no difference). The point is that God has infused something divine within humanity.
Now we start from here and continue:
“The chains of love grow stronger day by day.”
Why are the chains of love becoming stronger each day?
Can anyone answer this question?
(Voice from the audience: “Because of awareness.”)
Yes, very good—because human awareness has increased and continues to rise.
Human knowledge and consciousness are gradually expanding among all people. As awareness and knowledge grow, the bonds of love naturally become stronger. So here again, we see that the foundation of love—the basis of both affection and compassion—is knowledge, awareness, and cognizance. Accordingly, as we observe on a global scale, the knowledge and awareness of humanity are increasing compared to the past; therefore, the chains of love are certainly becoming firmer and more resilient.
“The transmissions, through fine particles in the air, food, and sounds, reach one another to form a collective force that descends upon the darkness and fulfills the divine command.”
Interestingly, I once watched a film—its exact title escapes me now, but I might recall it later for you to see. It was called The Golden Hour [the Golden Compass] or something similar. In the film, it was an old clock [compass]—when you opened it, it had three hands. You could ask it any question, and it would give you an answer. The film’s theme was about love and gray particles.
In that movie, it showed something that aligns perfectly with today’s topic: a stream of gray waves descending to Earth from some galaxies in the cosmos. There were efforts [by the negative forces] to block these gray waves, to prevent them from reaching the earth planet. If I can remember the title, I would share it so that you certainly watch it, it has been also dubbed into Persian.
The film depicted ashes or dust-like particles coming from a distant galaxy, radiating golden waves toward Earth. These waves affected humans, while certain negative forces tried to stop them, attempting to block their arrival to Earth.
This perfectly corresponds to what we call the particles of love in the universe. As we have said, they come from other worlds—through food, sound, and every other medium. These are waves sent by God, waves of love that continuously reach us through every possible channel, influencing human beings—empowering and strengthening them—so that they [human beings] may descend upon the darkness and transform it into light.
“The alphabets of the writings that carry the True Message [of God] shall ride upon the waves like butterflies upon water. From faraway distances and through every possible path, they will reach other human beings and bring the torch of light to every nation and tribe. This movement is the expression of what must be accomplished.”
It says that these alphabets—the writings that bear the true message—are destined to travel upon the waves, to reach every place, every corner of existence, and to deliver guidance and words of truth to all people there.
Interestingly, The Twelfth Valley has not yet been fully typed in Persian, but all Fourteen Valleys have already been translated into English. What is fascinating is that the English version of The Fourteenth Valley was actually completed before the Persian version appeared. In any case, wherever there are words of truth—in any system or land—those words will inevitably find their way to others.
For instance, consider the Holy Qur’an: it originated in a small peninsula— Saudi Arabia—, yet over time, it gradually carried itself to every corner of the world, reaching all of humanity, step by step. Likewise, the poems of Rumi and the works of other great sages—each has found its way to human hearts across the world.
“How can anyone block the passage of light, sound, and sensation? This is His Word—infused with love—which passes through every boundary and reaches those who seek it.”
No one can block light—for example, who can prevent the sunlight from shining, or stop the moon’s glow? Perhaps there is an eclipse once in a great while, but only for a brief moment; light cannot be held back. The same is true of sound—it cannot be stopped. Nor can sensation be prevented from flowing.
All of these—light, sound, sensation, and the written word—if they are His Words, when they are imbued with love, they transcend all borders and reach the hearts of those who truly yearn for them.
That is why, over the course of time, humanity has become ever more closely bound within the chains of love.
“Truly, this word ‘love’ is the foundation of existence, and everything that takes place within it — with all its hardships and difficulties — teaches a person what they have been, what they are, and what they should become.”
Indeed, as it says, the very foundation of the universe is love. Throughout these sessions we have realized that if love did not exist, existence itself could not have taken form or gained order. Everything that happens, happens within love — through its hardships and tensions. Love is sweet as honey, it is bitter like Zaghnabut, the deadliest poison of snakes. The road of love is the road of hardships and difficulties which requires endurance, patience, and steadfastness. Through the pains of love, one gradually learns the truth of being — what we once were, what we are now, and what we shall become. Yet, we have not [profoundly] thought of these questions, what we once were, what we are now, and what we shall become. Only love can teach us.
Then it continues:
“I am deeply sorry that I could not convey the true meaning of love to others,”
says the Third Guardian,
“but I am not saddened, for the world is in motion. And it will select whatever must remain within the circle of love and affection, and be capable of self-renewal.”
He means he could not teach the real meaning of love to others, he feels so sorry for it but he is not sad, because the existence is in motion and it will select whatever must remain in the circle of love and affection and the existence will select whatever has the power of regeneration. Even the Guardian admits: “I could not do it, for I was not chosen to do so.”
This is so vast, and so immense, the subject of love truly is — so great that humanity has spent thousands of years pursuing it, enduring suffering after suffering, just to pass to others or share with others a single spark from that infinite ocean of divine love.
There are times when we are not able to give or share this love with others. However, “this matter—Love— is so great, so immense, that it cannot happen instantly—you cannot simply give someone your mobile number, they call you, and you immediately fall in love. Today is Tuesday, and by Thursday your love bursts into flames. It doesn’t work like that. Look, it says you must come and go for thousands upon thousands of years, endure hardships and difficulties, so that you may be able to pass on even a tiny drop of this ocean to someone else—just a small amount to brighten someone’s heart.”
The Master continues: “Blessed is the one who gives and does not seek to take it back. Blessed are those who give something and do not look to reclaim it. You give five tomans and want to get five tomans back. But sometimes some people speak a kind word and expect a kind word in return. They show affection and wait for affection to be shown back to them—and so on.

“Blessed are those who give and do not seek to take back.”
To give without awaiting return — that is the mark of a true lover, and the essence of the universe built upon love.
“Blessed is the one who gives and does not seek to take back.”
If you reach that level, you may offer every kindness and goodness to your student and see no response—yet it no longer matters to you. It does not concern you whether they return your favor, repay your kindness, or acknowledge your service. Because when you give without the intention of taking back, you have already transcended expectation.
If you help someone expecting them to help you in return, then in truth, you are still seeking repayment. But, “Blessed is the one who gives and does not seek to take back — freely, like the Almighty Power.” A true lover is like God, who gives without seeking anything in return. A true lover does not wait for repayment; they merely observe.
Imagine: someone gives you a gift, and the person expects you to immediately give a larger one in return. Someone visits you, and the person expects you to return their visit. Of course, visiting each other has its own rules and etiquettes. However, generally, if you say, “You came to my house last week and ate Ghormeh Sabzi; now you must invite me for Gheimeh this week.” One gives, one takes, this is bartering, transaction of equals.
But giving like God is different. God gives freely, like the Almighty. He does not wish to take back, nor does He wait for repayment or acknowledgment. He simply watches. He observes what you do with what you have been given — if you use it well, wonderful; if not, so be it.
“Therefore, how precious it is — to give and not reclaim, unless an error is observed.”
This statement refers to God. He gives and does not take back unless He witnesses repeated wrongdoing. Not once, but many times. He continues to bless, continues to bestow, even as we grow ungrateful.
As a poem states:
“Be thankful for blessings, and they shall increase;
Deny them, and they shall be taken away.”
God gives again and again, yet when one continually shows ingratitude — ignoring the value of His gifts, ignoring His services, ignoring the guidance provided by their guide, showing imprudence and abusing grace — then the flow of gifts and grace stops. However, if you value the gifts, the grace will continue.
Now it continues:
“Then that which has been created — meaning the human being — if a human being moves rightly, walking in the path that God has determined, moment by moment, each step is transformed into a garden of flowers.
This means: if the human, the created being, moves in the right direction, within the path set by God or by Universal Wisdom, then....
For the path determined by God and the path determined by Universal Wisdom are one and the same. Whatever God decrees is contained within the wisdom of the universe, and whatever the Universal Wisdom commands is in harmony with divine will. There is no contradiction between them — only differences in terminology.
For instance, universal wisdom says, “Do not lie.”
God says in the Qur’an, “Woe to the liars.”
Universal Wisdom says, “Do not cheat.”
God says, “Woe to those who give less in measure.” (وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِين , verse one, Surah Al-Mutaffifin.)
Universal Wisdom says, “Do not betray.”
God says, “Do not be treacherous.”
Universal Wisdom says, “Do not slander others, do not pry into their private affairs, do not kill.”
God says the very same.
“Thus, we see that whatever universal wisdom commands, the Absolute Power commands the same. All are drawn from the same source; there is no difference. Now, if a human being moves rightly, walking in the path that God has determined, ‘moment by moment, each step is transformed into a garden of flowers.”
Whoever moves correctly, in accordance with divine guidance, the Absolute Power  will change their every single step into a flourishing garden by. [It is like] even the slightest breeze spreads the fragrance of countless flowers through the air. One who walks the Straight Path — صراط المستقیم — has reached the promised paradise.
“If a person moves rightly, each step is transformed into a garden; with the gentlest breeze [with the smallest righteous action], the space is filled with the scents of all kinds of flowers. With every [righteous] action, the fragrance permeates the environment.”
Such a person sees and senses paradise as long as they are alive—while alive, they are already in heaven, because heaven, in our belief, is ever-flowing. Therefore, it continues beyond death as well.
“They see [sense] paradise as long as they live and soar with the whole Existence”
It is as if they are in harmony with all creation; they are symphonious with the whole Existence, and the life becomes a joyful for them. Such a person does not wait for someone to flatter them with words. Those who are fully engaged in their own work always see paradise with their own eyes and are soaring [they feel high]. They do not wait for others to please them with compliments or approval. Maybe human beings tend to praise them, but such a righteous person is not waiting for praise.
Some of us seek approval from others, wanting others to acknowledge and affirm us, but a righteous person does not wait for approval. They are engaged with their own job or purpose. “Even in sleep, their eyes see.”
This means that even in sleep, such a person perceives and travels through other divine phenomena. As some say, a devout person’s dreams are considered as God’s worship. Such a person has reached a level where, even in sleep, they observe and journey among the phenomena God has created. Such a person can truly witness the [hidden] phenomena, for created phenomena are not limited to what we perceive with our five [internal] senses on earth. However, that person is able to observe other phenomena [which are invisible to us].
“For this person, darkness, obscurity, and shadow lose their meaning.” It means for such a person, darkness, obscurity, and shadow are meaningless. This point refers to the point made at the beginning of the session: when people around such a person act wrongly, this person is not disturbed, understanding that their actions arise from ignorance and unawareness, their bad behavior is because they have not yet reached the necessary stage [of wisdom]. Therefore, darkness has no meaning for such a person. In this way, if they are killed or not killed, whether they possess something or lack it, it matters not; it carries no significance.
“For such a person, darkness, obscurity, and shadow are meaningless, and every moment they observe, they bow in gratitude and thank the Creator of love and affection.”
As such a person observes every phenomenon of the creation, they will continually prostrate in reverence and acknowledges the Creator — the Absolute Power who generates love, compassion, and feeling. In all the moments, whether they witness good or evil, they say thanks, recognizing the root of all things [even misfortunes] is [God’s] mercy, grace, and kindness; but not [His] wrath.
“So whatever happens, they are grateful to God. It is not that they are grateful simply because God commands gratitude, nor because they have been told that God is the Absolute Power, great, mighty, and such. No. They observe this with every particle of their being—with their veins, roots, bones, and every part of their being—and they truly understand that they must bow and be thankful. They comprehend who God is, what His power is, what favors He has bestowed upon them and the humanity, they comprehend how He protects humanity, and how He preserves it. This happens for the one who walks the straight path.
I read it again:
‘When that which is created [the human being] moves rightly along the straight path, moment by moment, their steps are transformed into a garden, where even the slightest breeze fills the space with the fragrance of countless flowers. Such a person perceives paradise as long as they are alive, and soars with the whole Existence. They do no not wait for someone to appear and flatter them with words. Even in sleep, their eyes perceive, and they journey among other divine phenomena. Darkness, shadow, and obscurity lose their meaning to them. Every moment, they prostrate to what they observe and are grateful to the Creator of love and affection.’
These are the words that, at first glance, might seem laughable or strange to some. Some may ask, ‘Where is the Absolute Power? What is God? What are you talking about? Is God just a myth? Show me God!’ They might only see the physical world through their eyes and comprehend only what they can only see with their eyes.
Yet the Guardian or the master of the ceremony says: “the words I utter may seem ridiculous to some people.” These words might be ridiculous for some people.
The text continues this way:  “Darkness, shadow, and obscurity lose all meaning for such a person, and every moment they prostrate to what they perceive, they are grateful to the Creator of love and affection. The lover—and what is within them—is the greatest capital: if one gives it away, it increases and increases; then this person will see themselves immersed in the vessels of love — that is, reaching the Truth, that is, attaining Unity (Tawḥīd: توحید).”
As a person goes on, when they see and observe the phenomena in the universe and becomes praiser of the Creator of love and affection, the lover and that which is within them are the greatest capital they possess; and if they give, this capital, this love grows larger. Their capital is not a shop or a store or money; their capital is the love within that person. If your capital is a shop or money, when you give it away it is diminished; but this love, their greatest capital, works this way: the more one gives, the more it increases.
Then they will see and observe that being submerged in the depth of love is the same as reaching the Truth, that is, to reach Unity [توحید]—to know God, to attain oneness, to be a true believer. You must be immersed in the depth of love to reach the Truth and to reach God and unity.
Then the Guardian states, “Dear ones, because my time is finished, I have only one word to say to one person.” He addresses one person—that person knows who I am addressing. “If you wish to write, write it firmly—and know that the more [love] exists within yourself, with greater generosity, you can command your pen; your pen will obey you like a sharp sword that enters thirsty hearts, and instead of tearing, it quenches; and from their being quenched, the world will be transformed into a garden—[verily] you know that being genuine and real has no lesson.”
“Being real has no lesson.” Here he speaks to that one person: “If you write, write firmly, for your pen will be like a sword entering thirsty hearts, yet it will not lacerate — instead of tearing, it will give them drink; and by their being satisfied, the world will turn into a garden. You yourself know that being genuine requires no lesson.”
Being genuine requires no lesson; being true requires no lesson; being good requires no lesson—if I want to originally consider it. However, fraud and crookedness require many lessons. For example, when your identity card is original, it needs no lesson; if you want to forge one, it requires [lots of] instruction. If you want money, you simply go to the bank and take money; however, if you want to rob a bank, robbing the bank requires skill; if you want to steal from a jeweler, that requires teaching. If you want to lie, if you want to cheat people, that requires training and craft. But if you are genuine, genuineness needs no lesson.
With that, the Third Guardian says his farewell; his discourse ends and he bids Godspeed.
In this situation, Ra’ad leaves the stage along with the two other guardians and the spirit, exiting the session. Now the Successor takes the place. At this moment, the attendees, who were present, are immersed in deep thought and do not know how to react. The Spirit accompanied the three guardians as they entered the session, now that the Guardians leave the session, the Spirit leaves the session too, because Its role is inspiring and inducing; that is why the Spirit did not talk. And as the guardians’ speech finishes, the Spirit leaves the session with them.
As previously mentioned, the Spirit’s role was inspiration and inducement, and without directly speaking, he accomplished his task and then left the stage along with the guardians. When he left, the attendees were still in a state of wonder and uncertainty about how to respond. The attendees did not know how to respond, whether to clap, remain silent or do anything else. They were entirely immersed in the ocean of thinking and they were silent.
Then the successor entered the stage, greeted everyone, and said: “I believe this is the last gathering in the current circumstances in which I am present as the Successor and answerable to you. Afterwards, each of us must proceed to our respective places or missions. I do not know when, where, or how the next gathering will be, because only the Absolute Power knows.” He then mentions, I will continue the discussion on love as I had promised.

The end of Valley 14 CD, Part 6

Translated by Elahe

Part 7

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of God, we begin this session.
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the session guardian.
(Audience responds: Hello, Hossein!)
I kindly ask everyone to observe fourteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty and free ourselves from our greatest enemy—our own ignorance and unawareness.
(Fourteen seconds of silence observed)
Thank you, friends. I now request our esteemed secretary to provide a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.

Hello, friends. My name is Zahra and I am a traveler.
(Audience responds: Hello, Zahra!)
In the name of the Absolute Power of God, today the sixteenth session of the fourteenth round of Congress 60 workshops is held with the agenda “The Fourteenth Valley, Part Seven,” from the book “14 valleys for Recovery” written in 2012. The session started under the guidance and supervision of Mr. Dezhakam and me Zahra as the secretary at 9:00 a.m.
(Audience applauds)
Mr. Dezhakam: Thank you.
Where do we begin today?

Hello friends, I’m Hossein, a traveler.
Audience: Hello Hossein.
When we speak about love and affection, we have to remember that the human being is extremely sensitive. We truly live between two poles, two forces, and with the slightest shift, we can move from one state to another. A person may be fully in the light, but with a very small action, they can slip into darkness. No matter how much someone resides in the light, if they lack awareness or fail to stay vigilant, they can immediately fall from light into darkness.
This phenomenon appears in many forms. It always begins with something simple—something very small, trivial, almost insignificant—a tiny, delicate action. But that tiny act can eventually lead to a disaster.
Last night I was watching a movie. The story was about several police officers who were responsible for transporting money. They would receive the money from a source, store it in armored vehicles that couldn’t be opened, and deliver it to another location. One of them comes up with a plan to steal the money. They say to each other, “We’ll take the money, no one will ever find out, nothing will happen.”

They devised a well-thought-out plan, and then, of course, they claimed that someone else had attacked them and taken the money. Everyone looked at it—it seemed like a clean, clever plan. They could each pocket several million dollars, and apparently, nothing would go wrong. On the surface, it all seemed logical and tempting.
They carried out the plan, took the money, and moved it to an abandoned building—an old, decrepit factory where they were transporting and storing the cash. Suddenly, they noticed a beggar there—an old man, ragged and scruffy. He saw everything. He recognized all of them.
What should they do? What shouldn’t they do? There was now a witness to the theft and betrayal. After some deliberation, they decided to kill him. They shot him. One of the officers tried to take him for medical treatment, but another officer shot him again, saying, “No! He must die.”
So, you see, what was supposed to be a simple, low-profile plan ended up in murder.

Then suddenly, a patrol car showed up. A police officer on patrol passed by, got involved, and they ended up shooting him too. Now it had turned into two murders.
And it didn’t stop there. Some of their own colleagues began to protest, saying they no longer wanted to continue with this plan. One of the officers objected, and another officer stabbed him with a knife—killing his own partner.
So, look—one tiny issue, one simple idea, led them straight into a downward spiral. By the end of the movie, every single one of them was killed in one way or another. They all turned into enemies of each other—all starting with one small thing.
Now, in our journey, everything can also begin with just one pill, or just one puff. We say, “It’s only one puff tonight… it’s nothing… I’ll fix it later… I’ll handle it.” But that’s exactly how the downfall begins.

Then he suddenly realizes he’s gone all the way back—using drugs every day again. And when he sits in the meetings, that puts him under tremendous emotional and psychological stress. He knows he is lying to everyone. He knows he is using, yet he presents himself as someone highly advanced in recovery. That creates a very heavy burden inside him.
Where did it all begin? From that tiny starting point. It’s the same with friendship, the same with love — it’s always the same story.
The example of those police officers I mentioned is just one illustration of what happens everywhere: something begins with a very small, subtle step, and ends in complete ruin.
Even here in Congress 60, we’ve seen it — we still see it — even among those in higher stages. We have some senior members whose journey had collapsed. They had gone into a kind of free fall. After several years, we gave them another journey, because that’s the principle in Congress 60: if someone falls, we help them rise again and complete the process properly. Right now, some people with seven, eight, even nine years of sobriety have started a new journey so their system can return fully to balance.
It’s the same with love. A tiny crack can turn love into hatred. That very first spark—that tiny point of deviation—that is what we must stop, in every matter.
“Stop the stream with a shovel while you can;
When it’s full, not even an elephant can block it.”
When water first starts to leave its path, you can divert it with just one shovel of soil. But once the spring overflows, not even an elephant can hold it back.
And when it reaches that stage—yes, maybe things are already damaged—but still, they say:
“Stopping loss at any point is a gain.”

But sometimes the situation turns into a game that the person no longer dares to stop. They become trapped in a scenario where, if we look back at that movie example, several turning points appeared — moments when they could have reversed course.
The moment that homeless old man saw everything — he was a witness. Right then, they could have said: “Guys, someone has seen us. We’re exposed. Before it’s too late, let’s put the money back in the truck, return to the mission, and deliver the cash.” That was one option.
Even after they shot him and injured him, there was still a chance to turn back. They could have taken him to a hospital, created a cover story, said something to protect themselves, returned the money — there were multiple points where they could have reversed everything.
But they didn’t. They simply refused to go back — as if they wanted to reach absolute disaster. As if they were insisting on getting caught, dragged by the collar, and destroyed — one way or another.
This kind of situation can happen to anyone. If God forbid, a person steps into something like this and keeps trying to “fix it” the wrong way, they only make it worse. It’s like a swamp — the more you struggle, the deeper you sink.
So, you see, crossing from love into hatred is separated by just a hair’s breadth. A tiny bit of carelessness — and suddenly you’re twisted into darkness. It always begins from a very small point.
A dam of immense size — if even a crack the size of a fingernail appears — that crack expands, and eventually the entire dam will be destroyed.
That’s what I was thinking last night while watching that movie — how beautifully some people show these stories — because these things truly happen. They begin in a clean, calm, seemingly harmless way, and suddenly the darkest side appears.
…Now, in the scene described in the text, the Speaker leaves the stage along with the two guardians, and the spirit departs the session. The successor takes the seat. The residents fall into deep contemplation, unsure what reaction they should show.
And this is where we reached so far.

The successor enters, greets everyone, and says, “Greetings… greetings to you all.”
I imagine this gathering to be the final one, under the current circumstances, in which I stand before you as the successor — answering your questions and speaking with you. From the earlier valleys until now, during these assemblies, it was always the successor who spoke. And now he continues:
“This is our last gathering together. Soon, each of us must return to our own place, or to our assigned mission. We must go and attend to our duties. I do not know when the next gathering will be held — nor where, nor in what form. Only the Almighty knows — only He.”
“So, as I promised before, I will continue speaking about love.”
Until now the guardians had spoken; but now the successor himself speaks — he responds, he clarifies, and then he begins to open the subject of love.

The successor says:
“What can I say about love? One of its meanings is longing — a yearning for union.”
He explains that love carries within it a desire, an attraction, a pull toward connection — toward reaching something or someone. This union may be with a destination, with a purpose, or with a beloved. Reaching that union is a yearning, and that yearning itself becomes the key to creation.
Love is a key — a key that gathers existence together.
It is a key that unites all beings and brings life forth.
It is a profound principle through which the whole of creation came together, through which all creatures gathered around one center so that life could emerge.
It is on the basis of love that beings assembled, and existence was formed.

And it is the power of love that has set creation into motion — both in the visible and the invisible realms.
It is clear that this same force of love stirs life in what can be seen and in what remains unseen.
It is love that drives all existence, that moves the worlds, that awakens life into effort and motion.
Without love, there would be no movement, no striving — no motion at all.
All motion, all effort, every unfolding step of life is built upon love.
So valuable is this force that without it, life becomes still — existence turns into silence, a quiet death.


He says: This matter of love is so great, so vast, that without love — without its presence — life becomes like a silent death, with no motion, no vitality, nothing alive within it.
What can I say of love, when the Almighty is, in essence, pure love from head to toe? All existence has been built on the foundation of love.
What can I say of love, when it recognizes neither king nor beggar, neither beautiful nor ugly, neither believer nor unbeliever, neither red nor yellow, black nor white, educated nor uneducated?
Love knows no boundary. It belongs to everyone — whether one is a king or a beggar, rich or poor, it makes no difference.
Love does not distinguish the handsome from the plain. The one who is not beautiful possesses love just as the beautiful one does. It does not say this one has faith, so he has love or that one is faithless, so he is deprived of love.
A person may even be without belief, and yet be full of love… and one may know God, and also be deeply in love.
Whether red-skinned or yellow-skinned, it changes nothing. Whether black or white, educated or uneducated — for love, there is no difference at all.

And love has no boundary, no limit. What more can I say of love, when it is so vast that existence itself floats within it? Love is so immense that the entire universe is sustained by it — for without love, creation would never have taken shape.
It is as if love is a great chalice, holding all of existence within itself, keeping it from tearing apart, from scattering into nothingness. Love surrounds and contains the whole.
The waves of love move everywhere — everywhere you look, love is present. It only takes a hand reaching out to receive it… but only if that hand is empty of hatred, resentment, envy, and the desire for revenge. If the hand is clean, then love will rest within it.
But if my hand is full — as if holding a melon or a watermelon — nothing else can be placed in it. When my hand is filled with the waste and clutter of hatred, jealousy, bitterness, and spite, then love has no space to enter.
But if the hand is empty of these things, then, and only then, love will find its place in your palm.

The waves of love move everywhere — they pulse through all of existence. It is enough to simply reach out your hand, but only if that hand is empty of hatred, resentment, jealousy, and the urge for revenge. When the hand is free of these, love rests within it.
You may reject love — you may turn away from it. But love will never reject you; for we all exist within love. You can refuse it, ignore it, deny it — but it is not love that turns away. We are immersed in love the way a body floats in water, embraced by it from every side.
The water we drink, the food we eat, the very air we breathe — all of it is offered to us through love. Everything that sustains us — water, air, nourishment — is given by the command of love itself.

What can I say of love — that even the union of opposites rests within it. Along the path of life, love appears in countless forms, revealing itself so that life may remain sweet and lasting. What can I say of love because love cannot be confined to a single definition. What can I say of love that it is both the flower and the thorn. Love is union, and love is separation. It is fire, and it is light. It burns like flame, yet it settles into ash. It is affection, and it is anger. Within love, there is reconciliation and distance, complaint and longing — yet even these are sweet in their own way. In love, despair exists, and hope too.

Sometimes, in love, a person falls into despair, and sometimes hope blossoms again. At times one withdraws in cold silence, and at other times the heart overflows with affection. Sometimes it burns like fire, and sometimes it crumbles into ash. At moments it shines like light, and at moments it flares like blazing flames. Sometimes it is a thorn that wounds and pains us, and sometimes it is a flower, soft and fragrant. Sometimes love means union — two souls meeting — and sometimes it becomes distance and separation. In it there is both despair and hope; both longing and anxiety. You yearn to reach your beloved, yet fear and restlessness arise — both desire and tremor live side by side. It brings intoxication and delight, yet also astonishment and wonder — as though one is both drunken with love and bewildered by it at the same time.

Sometimes love is both blood and blade — at times it is like blood that gives life, and at times like a sword for which one must fight, struggle, and even bleed. In the end, love is both pain and cure — it wounds and it heals.
What can I say of love, when love on the surface seems like burning? Outwardly, it appears to consume, to scorch, as though one’s time, youth, and life are being spent and lost. But that is only the surface.
What can I say of love, when its burning is not to turn one into ashes, but to transform one into light? Love burns not for destruction, but for elevation — to ascend to a higher state.
What can I say of love, when its flame is for enlightenment — to reach, to understand, to live, and to love. One burns not to disappear, but to glow brighter; not to be reduced to dust, but to be illuminated and illuminating.

Sometimes love means walking barefoot over burning coals. On the surface, it seems as if one must tread with bare feet across searing flames. Yet when you step into the valley of love, those molten fires feel like soft, delicate petals beneath your feet, and no chains or obstacles can instill fear in you.
It is said that love can feel like walking barefoot over blazing coals, yet once you have entered the realm of love, you no longer perceive their scorching heat. Why? Because of the power of love that supports you — it sustains you. This power allows you to devote your time, your life, and a part of your being to others without feeling consumed or burned, even as you give, help, or sacrifice, all without expecting any reward or compensation. And indeed, such acts are not easy.

If you were asked to teach someone the alphabet for an hour, you might quickly lose patience and find it difficult to do. But now imagine you get up and travel across the city four hours a week to teach a group of students — without pay, even covering your own transportation — and then return home. This is a hard task; not everyone could endure it.
Yet when the power of love is behind it, you don’t feel the difficulty at all. You go willingly to teach, and you return willingly. This is just one example, but the same principle applies to many situations. Love allows a person to carry out very challenging tasks — like walking barefoot over burning coals — without feeling the suffering of the fire.

Sometimes, love means walking barefoot over burning coals. But once you enter the valley of love, those glowing coals will feel like soft, delicate petals beneath your feet. The heat of the fire, instead of burning you, fills you with joy and delight. And you will no longer fear any chains or obstacles. When you reach the stage of the valley of love, nothing can intimidate you.
This is because, through the power of love, you experience the fire in a completely different way — you embrace it willingly. This is the remarkable magic of the great architect of love.

This is because, through the power of love, you endure all hardships without even noticing them. Why doesn’t a person feel these difficulties along the path of love, and why can they bear them all? It is because, through the power of love, the burn of the fire is not felt. It is the pull, the attraction, the longing for union that allows one to endure everything willingly.
This is the marvel of the great architect of love: outwardly it seems like burning, yet inwardly it transforms into light.
What can I say about love, when the Absolute Power Himself is full of love and compassion? To manifest this love, it commanded the waves of love to dwell within the particles, and then, in the most beautiful way, began creating the worlds of existence and all living beings, so that love could truly reveal itself.

Here, the successor explains that the Absolute Power Himself was filled with love and compassion. To manifest its own love, it commanded the waves of love to dwell within the particles, so that through the power of love, this universe and all life could come into being.
In the most beautiful and perfect way, the Absolute Power began the creation of the worlds and all living beings, so that it could manifest itself, reveal itself, and bring all existence to life.
At this point, the discussion begins to move into more technical aspects, which are addressed in the following sections.

The residents ask: Why did the Absolute Power decide to create the universe and all beings to express its love?
In that paragraph, the successor explains that in order to manifest its own love, creation had to take place.
Then the residents ask further: But what was the reason for God to manifest His love? Why did creation have to occur? Why did these beings and this universe come into existence?
The successor responds: The universe is the playground of love.

All of creation provides the foundation for movement, activity, interaction, and the play of love. In other words, the entire universe is a playground, a realm for love to move and manifest. The divine creatures are the abodes of love. All divine beings serve as centers of love, and affection acts as the means or instrument to enter the phase of love.
Therefore, the Absolute Power, in order to express its love, brought forth the creation of the worlds and all forms of life in the most magnificent way possible. Since these beings are the abodes and playgrounds, and affection is the instrument, the Absolute Power manifested creation and life in the most beautiful form, so that life could exist with diversity, multiplicity, and variety—in the lands, in the waters, in the air—a richness of forms and variations.

…so that life, in all its diversity, multiplicity, and endless variety—on earth and in the heavens, across plains and seas, mountains and deserts—may continue its evolutionary journey, allowing the waves of love to shine forth and crystallize within every particle of existence.
And here, it becomes completely clear that love’s waves have been placed within all particles throughout the universe, manifesting themselves everywhere.
Now, to illuminate the subject further, it is better to open up the concept of love and draw its triangle. Although countless words have been spoken and written in an attempt to describe love, as long as we do not identify and understand the elements that form it, the matter will not be fully revealed.
Many have tried to define love, to speak of it from various angles, yet its components have never been thoroughly unfolded—what parameters love requires, what elements it is built upon—these have not been fully clarified. Across different levels and discussions, the essence of love has been touched, but its inner structure has remained unmeasured and unexamined.
Here, perhaps for the first time, love is being opened and dissected—its dimensions laid out—and only by doing so can the truth of it become clear.

Now the successor wishes to present his reasoning as to why, in order for the Almighty to reveal His boundless love, creation became necessary. In other words, this may not be the only way—there could be countless perspectives and possibilities—but as it appears, this was one of the paths through which the manifestation of creation took place.
As mentioned, until we recognize the components that form love, the matter will not become clear.
The residents ask: What is the Triangle of Love?
The successor replies that love possesses a triangle—three sides that structure its essence. The elements of this triangle are:
A)Shadows
B)Attraction
C) Sense
In essence, love is built upon three fundamental parameters: shadows, attraction, and sense.

He says that for love to manifest, the first condition is that something must exist so that the concepts of lover and beloved can take form, and so that we may become either the lover of something or the beloved of something.
In other words, for love to arise, there must be an object of love—something toward which this love can be directed. Without an existing point of reference, love cannot occur.
As I mentioned earlier, some people say, "I am in love with a girl—so deeply that I cannot sleep at night!" We ask, "What does she look like?" and they reply, "I haven’t seen her."
"Where is she?" — "I don’t know."
"Is she thin or plump, black or white?" — "I have no idea!"
Then how can one fall in love with something that does not exist, something one has never seen or known?
Someone may say, "I’m in love with a jewel—thinking of it keeps me awake all night!"
We ask, "What jewel? What shape? Where is it?"
And again the answer is, "I don’t know—there is nothing."
So, for love to appear, something must first exist for us to love. This is the first condition in the emergence of love: there must be an object, so that lover and beloved gain meaning, and we may become either the lover or beloved of that thing.

Of course, that thing—and I say thing because there is no better word to use here—can be anything. It may exist in the material dimension, or in the spiritual one.
He explains that the object which must exist for love to emerge is not limited to the physical world; it may also be something spiritual. For example, take a simple everyday case: two people are lovers. If one of them dies, the other may still remain in love with them—that love continues to exist in a spiritual dimension. And many other examples like this exist, which we will open and discuss later.
So this thing—the object of love—can be either material or spiritual. What matters is that there must be something, and where or what it is makes no difference. In our definition, we refer to this thing as “the shadows.”
It does not matter what it looks like, where it is, or what form it takes. When we say thing, we do not mean only a person. If the intention were a person, we would simply say person. But saying thing means that it can be a person—or an animal. Someone may be in love with their horse. In some countries, people are deeply attached to their puppies—so deeply that they love them passionately.
The thing could be money, gold, a landscape, a city or village, even a tree or a garden. Anything can become the object of love. We call these objects shadows.
Therefore, the existence of shadows—and the necessity of them—is one of the fundamental pillars of love.

So, for love to appear at all, these shadows must exist—in any form, in different shapes, and in relation to different things. We said earlier that without shadows, love cannot arise, nor can it grow or flourish.
If there are no shadows, there will be no love. In other words, without the existence of shadows, love holds no meaning.
And it is for this very reason that the creation of beings took place by the Almighty Power—so that love could manifest itself within all creatures.

Since without shadows love cannot emerge, shadows had to be brought into existence so that the love of the Almighty could manifest.
The residents then asked:
Why do you say shadows? Why not simply shadow? Someone may say I love Hossein, Hasan, Soqra or Kobra, that is one person? Why don’t  you say shadow?  Does every being have more than one form or body?
He replied:
Yes—every being has more than one shadow, because each creation possesses both an outer (visible) form and an inner (invisible) form. And since each of these—whether visible or hidden—has its own distinct structure, its own wavelength and vibration, we refer to them collectively as shadows.
For example, the shadow of a human’s visible form is their physical body. The shadow of their hidden form can be the self, the soul, or other subtle dimensions.
So yes, we truly believe that every human carries more than one shadow. Because if we assume there is only one, then with the death of the physical body the shadow would perish—and with it, love would end.
But we say love does not end, because when one shadow fades with death, another still remains. Therefore, from the very beginning, there must be more than one.

For example, we can say that the shadow of the visible form of a human is their physical body, while the shadow of the hidden form may be the spirit, the self, or other subtle dimensions. And there can be more beyond these.
Then he raises another point:
There are some who believe that humans consist only of a physical body, and that there is no soul or life after death. He says: We do not insist on changing anyone’s belief, but even such people can consider the idea in another way to understand the concept of shadows.
Those who believe that a person is only a body which comes into this world and then ends—even they, to grasp the idea, can take the first shadow as the bodily form they observe while awake. And for the second shadow, they can consider the form they perceive in their dreams—the body that moves, feels, and experiences within sleep.
So even for those who deny spirit or the afterlife, at least two forms appear:

Here, he explains that love can be felt in the body, within the soul, and throughout the other dimensions of a human being. For this reason, we call them shadows—because love appears and manifests in all of them, not in only one aspect of existence.
But even if someone insists on rejecting the idea and says, “There are no shadows; there is no second form; no spirit, no continuation after death—everything begins and ends with the body,” we do not argue. If they wish, they may call it a single shadow or just the body. There is no dispute here—let everyone say what they wish.
However, I want to say—and give this joyful news to all lovers—that even if the physical body is destroyed by death, love does not perish.

Because love lives on in the second shadow and in all the other shadows, it does not end with the death of the body. He says, call it whatever you like, but what I want to convey through this discussion of shadows, wakefulness, sleep, and thought is this:
If death occurs, love does not vanish.
And that is why we say love and affection have no definite beginning or end. Love may have started somewhere in the distant past and continued onward without us knowing exactly when it was born—between two souls, between two beings. The moment it began is often unknown, and yet it continues to flow.
He wants to assure us—and to give this glad news to all lovers—that love is not erased by death. Do not imagine that everything ends when the body dies. For this reason, we say that love has no fixed beginning, and no final ending.

He says: This is why we previously mentioned that love and affection have no definite beginning and no defined end. At times we think we come into this world, fall in love with someone, love begins at that moment, and later—when death arrives—the love ends. But he explains: No, it is not like that. Love had a history before, and it continues afterward as well. Therefore, we say love and affection have no precise starting point nor a final ending, and we are all moving forward, one after another, so that we may come to know what we do not yet know. And sometimes, we travel this path to find the love we once lost.
So, for this reason, I say love has no end. We arrive in this existence following one another, so we may learn what was unknown to us, or perhaps to rediscover the love we misplaced somewhere along the way. God willing, may everyone find their love.
Now we move on to other aspects of love. He says: Let us enter the next section regarding the elements of love.
The residents say: We still have questions about the shadows.
The successor replies: Time is short, and the scroll is brief.

By “scroll,” he means a short piece of paper; it must be brief. He cannot make this Fourteenth Valley five hundred pages long. That is why he says time is short, and the scroll is brief. He cannot hand over a six-hundred-page book. Even if he were to speak until the end of eternity, new questions would still arise. He says: Even if I were to speak with you until the end of eternity and cover every discussion, a new series of questions would emerge—this matter would never be fully concluded.
He adds that he will address these in other writings. These will be discussed in other books.

Residents: Very well, now present the second aspect of love. Focus on the second aspect. What is the second aspect?
Audience response: (Attraction)
(You didn’t sleep last night, right? Take a little nap.) Well, what is the second aspect?
Audience response: (Attraction)
Attraction. He repeats: Whenever something draws another thing toward itself, we call that force of pull the power of attraction. Whenever one thing pulls another thing toward itself, the force that causes this pull is called the power of attraction. Conversely, when something pushes another thing away from itself, we call that force repulsion or the power of repulsion.
To help understand this, he asks them to look at an image. Then the successor raises his hand and spreads two fingers in a “V” shape, saying: Look here.
This discussion of attraction and repulsion was of great interest to William and the Americans. He says, Yes! I sent them the full book. God willing, they are now preparing the introduction. They found it very fascinating—especially the concepts of attraction and repulsion discussed here. This was one of the points they found particularly intriguing and even unusual, especially in its application to humans.

He spreads his fingers in a “V” shape and says, Look at the image.
Description of the image: The scene is set in autumn, during the fall of leaves, displaying the forest’s most vivid colors. The ground is completely covered with fallen leaves, and everything appears calm and serene. In this setting, a large fan is placed on the ground.
This fan is prepared for an experiment. It is designed to operate in such a way that when it rotates counterclockwise, it acts like an air suction fan. Yes, clockwise rotation has a different effect. He explains: If the fan is set to rotate counterclockwise, it functions like an air suction device, drawing in the air.
Experiment One – Demonstrating the power of attraction: The fan is turned on counterclockwise, functioning like a suction fan. As it spins, it pulls all the leaves in front of it toward itself, up to the distance allowed by its power. In this way, we can observe the fan’s power of attraction. After the demonstration, the fan is turned off.

He wants to give a concrete example, because in our system, we always use various examples. He explains: We turn on the fan like an air suction device. Once it’s on, like a vacuum, it pulls in all the leaves in front of it and around it, up to the distance its power allows. This is what I call the power of attraction.
Experiment Two – Demonstrating the power of repulsion: Now, he wants to show the repelling force. By switching the fan to rotate clockwise, it spins like a regular fan, blowing air outward. The fan pushes all the leaves in front of it as far away as its strength permits. As it rotates, every leaf in front of it is quickly driven away, just like a conventional fan.
Here, what power is being demonstrated? This demonstrates the power of repulsion. In this way, we can observe the repelling force, and then the fan is turned off. Turning off the fan marks the end of the demonstration.

The successor lowers his hand and continues: In the image, we saw that the fan, along with all its equipment, was stationary. So what caused the fan to display the power of attraction in one instance and the power of repulsion in another? The fan itself was fixed—same fan, same electricity, same energy. But what made it, in one direction, exhibit attraction, pulling everything toward itself, and in the opposite direction, exhibit repulsion, pushing everything away?
Just like we said, every human has two faces: one good, one bad. Which face we encounter depends on the situation. It’s the same with the fan. So, what caused the fan to have either repelling power or attracting power? Surely, it is the direction of its rotation.
If the fan rotates one way, it works like a blower; if it rotates the other way, it works like a vacuum. That’s the principle here.
Let’s read this part a bit more, and then we’ll continue.

The residents answer: “The direction of rotation.”
The successor replies: “Yes! Certainly, it is only the direction of the fan’s rotation. Humans are the same way: even though they are fixed and independent, they can, through the rotation of their thoughts, ideas, behaviors, and actions, operate differently—either with the power of attraction or the power of repulsion. Of course, this entirely depends on their cognizance and perspective.”
So, humans, with the same stable and independent personality that they possess, can act in ways that exhibit either attracting power or repelling power—and this power of attraction or repulsion depends on the way they view things.
That’s all for now. Thank you.

The end of Valley 14 CD, Part 7

Translated by: Companion Marjan
12/28/2025

Part 8

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of God, we begin this session.
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the session guardian.
(Audience responds: Hello, Hossein!)
I kindly ask everyone to observe fourteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty and free ourselves from our greatest enemy—our own ignorance and unawareness.
(Fourteen seconds of silence observed)
Thank you, friends. I now request our esteemed secretary to provide a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.
Hello, friends. My name is Zahra and I am a traveler. In the name of the Absolute Power of God, today the seventeenth session of the fourteenth round of Congress 60 workshops is held with the agenda “The Fourteenth Valley, Part Eight,” from the book “14 valleys for Recovery” written in 2012. The session started under the guidance and supervision of Mr. Dezhakam and me, Zahra, as the secretary at 9:00 a.m.
(Audience applauds)
Mr. Dezhakam: Thank you.
Hello friends, I’m Hossein, a traveler.
Audience: Hello Hossein.
Mr. Dezhakam: In our previous discussion about love, we explored the meaning and concept of love in depth—asking what love truly is. Sometimes it’s like asking, “What is a flower?” People might say, “A flower can be green, blue, or red; it can be a jasmine, a gladiolus, and so on.” But that’s not really the point. What is a flower in itself? If we ask about its color, the answer might be blue or red—but those are just variations. The real question is: what defines a flower? What is its essential nature? The same applies to the topic of love. Various descriptions have been offered to define love, they have offered different forms for love including the Creator’s—God’s—love for the creation and all beings, the creature’s love for the Creator, and many other forms. Yet the question remains: what is love itself? What is its mechanism? Here, we are examining the mechanism of love in depth, analyzing its constituent elements. Once we understand its components and how it functions, we can progressively approach the essence of love itself—what it truly is and how it operates and works.
It was mentioned that, for the topic of love, [the triangle of love consisting of three components must exist: shadow, sensation and attraction]. One of these essential conditions is the existence of “shadows”—meaning there must be something there [to be loved]. That “something” could exist in the physical realm or the spiritual realm; it could be a human being or even an inanimate object—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that something must exist, it can be anything. For example, you might see someone who is in love with a painting, and that painting becomes the love of their entire life, even though it’s an inanimate object. So “shadow” can take many forms. In any case, there must be something there: a painting, a horse, or a person. And that person, too, might even exist in another world [in the hereafter]. So, the essential condition for love to exist is “shadow”. That is why the successor explained that even the Absolute Power, in order to manifest His love, requires the presence of such “shadows”—something toward which that love may be conveyed to or expressed.
Following this, the Successor brought up the concept of “attraction”—what is attraction? It is the power of drawing or pulling something in. He provided an example and said: “Imagine we are in a forest and there are some leaves scattered on the ground. Now we turn on a fan. When the fan rotates to the left, it creates a suction toward itself, and like a ventilator, it pulls everything toward itself. If it rotates in the opposite direction, it pushes everything away from itself. Then he says: The fan itself is fixed, but the power of its rotation—whether it turns to the right or to the left—is what determines the type of attraction or repulsion.” Then the successor continues: “In the image, we observed that the fan, along with all its components, was stationary. So, what caused the fan, at one stage, to exhibit the force of attraction and at another stage the force of repulsion?”
The Inhabitants reply: “The type of rotation—whether counterclockwise or clockwise.”
The Successor: “Yes—what really matters is simply the direction of the fan’s rotation.” Now he uses the fan as an example, but then he applies it to human beings: humans are the same. Although individuals—such as Hasan, Hossein, Shahla, and Shahin—are stable and independent; through the ‘direction’ of their thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and actions, they can act differently, gaining either the force of attraction or repulsion. And this matter entirely depends on our knowledge and our perspective.
So, just like that fan, human beings can, through their behavior, thoughts, and mindset, become individuals who either attract others or repel them—and this depends on their level of cognizance and knowledge. Some people stubbornly insist on their ignorance. When they do this, they gradually create a kind of repelling effect. For example, when someone speaks ill of others, behind their backs, this person slowly begins to push others away, and people start to distance themselves from this person.
Take this example: you say something about someone behind their back, and eventually that person hears about it, confronts you, and it turns into a conflict or a problem. This shows how our level of cognizance—or lack of it—plays a key role in whether we attract others or repel them. If each person takes just a minute to look within themselves, they can see whether their actions and behaviors reflects attraction or repulsion. The problem is that when people develop a repelling effect, they usually look for the cause outside themselves, rather than reflecting inward to find the real reason. For example, let’s consider the same old story. A friend once said that seven or eight of us were using opium, when suddenly the police arrived and arrested us all, taking away everything we had. So, who is to blame here? The ones who were committing the crime [of consuming opium] are at fault, and the police are always on alert—if they find out, they will come and make arrests. He said that when this happened, all we focused on was who had reported us, and everyone started insulting that person. We didn’t think at all about the fact that what we were doing was wrong. Instead, we blamed others and wondered who had turned us in. this hold true for all human beings. When they develop a repelling effect and others start to distance themselves from them, they sit and, through various justifications, blame others one by one—saying things like, “If this person hadn’t treated me badly, I wouldn’t have become like this,” and similar excuses.
What truly matters is a person’s inner character and their level of cognizance—that’s the first key point. The second is their perspective on things. Perspective is a very important matter; if a person gains even a little cognizance and awareness, they can somewhat improve this perspective, which is essentially positive thinking and having a positive outlook.
Try, as much as you can, to focus on the positive side of things in every situation in your interactions with others. When you choose that perspective, you naturally feel calmer, more at ease, and lighter within yourself. The way we see and interpret things really matters—whether it’s an event, a situation, or something someone says. We can hear the same words and take them in the most negative way possible, or we can choose to understand them more positively. That perspective makes all the difference; based on our own interpretation, we can either act negatively, because our understanding form that matter was negative or we can act positively.
Someone might come up to me and say, “Mr. Dezhakam, someone said you’re a bad person.” In that moment, I could easily jump to conclusions without even knowing whether that person has really said it or not, and without being sure about the truthfulness of the matter. I could respond by saying, “If they did say that, then maybe they’re right. Maybe I have done something wrong for them to think I’m a bad person. I probably did something to cause it—and that’s okay.” Or I could say, “Maybe that person was not feeling well at that time. But why are you telling me this? If they think I’m a bad person, why do YOU bring it to me? Are you trying to gossip? Are you a snitch? Don’t you know it’s wrong to speak ill of others? Why are you repeating this to me?” This is usually how I handle situations like this. It really comes down to perspective—how we choose to respond to what we hear. For example, imagine someone says to a woman, “Ma’am, your headscarf isn’t worn properly.” She immediately reacts aggressively, becomes angry, and starts shouting. They tell her, “Look, this is a law you’re supposed to follow.” This issue—improving our cognizance and awareness—needs to be gradually improved over time.
In other words, if you look at even the best people with a negative perspective, you will be able to find many faults in them. We have discussed this many times before. If you view the best people negatively, you can point out many flaws in them. And if you can’t find any faults, you may still be able to justify or imagine something [make some imaginary faults] to criticize them for. On the other hand, if you look at even the worst people with a positive perspective, you will be able to find positive qualities in them. This depends on your perspective; on the way you choose to look at things. If we look at the most negative individuals with a positive mindset, we may see that they also have some good traits and qualities.
Sometimes, a person may have done a thousand good things for us, but then does one bad thing—even intentionally. In such cases, we can take two different perspectives. One is to say: “Alright, this person has done a thousand good things for me, and only one bad thing. For example, they have given me a thousand dollars so far, and now they’ve taken one dollar from me—well, that’s fine, let them have it.” In this view, the thousand good deeds outweigh the one bad one, and it doesn’t matter. The other perspective is to focus on that one bad act and dismiss all their good deeds, rejecting everything they’ve done. An old Persian proverb says: “Some people are such that even if you dip your five fingers in honey and put them in their mouth, they will still bite your hand.” In other words, no matter how much kindness you show them, they respond with harm. So sometimes things are like this. In the end, it is up to the individual to decide how to respond to such situations. For example, I’ve been friends with someone for years. They’ve done many good things for me, but now they’ve also said something harsh to me. I can encounter it in two ways: either I say that person has been right and I can accept it—it’s no big deal. Maybe they were angry, upset, or not feeling well at the time. Otherwise, we may take that fault and blow it up out of proportion.
That’s why we should look at things as a whole—consider both the good and the bad together. At times, though, we focus only on the negative: “They’ve been good to me for years, but now, over one issue, they’ve had a conflict with me and are angry at me.” In such cases, we shouldn’t ignore or dismiss all their past kindness just because of one incident. Now let’s return to the topic of attraction. As we said, everything in the universe definitely has the force of attraction, and anything that can attract also has the ability to repel. Ultimately, it is a person’s position that shapes how they respond to different issues and circumstances, and these responses determine the extent of their force to attract or repel.
The Successor says that everything in the universe—whether it intends to or not—has a force of attraction: stones, flowers, bees, mosquitoes, cockroaches, humans, animals, stones, inanimate objects, and all other things existing in the world, and shadows, all of these beings undeniably have a force of attraction. And anything that has a force of attraction also certainly has a force of repulsion. In other words, nothing in the universe can be found that has only attraction force, without any repulsion. Even God—who is above all—is, by way of example, described in this way according to His own words in the divine books: His force of attraction brings righteous people into Paradise. And how about His force of repulsion? His repulsion sends wicked people to Hell. So He, Almighty God, also has both a force of attraction and a force of repulsion. In other words, you cannot find anything that has a force of attraction without also having a force of repulsion.
You cannot find a human who possesses only a force of attraction and no force of repulsion at all. Even if you consider great figures—take the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), for example—his force of attraction was his kindness and well-tempered. His force of repulsion, on the other hand, was that he engaged in battles and led several wars. So you can see that both attraction and repulsion exist in any beings.
Saying that there is absolutely no force of repulsion in anyone at all simply does not make sense; because the mechanism of the existence has to work based on the two forces of attraction and repulsion. In the example of the fan, while we observe a force of attraction at the front of the vent—where it pulls in air—we can clearly see a force of repulsion at the back of the vent. This is a principle. If you look at the ventilator working here, it is pulling in air, drawing cigarette smoke from inside the room outwards. Behind the ventilator, the cigarette smoke is expelled outward. In other words, the side that is drawing things in acts as a force of attraction, while the side that pushes things out demonstrates a force of repulsion. Wherever something exerts a force of attraction, that attraction has to be neutralized and balanced somewhere else; it means whatever it attracts and draws in must be transferred to another place.
So the key question is where we stand. When we are in front of a fan, it suctions things in; but if we are behind it, it acts like punkah and blows air outward. In front of the fan, there is attraction, and behind it there is repulsion. In the same way, if we live in concord with people, the force of attraction arises; otherwise, if we oppose them, the force of repulsion appears. So the real question is: overall, where do you place yourself?
Now let’s return to the topic of attraction. We said that everything in the universe has a force of attraction, and anything that has attraction also has a kind of repulsion. Of course, what really matters is a person’s position [their cognizance and wisdom]. Depending on where someone stands, they may react differently to different issues in different situations. These reactions determine the person’s level of attraction or repulsion. In other words, the person’s reactions all depend on where a person is placed—what position they are in and at what point. That position determines whether they possess a force of attraction or repulsion.
For example, think of a fan: at the front, it suctions and pulls air in, showing a kind of attraction, while at the back, it pushes air out, acting like a source of repulsion. Is everything clear so far?
Audience: Yes.
“The inhabitants say: If Almighty God had created existence based only on attraction, and there were no force of repulsion at all, wouldn’t you think the universe would always be in a state of peace and calm? Wouldn’t things be easier for us, for you, and even for Him?” Master Dezhakam explains, the inhabitants raise this question—and it’s a question all human beings ask as well: what would have happened if God, for example, had not created Satan and had established peace in everything? Or what would have happened if God had created only the force of attraction and no force of repulsion at all—then humans would have had no problems or challenges. When we look at the system as a whole, we see that “the pain of separation actually enhances the joy of union” [i.e. if you suffer more from lacking something, when you reach it, you will enjoy it more]. Those who fast during Ramadan are somewhat familiar with this. Until evening, they don’t smoke, eat, or drink tea, and through enduring this discomfort, they experience a certain uplifting spiritual state—especially close to iftar, around three or four p.m. near the sunset. Even though they feel hungry and crave cigarettes, food, or tea, there is still a kind of pleasant, sweet feeling. In other words, separation itself has its own kind of joy. At that moment, tea tastes better, cigarettes feel more satisfying, and food becomes more enjoyable. So within the system of Creation, these two forces—attraction and repulsion—must exist to interact and even struggle with one another, and it is through this very interaction that everything comes into existence.
The Residents ask: couldn’t it have been that God created only the force of attraction, without any repulsion? That is, there would be only love—everyone loving one another, always love, with no resentment or hatred at all—only attraction. The Successor, smiling replies: everything created by the Absolute Power is based on precise calculation, knowledge, and wisdom. Nothing has been created without a plan. For example, if the Earth’s temperature were to change by just two degrees, life could be destroyed. Even now, as the ice is melting [due to global warming], we are already facing problems. The Successor asserts: everything done by the Absolute Power is carried out with exact precision and careful calculation.
The Successor continues, “Now, your answer: If all of existence had been created only on the basis of attraction, with no force of repulsion at all, then in a single moment everything in existence—whether inanimate objects, plants, animals, or humans—would all stick together at once and would not be able to separate from one another.” He gives a very simple and clear example: if there were no force of repulsion and everything were only attraction, then everything would stick together instantly, and it would no longer be possible to separate anything from anything else. So it is actually impossible. This is just a mental assumption of ours when we say, “What if there were no force of repulsion and only attraction?” In reality, such a situation is not possible. This balance [between attraction and repulsion] must be kept. It is like the pillars of a temple: the pillars that hold up the temple’s roof and dome. If they are too far apart, they cannot support the roof; and if they are too close together, the roof collapses. There must be a precise balance. Now imagine for yourself what would happen—what would actually occur.
The inhabitants say: “Very well, we understood. Now tell us: where do inanimate objects get their force of attraction from?” You said that everything has a force of attraction—so where does the attraction of inanimate objects come from? The Successor replies, “this question is still unknown to many people: how is this force actually created? Consider a piece of stone. It seems to be still and motionless, but inside it, there may be billions upon billions of tiny ‘fans’ called electrons spinning. Through their motion, a force of attraction is generated, although it is not visible to us. However, in large objects like the sun, the Earth, or the moon, this can be clearly observed. And in Black Holes, these ‘fans’—electrons—act like jet engines because of their enormous mass.
Master Dezhakam explains the above statements, saying the Inhabitants ask: “So how do inanimate objects and solids have a force of attraction?” He replies: “If you look at a stone, scientifically it appears to be at rest. Inside this stone, there are billions upon billions of electrons. These electrons are constantly rotating and moving. If we consider these electrons like fans, they have both attractive and repulsive forces. In such [tiny] objects, it is not clear what forces they exert on one another or how they attract each other. However, in larger bodies like the sun, the Earth, and the moon, this becomes clearly observable.” Water exists on Earth, and the Earth is rotating. When the Earth moves and gets near the Moon—or when the Moon aligns with the seas—the Moon pulls the Earth’s water toward itself, and we see that the sea level rises by two or three meters. When the Moon moves away from the Earth, its gravitational pull decreases, and the water returns to its original level. Or, as the Earth rotates, it keeps the Moon in its own orbit, and the Sun keeps the Earth in its own orbit. In Black Holes, the gravitational forces are extremely strong, and those “fans” act like jet engines. Because of this, some Black Holes, act just like volcanoes, ejecting certain materials from within themselves.
The Residents: You say that in inanimate, solid objects there are fans or small motors that rotate and perform attraction and repulsion. How does this work in humans? In solids, these “fans” operate—how do they function in humans?
“The Successor continues: These “motors” also exist in humans in a certain way, and they are highly active.” He says these motors are present in humans and are very active. “For example, if a person absorbs kindness, they will certainly repel anger. Anyone who absorbs kindness will repel sulk and anger.” And if they absorb hatred, they will certainly repel love. Someone who absorbs hatred will definitely repel love. If they absorb anxiety, they repel calmness; if they absorb light, they repel darkness. Likewise, if they absorb alcohol and drugs, they will certainly repel many values—along with thousands of other examples. This process is automatically done: whatever you absorb, you must repel its opposite, just like a ventilation fan—whatever it draws in, it must push something else out. If you absorb sulk and anger, you eliminate reconciliation; if you take in hatred, you destroy love; if you take in love, you eliminate hatred. Whichever one you take in, it works the same way. If you take in drugs and alcohol, you lose your values.
“The Residents ask: What is the practical and applicable way to regulate the “motors” of humans so they can absorb values? How can we adjust these human motors to absorb values and strengthen them?” Today, many people want to regulate these motors. Some of them try very hard, but they are less successful. For example, something very important is what is stated in the Seventh Valley, which reads: "The secret to discovering the truth lies in two things: one is finding the way, and the other is what we perceive." A person must find the path; if they do not find the path, they will not reach the result, and they will also suffer greatly.
Nowadays, there are similar groups [like us] working in addiction treatment that promote quitting drugs abruptly. Each of these people [who had quitted drugs cold turkey], who has 4 or 5 years of recovery from addiction as they say, struggles 100 times more than the members of Congress 60. These individuals in similar groups, when they reach treatment—that is, when they quit and stop using drugs—by the time they reach 5 years of recovery, I am not exaggerating: they put in at least 100 times more effort and struggle compared to Congress 60 members, and they are constantly in a bad state. After 5 or 6 years of quitting drugs, when the Nowruz holidays arrive, for some of them it becomes a complete disaster. One friend was telling me that even now, about 40 days after the Nowruz holidays, they still feel unwell because during the holidays they couldn’t use drugs.
Some of them still dream about drugs every night and suffer from it. They struggle intensely to hold on to their recovery and sobriety with all their might. When they feel bad, wherever they are, they must get themselves to their guide, or to other members, to classes, or to group meetings. They work 100 times harder than you—Congress 60 members—do, while you don’t put in much effort. You don’t struggle that much, neither in your first year of the journey nor in the second. You move forward little by little, according to a plan, because your path is the right one—your appearance, your demeanor and face, your whole life reflect that. When you want to calculate how many days you’ve been clean and liberated from addiction, you actually have to think and calculate it: how many days has it been? You might have to say 2 years, 3 years—I myself sometimes forget whether it’s been 11 or 12 years. I have to say the 15th of such-and-such month, such-and-such year; I have to count and calculate to be able to declare my recovery. But for those who are in other NGOs and quit drugs cold turkey, it’s different. When they wake up in the morning, they say: 4 years, 6 months, and 22 days ago I had quitted drugs. The next day, they say: 4 years, 6 months, and 23 days. Because the path isn’t right [because their method is not accurate and right]. They struggle, and they struggle with all their might, but they never find the right path.
To regulate these engines, one must put efforts into it; however, what really matters is following the right path. Some people, for example, may spend 20 or 30 years suffering in the church, trying to purify, refine, and cleanse themselves. Not only do they fail to become purified, but in the end. they may become something harmful or corrupt. For instance, take a bishop—there was a bishop who was reported to have even caused problems for the Pope. This bishop, had abused 250 to 270 deaf and mute boys. This is how things can end up. Now, this may happen, but not everyone is like that—I am not saying that all people are like this, God forbid, I have no such intention. However, some individuals may endure great suffering but still fail to find the right path. Or, for example, some people go to classes and receive some methods [of purification], doing various practices. Some of them, they strive to be successful, God willing, may succeed—they try, they put in effort, they follow vegetarian diets, eat only raw foods, and do many different things to reach what they are aiming for. But in the end, reaching it becomes very difficult and complicated. So, finding a(n) [appropriate] method by which these “engines” can be properly adjusted is a very important matter. You have to find the right way and be able to adjust them gradually, step by step. However, these engines cannot be adjusted through austerity, hardship, and suffering.
For example, someone may say, I would have to fast all year long just to adjust my “engines”—that is not possible, or I would have to spend the whole day reciting chants and prayers for my “engines” to be set correctly—but they won’t be adjusted that way.
If one day your car engine were broken and not working—if the engine had burned out, was knocking, the cylinder head had cracked, oil and water were mixing, and the engine was damaged—if you could fix that engine through fasting, silence, meditation, yoga, prayer, and similar practices, then you can also fix the “engines” within yourself. Of course, if prayer is offered with sincerity, God may show you the way. What does “the way” mean? It means guidance—like being told: “Take your car to that mechanic” and then you see he’s a good mechanic. You go there, and the mechanic repairs it properly. But sometimes you may be inspired [by the negative forces] to go to a certain mechanic, and instead of fixing the engine, he damages the gearbox, transmission, steering system, and everything else as well. So, the adjustment of these “engines” must follow its own proper path and process.
At this point, the Inhabitants ask: what is the practical and applicable way to adjust the human “engine” in order to attract and cultivate values?
The Successor gives a very beautiful and compelling answer here, one that is quite tangible for us: “Just as there is only one way to turn polluted, dirty water into clear and pure water—and that is through purification, so that the impurities are removed”—when water is contaminated, dark, filthy, and full of sludge or anything else, there is only one way to cleanse it. There is no other way; in other words, there is absolutely no way you can fix that polluted water by any other means. If any of you could write a series of prayers on different pieces of paper, pour the prayers into that polluted water and mix them and if that water were purified—then you could truly say that a human being is also purified through such actions. But if you entrust that polluted water to God so that God transforms it into clear water, likewise, if you hand over control of yourself to God so that He purifies you while you yourself make no effort, then—just like that water—it is impossible, absolutely impossible, for you to reach purification and refinement. There is no other way.
If you observe a vow of silence [a fast of silence], pray all night until morning, go to the greatest places of worship, recite the longest and most powerful prayers, or repeat certain chants—if you can take that dirty, black, polluted water and turn it into clear, pure water this way, then I’ll accept it. If any of you can truly do this—claim that through certain rituals or special practices you can transform polluted water into clean water without actually purifying it—if you succeed, then in the same way, a person full of negative traits—like that polluted water—could also be purified through those rituals. But even purifying water is much easier. Water has no tongue of its own; pass it through a filter and it quickly becomes clear and clean. A human being is not simply like that. Even if you pass a person through a “filter,” they don’t instantly become pure and transparent. Humans are far more complex—they have thoughts, beliefs. Purifying a human being—what we call inner refinement or Tazkiyah [تزکیه]—is far more difficult than purifying water: perhaps a hundred times, a thousand times, even millions of times harder. So how do you expect to purify human beings? Through silence? Through silence fasting? Many people have tried these things. They have endured years of hardship and discipline. Yet when they were faced with a real [divine] test, they couldn’t let go of that [vicious] act or couldn’t rise above the situation—they fell into the trap immediately.
“Just as there is only one way to turn dirty, polluted water into clear, pure water—and that is through purification, where all impurities are removed—there is also only one way to transform a depressed, distressed and troubled person into someone calm, composed, and at peace. That way is inner purification, or [in Arabic] Tazkiyah.”
“And we should understand well that this change does not happen overnight, nor through any chant, medicine, or miracle. It is something a person must learn gradually over time—step by step, moving away from negative traits and toward positive values. This process can only take place through proper instructions, thoughtful reflection, and the gaining of experience and awareness.”
If you pay attention, when someone is on the path of anti-values—it appears clearly in their face. For example, imagine one of you is in the second journey of recovery and liberation from addiction and has been sober for over a year. Then you go back to using opioid drugs and substances—every day, even at home, maybe with your spouse or another family member. After that, you come to Congress 60 claiming “We’re sober,” even officially declaring it. But it’s visible—it shows on your face. I may not point it out unless it’s necessary, and honestly, there are only a few such cases here and there. Still, it’s obvious from your face that you had abused drugs. It’s like an old oil lamp. You might not remember them because you are young, but do you know how they work? When the wick is set just right—balanced—it gives off a clear, steady light. If you turn it up too high, it starts to smoke; if it’s too low, it barely gives any light. To me, all of you are like these lamps. Just like that. When I pass by and take a quick look at your face, I can usually tell—maybe not 100%, but about 90% of the time—whether that face is shining with light or giving off smoke. I can tell in an instant as I pass by you—I “take a snapshot” of your whole body, your face, your expression, and move on quickly. It becomes clear who is “giving off smoke” and who isn’t. That “smoke” is noticeable—it’s not something complicated or hard to see [whether you are sober or not], [it is simple], because of that pressure of conscience inside a person. That inner burden of conscience can slowly wear someone down and drain them. At that point, nothing feels good anymore. You can neither use drugs nor stay away from them—you feel stuck in a kind of limbo. You always feel bad, and even your appearance starts to change.
Therefore, reaching true purification and inner refinement cannot happen through any drug, miracle, or external intervention. The only way is to follow the path of self-purification (Tazkiyah). This issue is created and then spreads because of that same gap I talked about earlier [distancing from the right path]. That gap grows, and eventually the person says, “I’ll fix it myself,” but in reality, they are not able to fix it—it’s impossible. The best way to deal with it is for the person to be honest and say, “Yes, I have used drugs,” openly and without hiding it, ok no problem, this is much easier.
So we said that no miracle or sudden change will happen, unless a person gradually moves away from anti-values step by step—and this cannot be achieved without proper education. When someone tries to distance themselves from anti-values, they must receive proper education. Then, we have to think whether this or that education is actually correct, or not? How should we evaluate the education or instructions? What is our standard to measure it by? For example, if we want to buy fabric, we measure it in meters or centimeters, whether this fabric is two meters or five or half a meter. When we want to weigh chickpeas, rice, or lentils, we use a scale and measure in kilograms. For gold, we measure in grams; for diamonds, in carats. For something like a truck, we use a weighbridge and measure in tons. Now a question is raised here, how do we measure education itself? By what standard do we judge whether the education we are giving is correct or not? The same applies to addiction treatment. What should we measure it against? By what criteria do we decide whether a method of treatment is correct or incorrect? Is URD correct or not—and what is the standard for evaluating it? People receive teachings in various groups, sects, and communities, and they strongly believe that these teachings are correct. These may even be political groups—I’m not focusing on whether any of them are good or bad. The point is that all of them claim their teachings are right.
But by what standard can we determine this? How can we even judge whether the teachings of Congress 60 are correct or not? It’s possible that all of its teachings are wrong. Therefore, where is the ultimate standard? Who can actually make that judgment? It is a very difficult task—extremely difficult. A person can only make such a judgment when they go beyond the written texts and spoken words. Only someone who has moved beyond the writings and teachings can truly judge. I am referring to the teachings as a whole. So, as you can see, the standard we’re talking about is a very difficult and complex one.
Of course, we can look at the results. Results are one of the most important and key factors—we can judge based on them, just as a tree is known by its fruit. That’s a perfectly valid way to evaluate things. But we don’t have a fixed, universal standard for judging whether a teaching is truly correct or not. Take another group, similar to ours [NGOs like NA], that follows its own teachings and fully believes in them. For example, someone in that group may have been free from addiction for five years but still lives in hardship and suffering, and yet their only support is those teachings. They believe with complete certainty that what they follow is right. And perhaps they will remain in that state for the rest of their life, or even die; however, they never really know whether the teachings they followed were right or wrong. So, deciding whether a path is right or wrong is extremely difficult—and it’s also very hard to explain this to people. Sometimes people become so strongly attached and biased toward their path and teachings that it becomes almost impossible to have a conversation with them. It would only be possible if we were at a higher level—so that we could examine it, analyze it, and break the issue down, and then say: “Look, for these reasons, this idea or belief is not true. But even then, the person may not accept it. They may have fallen into a wrong path of learning. It might be because of God’s will and divine wisdom, that a person does not accept the truth and they will continue to live in suffering.
So determining whether a teaching itself is correct or incorrect is extremely difficult. The only thing that exists in our beliefs—and in the beliefs of all members of society—is that people say: “Well, since this person is an expert in this field, they must be right.” Our only point of trust is that, because someone is a specialist, they must be correct. If someone says, “They are a highly specialized expert, they even have advanced academic degrees, they graduated from abroad, they have the highest academic qualifications, and they also perform URD,” then people tend to accept it. But as you, Congress 60 members fully know, this URD method for treating addiction is actually wrong—even a crime—but others don’t know that. How are they supposed to recognize whether this URD is right or not? They think, “This is the correct method,” and they follow it, only to suffer more and more damage over time.
So, determining whether a teaching is correct is, in itself, a very difficult and complex task. A person must be at a level above that teaching in order to judge whether it is right or wrong. For example, in physics, I would need to have the highest level of knowledge to be able to evaluate whether a formula is correct. To see if Newton’s formulas were correct or not, someone must stand higher than him in physics, more knowledgeable than him, to test his formulas and confirm, based on evidence, whether he was right or not. However, if I don’t know anything about physics, how can I understand whether a formula like S = VT² + V₀ is correct or not? I would need to be at a higher level to judge that; otherwise, I simply wouldn’t understand, as mentioned [by the great Iranian poet, Hafez]: “There are a thousand subtle points here—far more delicate than a hair; that not everyone who shaves their head is a dervish; and not everyone who holds a mirror is Alexander the Great. ".
So, teachings must be correct and to realize whether a teaching is true or not, is difficult. Right now, there are many counselors who talk about addiction—people who have been working in this field for twenty or twenty-five years. Yet, their own children, their own sons or brothers have become addicted, and they haven’t been able to do anything for them, they couldn’t even help those closest to them. Therefore, you see correct education must be combined with thinking, and experience. A correct teaching must prove itself in practice through real experience. [Contemplation, education and experience must be together].  For example, if one claims URD is a good method of treating addiction, they have to bring five cases of people who have undergone URD, have recovered, and have been doing well even after two or three years. That would be real experience. Can they do that? However, if you ask us [Congress 60], we can bring a thousand people who have been cured with the DST method, hundreds of them, even three hundred, five hundred, or a thousand of cured individuals are available.
Human beings must one day understand that reaching peace, calm, happiness, love, and compassion all come at a cost—and that cost must be paid. You can’t reach love, kindness, inner peace, or true happiness without paying their price. These things are not free. But often, we don’t want to pay that price. We imagine that love, compassion, peace, and tranquility are free—as if you could simply go into a field [of crops] and pick whatever you want without any effort. But that’s not the case, you must pay the price of everything you want. Only those who pay the price can truly have them. Think about it: if you want a piece of gum, you have to go to the store and pay for it. If you want a snack, you have to pay for it. If you want something as small as a matchstick or a nail, you still have to pay. Nothing is given to you for free. So how can you expect love, compassion, peace, or inner calm to be given to you for free, without doing anything for it? Now do you expect to be liberated from addiction for free? You’ve been using drugs like crack, meth, or opium—and now you expect to become liberated from addiction and clean overnight, for free, you want to receive your liberation and just go on with your life immediately?
We need to understand and accept that these things come at a cost, you either pay their cost or you will not reach them. Love has a price—you have to pay it. If you don’t, you won’t reach it. The same is true for compassion, peace, and inner calm.
If you say I would like to do this or that immediately, it is not that easy, you have to pay its price. Until you truly understand this, you won’t get that. One day, it has to click for you, you need to realize that reaching peace, happiness, love, and compassion all comes with a cost—and that cost is often heavy, difficult, and sometimes painful and sometimes agonizing. At times, it can feel like walking barefoot over fire. Other times, it means being alone, enduring hardship, showing patience, and staying strong through it. This cost involves many dimensions.
“And my last point is this: if a person does not personally start to purify and refine themselves, there is no path, method, or system that can lead them to true peace. It is never possible to reach values via anti-values.” If a person does not make this effort themselves, if they do not personally try to refine and purify themselves, no path, no method, and no system will work. Even if all the prophets, angels, and heavenly beings were to come to earth, they could do nothing for you unless you take action yourself. You cannot commit all kinds of wrongdoing and crimes, and  then think that a night of crying till morning will erase everything. That’s just an delusions and hallucinations—empty imagination. A person must take action themselves. It is mentioned in the Qur’an,: “A day will come when no one can bear the burden of another.” and that day is, in fact, today. No one can carry out the process of purification and self-refinement for someone else. Those who expect someone else to purify them have already seen the results. Depression, [for example], is a process—it is the result of certain causes. If a person becomes depressed, what should they do to recover? They need purification, refinement, and cleansing of themselves.
Sometimes a person with depression goes to a specialist, hoping that with medication their depression will go away—that someone else will do it for them. At first, the medication may work well for five or six months. However, after a while, one pill becomes two, two becomes three, then four, five, seventeen, eighteen, twenty. Then the medications are changed—one drug replaces another. After that, they say the medication no longer works. Then they try electroshock therapy—first shock, second, third, fourth, fifth. Then hospitalization. And eventually, it can lead to being institutionalized in an asylum. Some of you are already familiar with this process—you were involved in it yourselves, Marzie is laughing and Setare is looking at me [since they have experienced it]. You see, when a person wants someone else to carry out the process of purification for them—to remove their depression, their insomnia, and so on—it never leads to a real result. The person themselves must take action. Others can guide, support, and help, but that only accounts for about five percent. A doctor or specialist can prescribe medication, but they must [simultaneously] provide specific types of education, and offer guidance to increase the person’s awareness. If this is done properly, medication for depression may be effective—I’m not claiming medication doesn’t work or useless. In certain conditions, they must increase or decrease the amount of medication.  However, at the same time, the person must also be given proper teaching and education.
Just imagine for example, you a member of Congress 60 and you take opium tincture. The guides tell you to calculate how much opium tincture you consume, then you multiply it by 0.8, and then, using the DST method, gradually reduce the dosage. Then, step by step—every 21 days— you decrease the amount of drug usage; however, that [reduction] alone is not enough. You also have to attend classes—on Sundays, on Tuesdays, and Thursdays, attend the educational sessions, receive lots of information and teachings, so that opium tincture works in your body. If the opium tincture is used alone, it does nothing—it has no real effect. It is this effort that you must put in yourself, and only then will you reach the result.
A psychologist or doctor—is sitting behind their desk, and really, it’s not their fault [they have to merely prescribe medication]. They have lots of problems, they have to rent an office, and the rent alone may be one or two million tomans a month. They have a secretary to pay, maybe five hundred, four hundred, three hundred, or even two hundred tomans. On top of that, there are water, electricity, and phone bills. They also have a car, living expenses, and other costs. Altogether, their clinic alone may cost at least three million tomans a month. It’s not their fault. They can’t live like me—without expenses, without rent—just sitting and talking from morning to night (laughter).
The psychologists or doctors have to work long hours to cover their costs and make a living. So when you go to them, you pay twenty or ten thousand tomans for just a couple of minutes. They have no other resort but to ask “Did you take your medication? Was it helpful?” You say, “No, doctor, it wasn’t very helpful—I still feel a bit off.” Then he says, “Alright, I’ll change your prescription,” and charges you again. Then it’s the next patient’s turn, and then, the next—they have to see many patients just to cover their expenses and keep their life going. But the patient still doesn’t really get better just through medication. The doctors simply cannot sit and talk with you from four in the afternoon until seven or eight at night, spending hours with one person and only receiving a small fee. Their costs would never be covered. So the issue is much more serious than we often realize. However, we tend to expect that someone else will do everything for us—that a specialist will take away our depression, another will fix our bipolar disorder, someone else will clear up our confusion, and yet another will cure our addiction—while we ourselves do nothing.
But the truth is that: if a person does not personally take responsibility for their own purification and refinement, there is no path, method, or system that can lead them to true peace and a person will never be able to reach values through anti-values.
Thank you very much

Translated by Elahe

Part 9

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of God, we begin this session.
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the session guardian.
(Audience responds: Hello, Hossein!)
I kindly ask everyone to observe fourteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty and free ourselves from our greatest enemy—our own ignorance and unawareness.
(Fourteen seconds of silence observed)
Thank you, friends. I now request our esteemed secretary to provide a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.

Hello, friends. My name is Zahra, and I am a traveler.
(Audience responds: Hello, Zahra!)
In the name of the Absolute Power of God, today the eighteenth session of the fourteenth round of Congress 60 workshops, is held with the agenda “The Fourteenth Valley, Part 9”,  from the book “14 valleys for Recovery” written in 2012. The session started under the guidance and supervision of Mr. Dezhakam and me Zahra as the secretary at 9:00 a.m.
(Audience applauds)

Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler.
We have now reached roughly the middle of the Fourteenth Valley, which is 64 pages long. Last time, we finished up to page 33. Before we continue with today’s discussion, there is something I want to repeat — something I’ve emphasized many times, and even if we repeat it again, it still won’t be enough.
That is: all of us human beings are aware. Don’t think that people are ignorant or unaware. Human beings are always thinking — reflecting, analyzing, observing life and everything that happens. When we make a mistake, everyone sees it. People are watching, they understand, they know. We shouldn’t imagine that others are unaware or not paying attention.
But our nature is such that when it comes to judging a matter, we often grant ourselves the benefit of the doubt. We usually side with ourselves and search for external blame.

One of the characteristics of human beings is that whenever we make a mistake — in any situation or under any condition — we tend to place the fault, the flaw, or the blame outside ourselves, instead of looking within. For instance, if we look at the issue of drugs, we often say, others caused this, they sold it, and that’s why we became addicted or consumers. Maybe once, twice, even three times someone offered it to you — but if someone wants to become an opium addict, they must consume it fifty times, a hundred times, three hundred times before dependency forms.
Yet we cling to the idea that others caused it, or society is responsible, or emotional pressure forced us into it. Yes — emotional pressure exists everywhere, for everyone. But because we want to escape from accountability and avoid facing the consequences of our own actions, we try to imagine that someone else is to blame. Then we start justifying ourselves, trying to prove that what we did wasn’t wrong — that others were wrong. Sometimes, even when we act purely out of self-interest, the group notices. People see it. They understand when we’re making a mistake.
However, sooner or later, we must come to understand that the error, the fault, the issue — is ours. We must recognize the laws and principles governing life, and we must apply them ourselves. When we fail to follow these laws, we repeatedly encounter problems in life.

Some people reach a point where they even consider suicide. In that state of mind, they think, the world does not understand me, people don’t understand me, no one sees me, and they curse the earth and the heavens.
But pause for a moment — take even a brief look at yourself. How much of this situation is your own doing? How much influence did you have in creating it? Instead of trying to resolve the problem, you make it larger and more complicated.
When a person recognizes that a problem belongs to them — that the issue is rooted within themselves — they naturally begin to take steps to solve it. But sometimes a person does not want to accept this truth. Instead, they try to maneuver diplomatically: they seek connection here, justification there, excusing one thing and another. And the more this circle widens, the more destruction it brings. This is a very delicate and important matter, one that we constantly struggle with until we learn to resolve it.
Another point is this: wherever I use the term the Absolute Power, I mean God. However, since these writings are not intended only for our own environment — they may one day be read in Europe or other countries — I use this term intentionally. Because when you look at Europe, perhaps half of the population does not believe in God at all. The oppression and persecution during the Middle Ages — especially through the Inquisition — pushed many people to reject God entirely. Eventually, thinkers like Nietzsche declared, God is dead, and society moved quickly in that direction. Therefore, if a text appears with the word God repeated directly, some people may react to it strongly or reject it outright.

I was once speaking with a European who glanced only at the heading of the Fourth Valley: “Placing responsibility for vital matters on God means removing responsibility from oneself.” He didn’t even read the rest of the sentence to see what it truly meant. He simply reacted to the word God. He said, “In matters of life, you say give responsibility to God — that means denying responsibility yourself. And besides, the word ‘God’ is there. ‘God’ is a problem.”
I asked him, “Why should that be a problem?”
He replied, “I’m not only speaking about myself. Many Europeans have an issue with the word God itself.”
Therefore, in order to be able to convey the meaning properly to such audiences, I chose to use the term the Absolute Power. With this expression, we still eventually arrive at the same meaning — God — but using this wording helps soften the impact so that they at least read the text, reflect on it, and allow the concepts to influence them. And perhaps, gradually, they may reconnect with God — not the God shaped by the Church and the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, but the God who is merciful and compassionate.
So, we rested on this paragraph to understand the point: if a human being does not personally take action to purify and refine themselves, no path, method, or system can lead them to inner peace. One can never travel from the realm of anti-values to the realm of values without self-effort.

Reaching the realm of values through anti-values is impossible. It’s like those old stories of people who would steal in order to help the poor — theft is an anti-value. You cannot commit robbery and then claim you are doing charity. It may appear simple to justify, but the foundation is wrong. You cannot take a corrupt path — stealing, embezzling, accepting bribes — and then say, “I’ll donate it to an orphanage, so it will become good.” The same principle I mentioned earlier is hidden within this.
I’ve repeated this story many times:
There was a man who used to steal sheep. He would slaughter them and distribute the meat among the poor. Someone told him, “What you are doing is sinful. You steal, kill the animal, and then give its meat away — this is wrongdoing.”
The man replied, “Well, stealing the sheep counts as one sin, and giving the meat to the needy counts as one good deed. They cancel each other out. Besides, the head, feet, skin, and liver remain for me!”
(The audience laughs)

Now, in actions like this, there is always a “head, skin, heart, and liver” hidden inside it — in other words, there’s always something left over for oneself. People sometimes say, “We are doing a good deed; we’re helping the needy.” But in that so-called charity, a share often remains for the doer.
So, what do we learn from this? That we cannot reach values through the path of anti-values. The meaning of this paragraph is that you cannot justify wrongdoing just because you believe the outcome is good. You cannot say “It’s fine because I’m doing this for a good purpose.” It simply doesn’t work that way.

(Page 34)
If we take a careful look at the universe, we will see the power of attraction appearing around us in many different forms. A flower, a painting, a human being, a piece of music, a jewel, a sandwich, a horse, a mathematical formula, the flight of birds across the sky, the sound of a stream running through mountains, or even the movement of a tiny mosquito over a pile of trash.
He says that if we truly observe existence, we will notice attraction everywhere; but some forms of attraction may not appeal to us personally, while they might be meaningful, desirable, or pleasurable to someone else or to another creature. So attraction is not limited to the relationship between man and woman — although that is certainly one form of it — but it extends far beyond that. A flower can attract us with its beauty. Some people are drawn to paintings, others to music, to jewelry, even to something as simple as a sandwich. Some fall in love with horses, while others are passionate about mathematical formulas. There are those who become captivated by the birds in the sky.
There are countless shapes and forms of attraction. Thus, every being in existence — whether visible or invisible — possesses a force of attraction through which it draws its own desired things, or continually broadcasts itself in different ways. In fact, the whole universe is constantly broadcasting, constantly signaling itself through this power. A flower, with its beauty, is endlessly announcing: I am a flower, I am beautiful. Every part of creation, in its own way, declares its existence.

The residents say: What attraction could an insect or a mosquito possibly have? What charm is there in a mosquito, a little bug, or a cockroach? The same cockroach that, as soon as some ladies see it, their hearts nearly jump out of their chests—as if they’ve come face to face with a dragon, or rather, a wild tiger or lion. A very real sense of terror appears—not pretend, but truly felt. Now we might ask: what attraction does a cockroach even have? Yet that same cockroach is looking back at you in its own way—perhaps even more intensely. Because you can kill it, while it cannot kill you. Its gaze carries far more fear and threat than yours, since with just the movement of your foot, you could end its life in an instant.

The successor said: That was a very good question. This issue leads us to the third and final part of love, completing the triangle of love. He said, you asked a very, very good question: how can a cockroach—or even a mosquito—have attraction?
He explained: if you want to understand the attraction of an insect or a mosquito, you must become a mosquito. To grasp the appeal or the “pull” of a mosquito, you have to be a mosquito yourself. Similarly, to truly understand a cockroach, you must feel through the perspective of that cockroach. In other words, to understand the attraction of an insect or a mosquito, you need to become one—and specifically, one that can sense the subtle “signals” or gestures of another mosquito.
Yes, you need to be in that state where you can perceive the coquetry of another. This is where the concept of sense or feeling comes into play. For example, even among animals, sometimes in films we see a sea lion fighting to the death to win over its mate. To us, it may seem repulsive or have no appeal at all—but for that creature, it is tremendously attractive. It is so compelling that it will risk its life to achieve it. This is all based on sense—on the feeling of the being itself.

In Persian proverbs and stories, we have the tale of Leyli and Majnun—Majnun, who was so deeply in love with Leyli. When people finally brought Leyli to him, they saw a very thin, plain-looking girl—perhaps dark-skinned, and to some, not conventionally attractive. They asked, “Is this the Leyli you are so in love with?”
The answer was that Leyli must be seen through Majnun’s eyes. The beloved must be perceived through the eyes of the lover. Now, the beloved could be anything—a cockroach, a mosquito, a human, an animal, any creature—but it must be seen from the perspective of the lover, not from the observer’s viewpoint.
Many situations occur where others think, “What good is this? Are you really going to marry this person? This won’t work; her nose is too big, she’s not attractive—there are prettier girls. Or, on the other hand, there are more handsome boys.” But the lover says, “No, I want this one.” This is all based on sense—the mutual perception of attraction. Leyli is beautiful through Majnun’s eyes, and that is what truly matters.

So, if you want to truly understand the attraction of an insect or a mosquito, you must become that mosquito—and specifically, a mosquito that can perceive the coquetry of another mosquito who is flirting. This is what we call sense.

Residents: Please explain the third and final part of love.
Successor: As mentioned, the third side of the triangle of love is sense. So, we said that for a love relationship to exist, first, there must be shadows. Every shadow that exists is constantly signaling and attracting in various forms. When it signals or attracts—or when a shadow exists—someone must receive this power, this so-called attraction or the force of gravitational pull. And to receive it, one must do so through sense.

It’s like when some people shout in the streets, “We’re selling dry bread!” or “We shovel snow!” or “We sell potatoes!” They’re calling out, projecting their attraction. You receive that call with your own senses—your hearing—and decide whether it’s useful to you or not. Sometimes, you might even curse at them, thinking, “It’s noon, they’re disturbing my nap, making too much noise, ruining my nerves!” Other times, you might think, “Yes, this is useful; I’ll buy this or that from them.” In the end, it’s you who chooses how to respond.

Successor: As mentioned, the third side of the triangle of love is sense. Furthermore, we said that for love to exist, there must be something to love—what we called a shadow—and we recognized that each shadow has a power of attraction. This ties back to the previous lesson, as a quick review.
However, not everything can be attracted; a shadow can only attract what is of its own kind. Just as we said, to perceive the pull or attraction of another mosquito, you must yourself be a mosquito. To receive the power fully, you must be of the same kind.
Now, it’s important to pay attention to the following message, as it forms the foundation for understanding the universe for those who seek spiritual ascent.

First, he presents the message:
Message: “To perceive what truly exists, one must yearn for it with the heart.”
He says that for a person to discover or understand anything, the very first requirement is a deep longing of the heart. He does not say willpower alone, because willpower by itself is not enough. He specifically uses the phrase yearning of the heart—meaning a true desire, a genuine inner wish that rises from the depths of one’s being.
“To perceive what is” requires longing of the heart—meaning your heart must want it. And when the heart truly wants something, inspiration begins to take shape.

When you desire something with your whole being—with all of your essence—that is when inspiration begins to flow, and inspiration gradually gives form to what you seek. Once inspiration starts, you can begin to shape an image from it; you can visualize it in your mind, see it in your thoughts, and picture it clearly. Then, the power of that inspiration will support you within the universe.
Continuous purification strengthens these inner illuminations, and the more you purify, the more inspiration can emerge. Some people even take on austerities in hope of receiving inspiration—this is why certain individuals practice self-discipline and hardships. But in my opinion, such methods are temporary and cannot form a lasting foundation; true transformation requires complete internal change.
A person may begin to cleanse and refine themselves—by taking on disciplines, fasting, isolating themselves in a quiet place, focusing deeply, and continuously purifying their inner being. The more they purify, the more inspiration may reveal itself, sometimes even becoming a vivid mental image. This was the path mystics and spiritual masters followed in the past: they yearned for inspiration, practiced austerity, purified themselves, and their ability to receive became stronger—the greater the purification, the greater the reception.

He says: Yes, such things exist—but now we want to explore this subject from another path—that path is the sense.
We move away from speaking purely about desire, yearning of the heart, existence, and inspiration, and instead we will examine the topic through the lens of sense.
He says: Sense is like the Absolute Power, meaning that sense is like God—present throughout both existence and nonexistence, yet invisible to the eye. Just as God exists everywhere—in all realms of being and even in the realm beyond death, in other worlds whether you call them Hell, Heaven, Paradise, or anything else—sense too exists everywhere.
Just as God is present in all existence and nonexistence and cannot be seen, sense is of the same nature—present everywhere in the universe and beyond, yet not visible; however, sense can be felt by its own kind. It cannot be seen, but it is perceivable only to what shares its nature, as we discussed earlier about similarity of essence.

Residents: To understand the meaning of the message, we have to think so we can receive it. But tell us—what is sense itself?
They say, very well, all that we discussed stands on its place—but now let us say, what is sense itself?
Successor: If we want to offer a brief and simple definition, we can say that sense is a receiver. The very first and simplest way we can define sense is that it functions as a receiver—of course in many different forms. And if sense did not exist throughout existence and nonexistence, no form, no structure of any kind could ever come into being.

He explains that sense is like a receiver and can manifest in many different forms. It is not limited only to hearing or seeing—its expressions can be numerous and varied. He states that if sense did not exist in the universe, no structure of any kind would come into being, and truly, without sense, nothing in existence could emerge at all.
It is through sense that waves are sent and received, that things draw toward one another, gather around one another, and join together—whether in the world of plants, solids, animals, humans, or even realms beyond the human being.

He gives examples: “Let’s take animals and human beings. Without the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, how could life continue? If humans or animals were deprived of these five senses—hearing, vision, smell—imagine how they would live. Would there be any possibility at all? Could anything function? There would be no form of communication or interaction.
And even plants—if plants lacked sense, how would they recognize cold, heat, or light, so that at the right time and in the right season they could blossom and bear fruit? If plants had no sense, how would they know when to bloom or when to produce fruit? Their functioning is based on sense.
For instance, just before Nowruz or during the holiday season, sometimes the weather suddenly becomes warm. As soon as warmth arrives, the plants sense it immediately. They do not count the days of winter to see how many have passed, nor do they check which day of Farvardin it is to decide, Now is the time to sprout, or Now we should blossom. They keep no calendar. Their sense does not work that way.
They simply feel the change—the cold shifting to warmth—and their senses receive the signal, telling them that it is time to enter a new stage of growth.

Before that, it was still Esfand, or perhaps early spring. When the weather warmed up earlier than usual, the trees blossomed. But then suddenly the cold returned and destroyed all those blossoms. The trees had not made a mistake—the system changed, nature shifted its condition, and as a result the blossoms were lost.
So, plants also communicate and function through sense, and if they lacked it, they could do nothing. Even in the case of inanimate matter, without sense, atoms would not form. If solids had no inherent sense, they would not be able to assemble their atomic structures.
You may look at a mountain and see only stone, and wonder: Where is the sense in this? What makes one rock different from another? But when you observe closely, you find copper ore in one mountain. How did copper atoms gather together to form copper? Or in another place, iron exists—how did its atoms assemble and form iron? Somewhere else you find gold, lead, or in the soil you may find diamond or coal.
We see that atoms of the same kind gather together and become copper, or gold, meaning that they unite based on that same inner sense. Of course, there are mathematical laws involved, but even in solids, that formation is rooted in sense.

In other words, even solid matter could not form its own atoms without having a sense. Therefore, solids, too, must possess some kind of perception. In fact, every living being, every wave and particle in existence, and everything that exists in the universe— and even in nonexistence—can gather information and adapt to the structure of the universe only through sensing.
He says all beings, meaning absolutely everything—waves, particles, and whatever exists in the universe—communicate solely through perception. Through sensing, they collect information. How do they gather this information? The plant is constantly using its sensors to measure factors around it—like temperature. It may not measure heat in Celsius or Fahrenheit, but it can feel warmth and collect that information. Once it gathers enough information, it decides whether it is the right time to grow and emerge. It knows that blossoms cannot tolerate, for example, temperatures below zero or even around zero, and they will perish. So first it must sense and understand: Should it come out? Is the timing right or wrong?
We humans are the same. Before leaving the house, if it is raining, you either take an umbrella or wear a different coat. You receive information through your senses and make a decision. Everything operates based on sensing—plants, animals, solids, and of course, human beings.

The residents said: As you mentioned, all humans have the five senses, which function almost identically, and you also said that humans possess the power of attraction. So what is the determining factor in love that allows one person to receive the waves and become a lover or beloved, while others do not receive the same waves?
The residents continued: You said all humans have five senses, and their senses are almost the same, with very little difference among them. If you examine people’s eyes, their vision is all fairly standard; all have positives and negatives, but they are basically the same. Hearing is the same, taste is the same; all senses are roughly similar. Just as you said, all humans have five senses, which function almost the same, and you also said all humans have a power of attraction. Their shadows—all roughly the same—eighty kilos, ninety kilos, seventy kilos, fifty kilos—fall within a similar range. So what determines that one person falls in love with another, but others do not? What is the decisive factor in this matter?

The Successor says: “That was a good question. Yes, very good, and now I’ll give a brief explanation, but later I’ll expand on it further. It’s a very good question, and we need to dig into it. I’ll give a little explanation now, but we’ll explore it more deeply afterward.
First, as we said earlier, sense is a receiver. But there’s more: it’s the first force that activates aql (wisdom), faith, and love. Just as sense acts as a receiver, it is also the initial force that sets aql, faith, and love into motion.
So, all the perceptions a person receives are first captured by the sense, then sent to the mind, which analyzes and processes them before producing a reaction. Sense receives the information, and once it does, it must go to the aql for processing and evaluation. Or it may go to faith or love—it doesn’t matter—which also requires processing and careful consideration.”

It checks whether it likes it or not, and once the processing is done there, it shows its reaction.
He says: “Now we can say that sense is like a book, and reason, love, and faith are its text.”
Sense only receives. It simply takes in information. For example, you hear a sound—your sense receives it. But once the sound is picked up by the sensory receiver, then you say, “That was a cat.”
At that point, the reason must examine it: Was it a dog? Was it a human voice? Was it a baby crying? Was it two cars colliding? Were two people fighting?
In other words, when you hear a baby crying, the mind asks:
Whose child is it? Where is it coming from? What’s happening?

What is sensed there is simply the sound of a child’s voice. But the text behind it—whose child is this? What does the child look like? What form does he or she have?—that becomes the “content of the book.” That content is the information itself.
Now, setting aside the fact that attraction and emotion differ from one person to another, it says: let’s put those differences aside for now. The real issue is processing and reaction—how the intellect, or the “text of the book,” interprets what has been received. This is part of the reason why one person may fall in love with someone, while another remains completely indifferent. The reason lies in the differences in intellect, in processing, and in the many factors involved in that inner interpretation. People are different.
For example, you hear a sound. The faculty of sense receives it—everyone receives it. If someone speaks Arabic, English, French, or any other language, you still hear the sound. But if you don’t know French, you won’t understand anything. It isn’t that you didn’t hear it; you did. But it cannot be processed by you, because no information about that language has been stored within you. Since there is nothing in your inner “text” about those words, you cannot produce any reaction.
If a French person turns to you and asks, “What time is it?” you hear the voice, you hear the sound—but you don’t understand the meaning of the question. So you cannot respond. You remain there, suspended, unable to move forward. But if you understand the meaning, then naturally you can answer.
Then it says: this was the first stage. In the second stage, in the next part, there is something else as well.

Every human being, in addition to the five physical senses, also possesses five hidden—or inner—senses, as well as a sixth sense, which we sometimes refer to as the eleventh sense. These senses, too, play a significant role in the subject of love.
It explains that when we first spoke about love, we were referring to those five familiar senses—the outward senses we all recognize. But beyond those, each person has five inner senses that we mentioned, and in addition to them, there is also a sixth sense, which we call the eleventh sense.
There are also five outer senses—those same senses that continue to function when you are asleep, and the very senses that become active again after death.

he residents say, “Could you speak a little about the hidden or outer senses?”
He replies, “You’re asking me to talk a bit about the hidden or outer senses. The truth is, all roads lead to Rome. Wherever I begin writing about something, sooner or later it ends up reaching this point—because it is woven into the very fabric of the subject. And to be honest, I tend to avoid writing or speaking about these things. I try to step aside from them, not to go into them. But since they naturally enter the discussion and are part of it, sometimes I’m obliged to make a brief reference to them.
“It’s a topic that cannot be directly sensed. To some extent, it’s not easily understood or grasped. Still, from time to time, I offer a passing اشاره—a small hint. After that, it’s up to you.”
The successor adds, “Speaking about matters that are difficult to perceive—things that, at present, cannot be demonstrated with any instrument and cannot be proven through any formula—is not easy.
“Discussing the hidden forms or the hidden senses of the human being is much the same. Nevertheless, I will offer a brief summary. Whether you accept it, reject it, or truly understand it—that rests with you.”

Of course, when it comes to the hidden aspects of the human being—or the hidden senses—these subjects can be explored elsewhere in depth. They can be discussed thoroughly. One could easily write three hundred pages about them. In fact, at times I have written about them.
But here, as the successor says, “time is short and the scroll is brief.” In this Valley, I cannot go into all the details. To truly explain the sense in all its dimensions, I would need to write three hundred pages so that every part of it could be clearly expressed.
At the same time, if I say nothing at all, the discussion of love would remain incomplete—because this is an essential parameter, one that plays a deeply constructive role. So, for that reason, even within this Valley, I will at least make a brief and passing reference to these matters.

Here it explains that if you have no sense, no movement will take place. Without sense, nothing moves.
It speaks not only of physical movement, but also of hidden movements—of movements during sleep, and even movements after death—whether you are asleep or awake.
From our usual point of view, sleep seems like a shutdown. We say, “I went to sleep last night and woke up this morning,” as if everything had simply been turned off. But that is not the case. Sleep has its own life, its own activity, its own order and planning. Things are happening there as well.
The faculty of thinking is not always in your conscious control. Sometimes you simply look—and it appears as though you are seeing only with your physical eyes. But that is not really what is happening. With another kind of vision, you travel through places and times—into the past, the present, or even the future.
Here, it is pointing toward those hidden senses. You may be sitting here quietly, and suddenly your mind drifts back to your childhood. In an instant, it carries you to a memory, an encounter, a relationship, a moment in your life—into so many different scenes. And when you go there, when you begin to see that memory, that childhood, that moment—you are no longer seeing with these physical eyes.

One way of looking at it is to say, “Well, that was already stored in my memory, and now I’m simply retrieving it.” That may be true. But even so, you are not seeing it with these physical eyes. You are looking at it with another kind of vision.
Or sometimes you travel into the future in your thoughts. You look ahead, you imagine, you observe. Then suddenly you realize you have been immersed in that inner world for hours. At times, you may think you only reflected for a few brief moments—yet in those few moments, you reviewed fifteen years of your life. You revisited the past, and it took no measurable time at all.
It is the same in sleep. In dreams, time does not function the way it does here. If you dream for half an hour, it does not necessarily mean that half an hour has passed in the way we measure it by the clock. In the dream itself, it may feel like half an hour—or much longer. Sometimes, within just a few moments of physical time, you may experience ten years’ worth of events in a dream. I’m not even speaking of two or three hours—sometimes it feels far longer than that. The standards of time are different there.
And all of this happens through another kind of perception. None of it is carried out by the five outward, physical senses.

Here it says: whether you are asleep or awake, the instrument of thinking is not always in your control.
Why is that?
Because sometimes you simply glance for a moment. You don’t intend to think. You don’t make an effort. You don’t deliberately search for a path. Yet suddenly, it begins on its own. Automatically.
It seems as if you are looking with your physical eyes—as though everything is happening right here, through them. But that is not really the case. With another kind of vision, you begin to travel—through places, through moments in the past, the present, even the future. You go… and then you return. You move through those scenes and then come back again.
When you check the clock, you realize that only a few seconds—or less than a minute—have passed. And yet it feels as though you lived for a long time in that other dimension of time and space. As if you truly stayed there.
So in this process, deliberate thought or reasoning had no active role. You didn’t sit down and decide to think it through. Yet something within your being created this experience. It happened because that capacity already exists within you.
Then the question arises: how do you explain this seeing, this traveling through times and places?
When you enter those dimensions—those times, those events—it is not your deliberate thinking that carries you there. The sense moves on its own. Automatically. Thought exists within you, yes. It is part of your structure, and perhaps it prepares the ground. But what actually journeys, what goes there, sees, and witnesses—what moves through those realms—is not of the same nature as ordinary thought.

So how do you explain seeing and traveling through these places and times? How do you make sense of it?
Now, if you think about it carefully—even just a little—you’ll begin to understand that the forces guiding you to different places and then bringing you back are the same outer senses in action. It is those outer senses that carry us there and bring us back.
It’s like someone who owns a machine but doesn’t use it. Imagine a person has some kind of device, yet they are unaware of it—or only use it when absolutely necessary, following instructions. The full meaning might not become completely clear right away. But here’s the idea: the information that reaches our body is not fully conscious. Some of it remains in the subconscious because it doesn’t correspond directly with our immediate surroundings, and bringing it fully to awareness could even cause problems.
This is a bit tricky, yes. If you don’t fully grasp it right now, don’t worry too much—you shouldn’t stress. Honestly, I didn’t completely understand it myself at first. The point is: the hidden senses that humans possess are like someone who owns a machine but isn’t aware of it..

What this means is that there is a certain power hidden within the human being. These outer senses are like a tool, an instrument placed at our disposal. Yet we are mostly unaware of it and do not know how to use it. Occasionally, under a specific command or condition, a person may tap into a small portion of it—just a tiny fraction—and then wonder, “Why did that happen?”
If the full meaning doesn’t become completely clear, don’t worry too much. Not all the information that reaches our body is handed over to us consciously. Much of it remains in the subconscious, because it does not align with the circumstances of our immediate surroundings, and if it were fully revealed, it could create difficulties or disturbances. So, when experiences reach us, only part of them is made accessible; the rest stays in the subconscious.
Take sleep as a simple example. Let’s focus on ordinary, involuntary sleep—not deliberate or controlled states. When you sleep at night, various events and experiences take place. I believe that while the body rests, the spirit—using a more common expression—the soul does not rest. It does not sleep. It continues its effort, continues its life, continues gathering information.
Sometimes it may even be a kind of dual life: here, you live one life; in another dimension, you may be living another. Yet when those events occur, although you go through them and participate in them, their full information is not delivered to you in this waking life. If everything you experience in that other dimension during sleep—everything you see and feel—were transferred directly into this dimension, it would create disorder, confusion, and distress.
For this reason, that information remains in the subconscious. It exists within you, stored in your inner archive, until the day you reach the necessary level of awareness. Only then can small portions of it be gradually placed at your disposal. Otherwise, it would cause imbalance and disruption.
It is even possible that two people may know each other in another dimension, have a deep connection there, perhaps even share a life together in that realm—yet here, in this world, they may not recognize each other at all. Such things can happen.
I hope this doesn’t leave you feeling confused. The point is this: what a human being possesses—both in the manifest and the hidden forms—is not fully disclosed to them. If a person were to become completely aware of their hidden dimensions all at once, it would create fragmentation, disorder, disharmony, and upheaval in their life. So it is not given openly. Yet it is entirely present in the subconscious archive. Only when a person reaches the proper stage can it be revealed gradually, little by little. That is what is being expressed here.
And sometimes I find myself thinking: this is being translated and printed tomorrow—what will those poor Chinese or Japanese readers understand from it? Even we, who write and speak Persian, need so much explanation and still struggle to grasp it fully. Imagine a European reader trying to make sense of it all.

The full meaning may not become completely clear. But the point is this: the information that reaches us—information about actions we ourselves may even carry out, actions for which we are the agent—is not entirely given to us consciously.
Not all of it is made available to our awareness. It is not delivered to the conscious mind. Instead, much of it moves into the unconscious—into the hidden dimensions, into the inner archive.
Why? Because it does not correspond with the conditions of our immediate surroundings. If all of that information were brought directly into our conscious awareness, it would not align with our present reality and could create confusion or problems in our life.

So those other five senses do not require physical instruments.
They do not need eyes in this physical form—with a cornea, a lens, a retina—made of flesh and bone. They are not dependent on tools in that physical sense. Of course, they do have their own kind of instruments, but their instruments are different. They are not like the ear with its eardrum and middle ear, nor do they function through physical structures the way our visible senses do. We do have physical tools for perception—but these senses are not limited to that form of apparatus.
What, then, can these outer senses do?
This is exactly what Shahab al-Din Sohrawardi and many of our mystics believed. They held that these senses can move through the universe like a reporter—circulating through existence and gathering information for the system of intellect.
And how does this happen? With the help of the other human bodies or subtle forms. As we said: there are ten senses and seven other bodies. If a sense is to travel through the cosmos, it must carry a body suited to that realm. In other words, it does not travel alone. With the assistance of the outer senses and the other bodies of the human being, it moves, gathers information, and then delivers it back to the system of intellect—again, to the intellect.
Beyond this, I cannot explain further for now, and we must return to the main discussion.

We said that when the Absolute Power commanded love to be breathed into the particles, over time shadows were formed. These shadows gradually came into being, and with them, the force of attraction emerged.
Within their own boundaries, the particles and the shadows became harmonized through sense. Through sense, they recognized one another. They gathered together, were drawn toward each other, and attraction took place—until the Triangle of Love was formed and existence came into being.
When God commanded that love be infused into the particles, love was breathed into them. The shadows were formed. Through the power of attraction, they slowly moved closer to one another. Through sense, they received information from each other. Through sense, they were drawn together. And in this way, life and creation took shape.
So, for the Triangle of Love to be formed, three components are essential. Three elements are required: the shadows, attraction, and sense.

The residents say: “You tell us that in these conditions, since all human beings possess shadow, sense, and attraction, then everyone should be able to fall in love. But in reality, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
You say shadow, attraction, sense, and love. All human beings have shadow, they have attraction, they have sense—so they should all be able to love. Why, then, does it not happen that way in practice?
The successor replies: “Yes, you are right. You are correct. There are many men and women in the world—and of course, this includes young men and women as well. Since they exist, they certainly possess shadow, attraction, and sense. Therefore, they have the capacity to fall in love.”
Yes, that is true. Many men and women exist, and because they exist, they inevitably carry shadow, attraction, and sense within them. Now, for various reasons, one person may have more, another less—but attraction does exist.
Therefore, we can say that no being is truly ugly. A person may appear unattractive in the eyes of some; yet that very same person may be beautiful and deeply appealing to someone else. It all depends on the waves of attraction emitted by the sender and the sensitivity of the receiver’s sense.
That is why it is said: sense itself cannot be seen, yet it does not perceive its own kind.

He says: yes, since all men and women possess sense, attraction, and shadow—some more, some less—everyone carries these qualities. So we cannot truly say that one person is ugly and another is beautiful in any absolute sense.
Someone who appears unattractive from one person’s point of view may seem deeply beautiful and appealing to someone else. Because these three elements exist in every human being, no one is barren in love. No one can truly say, “Love is not for me,” or “I have never understood love,” or “I cannot fall in love,” or “I am too unattractive to be loved.” Such a thing does not really exist.
So we can say that no being is inherently ugly. A person may seem unattractive to some, yet to another person—or to others—they may appear beautiful and captivating.
When that deeper matter of sense and attraction comes into play, then all the superficial efforts—reshaping the nose, altering the eyebrows, enhancing the cheeks, filling this or adjusting that—these become secondary. They are side issues. In love, they do not play the central role people imagine. What truly matters is the wave of attraction, that inner pull, that unseen current between two beings.
It may even be that a large nose, which one person considers unattractive, is precisely what makes someone else find that face charming and irresistible. If it were made smaller, it might actually lose its appeal for that particular observer. The one who falls in love is not necessarily looking at those surface details.
Of course, beauty has its place. Physical attractiveness is pleasant and meaningful. But there is something else behind it—something far more important. You may have seen someone who appears extremely beautiful, whether man or woman. Yet the moment they speak for five minutes, all that beauty fades, and you find yourself thinking, “What is this?”
So clearly, many other factors are involved in love. It is not merely a matter of outward appearance. It depends on attraction, on those deeper elements, and on sense—the invisible connection that either forms or does not form between two people.

A person may appear unattractive in the eyes of some, yet in the eyes of another—or others—the very same person may seem beautiful and deeply appealing. It all depends on the waves of attraction being transmitted—on what kind of feeling that person is sending out.
The feeling we emit is receivable. It can be picked up. I will explain this more later, but it is something that can be received. What matters is what you are sending. A person may not even be consciously aware of it; they may not realize what they are transmitting. Yet what they send out is extremely important. And equally important is the sense of the one who receives it—how that person receives and interprets that wave.
That is why it is said: sense cannot be seen. It is invisible. Yet it can perceive its own kind.
Now, you said that everyone can fall in love—but in practice, that does not seem to be the case. Not everyone falls in love. Not everyone hears the voice of love within themselves. Why is that?
To clarify this, let me illustrate it with a story—so that you can almost see it unfold before your eyes. The question is: if everyone has the capacity for love, why do we sometimes fail to hear its voice within us?
Let me share an example to shed light on this matter.
Up to page forty-one. And what’s today’s date, by the way? Is it the twenty-second? Or is it the twenty-first? Yesterday was the twentieth—we marked everything as the twentieth yesterday. Ah, yes… anyway, thank you very much.

Translated by: Companion Marjan
2/21/2026

Part 10

Drawing strength from the Absolute Power, I begin the session.

Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler and the guardian of this session.
(Participants: Hello Hossein.)
Please, for our own liberation from our most powerful enemy—our own ignorance and unawareness—let us observe fourteen seconds of silence and seek refuge in Almighty God. Thank you, friends.
I kindly ask our respected secretary, Ms. Zahra, to present a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.
Hello friends, I am Zahra, a traveler.

(Participants: Hello Zahra.)

The nineteenth session of the fourteenth round of Congress 60’s workshops, under the guidance and guardianship of Mr. Dezhakam and with myself, Zahra, serving as secretary, began at 9:00 a.m. The agenda was Valley Fourteen, Part Ten.
Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler.
(Participants: Hello Hossein.)
We have reached a point where I will first read a paragraph from the previous session, and then we will continue with the text. It says:
“You stated that everyone can be in love; that is, the residents ask this question, yet in practice it does not seem so. It says that since all human beings possess Shadow, Attraction, and Sense [these three elements constitute the triangle of Love], therefore all are capable of love. But why, in reality, does it not appear this way? You see many people who do not seem to be in love at all. Or why is the voice of love not heard within some individuals?”
“To clarify this matter, we will portray a story so that we may observe it more tangibly. The story goes as follows.” Master Dezhakam explains this sentence, that the quality of Love exists within everyone. Why, then, does it not manifest in practice? Because although everyone possesses this trait—having shadow, attraction, and feeling, and therefore the capacity to love—in reality it does not always appear so. Why do some people not hear the voice of love?
There is a form of love that has been placed instinctively within human beings; particles of love have been breathed into them. This love is particular rather than universal. You see it exists in all beings—animals, plants, even inanimate objects, as well as humans. For example, consider a father or mother—whether human or animal, it makes no difference—who strives intensely for the survival of their offspring, making every effort and undertaking countless actions, desiring every good thing for their child. This is instinctive.
The love a parent has for a child—wanting all goodness for them—is natural and innate. It is a love that God has placed within all beings: within a jackal, a dog, a wolf, a lion, and within a human being as well. Thus, this love is genetic, divine, and granted to all. It is connected to self-love and the instinct for survival.
Therefore, the attraction or inclination that exists genetically and is passed from one generation to another is present in everyone. Someone may feel this love within and assume that they are deeply in love. Yet this love acquires meaning when it becomes broader and more universal. For instance, if a person desires something for their own children, does it harm others? Does it harm other children or other families? If one realizes that what they seek for their own family causes harm to others, then the matter becomes different [do they choose something beneficial to their children but harmful to others?].
Sometimes a person says, “I love my family,” and may do anything to secure their well-being. We cannot say that such a person has reached a high level of evolution; this is merely the baseline. It is the minimum level, because everyone naturally feels deep affection toward their children. In fact, at times we see individuals who fall even below this level—far below it. At the very least, this basic instinct should exist.
Even this baseline—wanting everything good for one’s child—is relatively elevated. Yet there are individuals for whom neither child nor spouse holds importance; nothing matters except themselves. That is a stage even lower than the animal level. As we have said before, only in humans can the Nafs [Self] regress [to a lower rank]; animals do not regress in this way. An animal does not possess this characteristic, but a human may [according to the holy Quran, human beings have to go through three stages of Nafs [Self], the Carnal Self, the Blaming or reproaching Self and the Reassured Self, animals only possess the carnal self; however, human beings can transcend it and reach the Reassured Self, where an individual is surrendered to the Almighty God and they wish for themselves what God wishes for them.]
Therefore, if a human being’s level of love toward their own children remains merely at this baseline, it is natural and normal. It is nothing extraordinary, no special virtue. It is neither particularly praiseworthy nor blameworthy; it is simply ordinary, because it has been placed within them instinctively. It is the very minimum of love embedded in them.
At times we descend even lower than this—where someone says, “A suitor has come for my daughter; I am more heartbroken than my daughter herself!” In other words, a mother may place herself before everyone and everything in this matter, it means sometimes we want everything for ourselves without considering others.
Then it is asked: why is this voice of love not heard? To explain, the writer offers an example. Ever since I entered the realm of addiction, my work has increasingly become the crafting of stories and examples. I have to make the example of the oil lamp, the example of a carnival, or create other stories—stories that illuminate and clarify the subject. And of course, God helps; the stories come to my mind, and I write them down.
But why is the voice of love not heard in some people? Here the writer [Mr. Hossein Dezhakam] presents a story and, from within it, extracts and derives the reasons. He says this is the cause. Sometimes we truly need a story, an example—like the oil lamp in the book Crossing the Zone of 60 Degrees below Zero, which beautifully illustrates how things function and where energy comes from [because addicts claim consuming drugs pumps energy in them; however, through the example of an oil lamp, Mr. Dezhakam illustrates that drugs by themselves have no energy; however, an addict feels energetic after consuming drugs, just because the drug has sped up consuming the energy embedded in the body]. This is not false energy; it is an energy that is generated within our own body. Where does it originate? He explains the origins of this energy providing an example.
Now master Dezhakam explains and provides an example of why the voice of love is not heard by some people. “Once upon a time, in a lush green forest, a lion ruled as king.” Up to this point, the tale unfolds in a forest where the lion is traditionally regarded as the king of animals, the sovereign of the jungle. We have long had such stories in Persian literature, and even in modern Hollywood tales such as The Lion King.
One evening, when the king was in high spirits, his friends and officials—the officials of the forest—proposed that, in order to elevate the cultural and artistic state of the jungle, they should hold an arts festival. This is a common practice everywhere: to improve the level of society, various conferences and gatherings are organized—of many different kinds—which, admittedly, have become somewhat better in recent times.
In the past, for example, there were conferences about addiction, yet the only discussion untouched was the addict. They were about addiction, but the one element absent from concern was the addicted person. Now, matters have improved somewhat. Back then, they would gather, sit together, write papers, award prizes to one another, select a “best paper,” pay the speakers some presents, give certificates of presence. It was good, especially for themselves. They would also direct a few insults at addicts, and then, with formal salutations, the session would end. They had no real connection with addicts, and despite all those conferences, nothing changed in the condition of addicts or addiction. In recent years, however, the situation has improved somewhat, and the conferences that are held now at least address addiction to some extent.
Likewise, the programs you now see on national television have changed; it is no longer just the old, stereotypical portrayals—Ayeneh-ye Ebrat [an Iranian TV series which was on in 1980s] and similar stories [where an addict was portrayed as a very poor miserable man incapable of doing anything]. Today the narratives are different, the approach has shifted, and the interpretations have become far more constructive and insightful.
The king’s friends and officials propose holding an arts festival to elevate the cultural and artistic level of the jungle. The king, cheerful and lively—having had a drink or two (jokingly)—accepts the proposal without hesitation. “The suggestion meets with his approval; immediately, a public call is announced. As usual, the announcement is made, and the day of rehearsal arrives.”
Then the Successor raises two fingers in a V shape and says, “Now, see the rest of the story for yourselves from the day of rehearsal.” He offers no further explanation of how the tale unfolds. Spreading his fingers, he adds, “Today is the day of the arts festival—or rather, the day of rehearsal. It is better that you observe the rehearsal yourselves.” He explains that this rehearsal prepares the necessary groundwork so that the audience can understand the real story of addiction. He shows a V shape with his two fingers and an image is displayed between his two fingers.
In the image, the main square of the jungle is visible, where the animals have gathered to rehearse for the festival. The nightingales, under the leadership of the hoopoe—who in our cultural tradition often represents and symbolizes a guide or a messenger (as mentioned by Rumi: “I am the hoopoe; I wish Solomon’s presence”)—have formed a choir and are practicing together. The hoopoe conducts them as they rehearse their choral singing.
Butterflies are performing a collective dance, spreading their colorful wings as they spin through the air. As the choir of nightingales sings, the butterflies swirl with their vibrant hues turning and dancing in harmony. At the center of a circle stands the peacock, opening his magnificent tail, shifting his posture, and displaying his most brilliant colors. A creature of extraordinary beauty, the peacock creates ever-changing patterns as he spreads and adjusts his feathers, producing a dazzling array of colors and designs. He too is absorbed in his play in rehearsal.
The swallows are playing guitars; the doves are performing on violins. Frogs re sitting at the piano, diligently playing. Grasshoppers blow into their harmonicas. The pigeons, seated in orderly formation like members of an orchestra—ten violinists here, twenty harpists there—play their harps in disciplined unison. The Lady-beetle improvises on the flute, performing spontaneously rather than following a set formula. Improvisation means in that very moment, a melody comes to mind, and she plays it extemporaneously—executing a piece on the spot without prior rehearsal or preparation. She is immersed in improvisation.
Dragonflies were tightrope walking, skillfully performing their balancing acts. The animals, immersed in rehearsal, created a remarkably beautiful and delightful spectacle. At last, the rehearsal came to an end, and the performers returned to their homes or workplaces. This was the rehearsal phase of the festival—an image formed in our minds so that we might understand what the festival would look like, which animals would participate, what roles they would assume, and what each was meant to perform.
The Successor lowered his hand and said, “You have now observed the artistic rehearsal.” Then he added, “The time for the opening ceremony has arrived—you shall now witness it.” Raising his hand once more, he said, “Behold.” Master Dezhakam explains this part again, he lowered his hand again and declared that the rehearsal had concluded; the pigeons and all the other animals returned home. Then, it comes the day of the actual ceremony—let us see what would unfold.
In the second image, the commotion of the opening ceremony is visible. At such events—whether a football match or a formal conference—there is always an air of bustling excitement at the outset: people running here and there, everyone striving to ensure the ceremony begins properly. The spectators are seated in their designated areas, while the performers stand near the field in orderly rows. The artists, dressed in their special costumes with poised gestures, wait in a highly disciplined way.
The king, with his splendid mane carefully groomed, wears a purple cloak and a jeweled crown. He takes his place in the royal stand alongside the distinguished guests. Such ceremonies invariably include special invitees—ministers, legal authorities, prime ministers, members of parliament, city council leaders, even foreign ambassadors—seated near the king in the reserved section. These are called the honored guests.
“The countdown to the commencement of the ceremony begins. The king rises from his jewel-encrusted throne and, lifting his hand, releases a handkerchief as the signal to begin.” In earlier times, before microphones existed, this was how announcements were made: all eyes watched his hand, and when the handkerchief fell, the ceremony officially started. Trumpets sound to proclaim the formal opening. As often depicted in films, the trumpets sound, then after a few moments, silence descends—a [charged] stillness before the event begins.
This scene symbolically reflects something within us all; it portrays the inner reality in all of us. The performers move to the center of the square of the jungle, each taking their designated place. The hoopoe, as conductor, raises his hand to signal the start of performance. Absolute silence prevails. The musicians stand ready to play; the butterflies, the peacock, the hoopoe—all are prepared to display their art. The hoopoe lowers his hand to initiate the performance.
Suddenly, however, the noise of another group is heard—an uninvited group enters the scene, positioned in a corner outside the main square of the jungle, preparing to perform. They had rehearsed beforehand but had informed no one, not even the officials, of their intention to stage a performance. Unannounced and uninvited, they had made themselves ready. Having heard that an arts festival was taking place, they arrived of their own accord—much like spontaneous street performers who appear unexpectedly. You may have seen how one street theater troupe begins a performance; without coordination, another group sets up beside them, disrupting the entire arrangement. So too here: the second group’s sudden presence throws the carefully planned system into disorder.
According to their prior plan, in this new group the elephants were supposed to sound their trumpets with their trunks. They had carefully organized everything among themselves—just like the pigeons, grasshoppers, and butterflies in the original program. Each participant had a designated role. Here, the elephants were meant to play the trumpets; elsewhere a dragonfly might play the flute, but in this arrangement the elephants were assigned the brass. Just imagine what a chaos would be produced.
Yet, overcome by anxiety, the elephants forgot to play the trumpets. So distressed were they by [the magnitude of] the ceremony that they completely forgot to play the trumpets. Others kept urging them, “Play! Play!”—but it had slipped their minds, out of agitation and confusion.
The jackals, in an attempt to remind the elephants to play the trumpets, began biting them, hoping to signal that it was their turn to perform. It is much like when someone tries to awaken or guide us—not gently, but forcefully. The jackals bit them so that the elephants would remember to blow their trumpets.
At last, writhing in pain, the elephants began to scream—or rather, to trumpet. Their cries of pain blended with the howling of the jackals. The jackals howled and bit; the elephants shrieked as they suffered. The elephants’ cries, metaphorically their “trumpeting,” merged with the jackals’ wails until the uproar became deafening—so loud, it seemed to rend the very heavens.
“Meanwhile, the bears pounded mightily upon enormous drums.” It was an official part of their performance that massive bears striking colossal drums with great force. “Vultures and carrion-eating birds, mounted upon pigeons, staged a contest resembling Buzkashi—a frenzied struggle to snatch a goat or prey from one another. Vultures and carrion-eating birds riding on pigeons were battling over a prey, to grab the prey from another.
The gorillas, armed with swords, cleavers, and [billy] clubs, had launched a combat tournament, wounding and injuring one another in savagely—scenes reminiscent of violent scenes in certain films.
Then, suddenly, several powerful firecrackers and explosive squibs were hurled by the foxes into the midst of the donkeys, zebras, and camels seated peacefully in the spectators’ section—who until that moment had been comfortably watching the show and munching on snacks (laughter from the audience).
The zebras, donkeys, and camels were seated in the spectators’ section, peacefully watching the show—poor creatures, casually enjoying the spectacle and munching on snacks. The foxes, cunning as ever, instead of setting off their firecrackers elsewhere, deliberately hurled them into the midst of the donkeys, zebras and camels. Suddenly, several powerful firecrackers exploded among the unsuspecting animals who had been comfortably observing the event.
At the sound of the successive blasts, panic broke out. Terrified, they bolted from their seats, smashed through the barriers, and galloped wildly toward the square. The force of the explosions sent them charging headlong into the arena. In an instant, such chaos, noise, and clouds of dust arose that eye could no longer see eye, and the ear could distinguish no single sound. The entire jungle seemed engulfed in a vast storm of dust. It was as though earth and sky had merged through a violent earthquake. The scene ended there. Now you can imagine the scene, Mr. Dezhakam asserts.
Then the story continues, “the Successor lowered his hand and looked toward the residents. They said, it was an interesting performance—but explain the conclusion to us.”
He replied, “I was expecting this question. Of course, we know that all animals are good in their own right. But now, for the sake of staging this performance and drawing a conclusion, we were obliged to classify them.”
He clarified that the intention was not to label any animal as inherently bad—not the dragonfly, nor the butterfly, nor the elephant, zebra, gorilla, jackal, or vulture. Each possesses admirable qualities. The division was merely symbolic, somewhat exaggerated for the sake of illustration, not to insult or demean and degrade any creature. It was simply a device to clarify the story.
Then he arrived at the central point: “This applies to all of us.”
In the play, the first group represented those who manifested the waves of love’s attraction. They symbolized the waves of love. The second group, however, represented those who, through overwhelming noise and turmoil, distorted or suffocated the delicate waves of love—so much so that sensation itself could no longer detect its voice.
For the waves of love are not thunderous like crashing sea waves; they are fine and gentle; however, we have to hear them. Yet the second group embodied the forces that prevent the voice of love from ever being heard.
Imagine you are speaking on your mobile phone in the middle of a busy street—motorcycles roaring past, horns blaring, engines revving. You can barely hear the person on the other end. Or suppose you are trying to talk on your phone while standing beside a shooting range; the sound of shouting is drowned out completely and you cannot hear the phone. Or there is a loud rock concert underway nearby—once that level of noise dominates the space, you simply cannot hear the phone. When such waves of noise exist, you cannot hear the voice of love.
In the performance, the first group symbolized those who manifested the waves of love’s attraction. The second group represented those who, by generating overwhelming noise and chaos, distorted or suffocated the delicate voice of love—so much so that sensation itself became incapable of receiving it. When such turbulence prevails, the ears can no longer capture those waves of love.
The second group created such uproar and dust that they overshadowed the power of attraction and the capacity of sensation. Tell me—when jackals are howling, elephants are trumpeting, vultures are tumbling through the air, and bears are pounding on drums, can you possibly hear the violin of the turtle-doves or the harp of the pigeons? Is it even conceivable? Can you discern the lady-beetle’s flute or the voice of harmonica? Of course not.
He now clarifies the matter: Do the howls of the jackals and the trumpeting of the elephants allow you, through your faculty of sensation, to receive the waves of love’s attraction? In this situation, are you able to hear the voice of the violin played by the turtle-doves or the harp of the pigeons.
The text continues, “Do the armies of ignorance, hatred, resentment, deceit, hostility, arrogance, pride, selfishness, lust for power, greed for wealth, and fear permit the triangle of love to send and receive its message?” Love exists. Attraction exists. But do these forces allow us to hear it?
Do these troops allow love to bring forth its qualities so that its forces like affection, forgiveness, friendship, forbearance, honesty, integrity, self-sacrifice, courage, responsibility, dignity—into the arena of life? As long as those opposing forces dominate, can such virtues truly manifest?
The waves are here around us; sensation is here, attraction is there; everything exists—yet do the negative armies let us perceive them?
Similarly, when a person is under the crushing influence of addiction—alcohol, narcotics, or destructive pills—can they hear the delicate waves of love, or transmit them to others? Is it possible? One who is intoxicated or drug-dependent cannot perceive that delicate voice.
And so, when we reflect honestly, we see that it is we ourselves who have created this condition. Yet instead of recognizing it, we may go to a fortune-teller who claims, “You have been bewitched; someone has cast a spell upon you.” A sister-in-law, a mother-in-law—someone must have written a charm against you! What nonsense.
The reality is this: as long as these inner negative forces persist in you, there will be no peace or tranquility. So long as they remain active, and so long as one does not turn to the straight path, one cannot receive the waves of love.
As I said before, the Straight Path precisely means the commandments of God. It is not merely that you perform your prayers, observe your fasts, host religious gatherings, attend supplications [of different religious ceremonies], go on pilgrimage, and regularly offering food in religious ceremonies—yet still harbor resentment, hatred, greed, and the relentless pursuit of wealth. If those negative traits remain within you, the rituals alone have no transformative effect. Doing religious rituals is just one partial part; however, a truly religious person is one who does all these things.
This does not mean that prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, or supplication are unimportant—on the contrary, they are fundamental pillars of faith. Prayer is essential; fasting is prescribed for our purification; pilgrimage, supplication, food offering are deeply valuable. All of these acts are good—very good. But they must serve the purpose of inner refinement. You pray, fast, and supplicate so that you may become a righteous human being—so that others may be at ease from your hands and your tongue.
Yet some imagine that once they have performed these rituals, they are free to commit injustice or wrongdoing. It does not work that way. There is accountability. The reform must take place within ourselves.
Instead, some seek out charm-writers and fortune-tellers, hoping for an antidote to some imagined spell, so that the magic or the evil charms will be deactivated and we feel good thereafter. Therefore, they go to someone whose very appearance is so disgusting and revolting, either an opium or opium-extract addict or like witches, yet expecting that person to solve their problems with a written charm. If such a person truly possessed healing power, would they not first cure themselves? As the Iranian proverb says, “If you were a physician, you would first treat your own head [from baldness].” If someone claims to be powerful in prayer, let them begin with themselves.
At times students say to me, “Mr. Dezhakam, [please] pray for us.” I reply, “If my prayer were so potent, I would pray for myself. You must set your own affairs in order [follow the Right Path].” Matters are not resolved through prayer alone; they require action. One must enter the stage of practice. Nothing is achieved without effort.
Some even think that if others pray for them, they will succeed, that is why they say “You pray for me, and I will pray for you.” But it does not function as a bargain. Therefore, do not chase after charms and superstitions. Do not blame others—neither this person nor that one.
If you truly wish to hear the voice of love, this is the essential matter. Because it is so important, let it be stated again: do the armies of ignorance, hatred, resentment, falsehood, hostility, arrogance, pride, selfishness, lust for power, greed for wealth, and fear—traits condemned as anti-values or vices in the Holy Quran [as mentioned in this book, “Woe to liars” (Al-Mursalat, verse, 19)] allow the triangle of love to send and receive its message?
Can love bring forth its forces—affection, forgiveness, friendship, forbearance, honesty, integrity, self-sacrifice, courage, responsibility, and dignity—while those destructive qualities dominate within us?
And when a person is under the crushing influence of addiction—alcohol, narcotics, or harmful pills—can they possibly perceive the delicate waves of love, or transmit them to others?
One mistake that most human beings make is this: they underestimate others. Excuse me, but they assume people are fools—that they do not understand, that they lack awareness. This is a grave error. No matter what you do, people understand. If you are dishonest, they will recognize it. It is impossible to conceal it entirely.
If I were to hide a piece of rotten meat in a cupboard beside me, perhaps no one would notice at first. But after a week or two, the meat stench would inevitably spread. You may conceal the meat itself, but you cannot conceal its odor; the smell will reveal its presence. Likewise, if there is decay somewhere—corruption, falsehood, moral rot—you may try to hide it, but its effects will surface. It will make itself known, it is impossible to conceal the truth.
We must reach a level of maturity and wisdom where we understand that such behavior is fundamentally wrong. Do not imagine that people are ignorant or incapable of discernment, that you can simply play a role, deceive them, or manipulate their perceptions indefinitely. That is not possible. Others may remain silent out of dignity or courtesy, but they understand. They see. And once they perceive your dishonesty and misconduct, they behave towards you differently, they speak with you, but not normally. They may still nod, speak politely, and maintain appearances—but inwardly their judgment has been formed about you.
Conversely, when you are sincere, truthful, and compassionate—when you embody honesty, integrity, and kindness—people perceive that as well. They recognize authenticity just as clearly as they detect deceit. And when they do, something changes: people begin to trust you, to value you, even to love you. And in turn, you find yourself loving them.
It has a very simple and easy formula. Yet at times, we stubbornly persist in our own ignorance. We cling to an idea simply because it is ours, insisting that what we say must be right. Others may respond politely, “Yes, you are correct,” but inwardly they know we are mistaken. They recognize that the problem lies within us and now we are required to resolve that problem.
When something goes wrong, there is no stratagem higher than honesty. It is highly fine, if one day one truly grasps this [truth]—that no cleverness surpasses sincerity and honesty. No lie is ever as effective as truth. At times we devise elaborate schemes to fabricate a trick, which needs much complexity. But the greatest trick of all is honesty; however, bear in mind that honesty has its own boundaries and borders.
If you have made a mistake, the highest form of wisdom is simply to say, “I am sorry; I was wrong.” The matter dissolves instantly—like water poured upon fire. The tension subsides. When you plan your affairs, the soundest approach is honesty and sincerity. However, I told you that you must know its measure and degree.
Look at the marketplace. Observe merchants, traders, and successful businesspeople. One individual establishes a company built upon deception and trickery. This person fabricates countless tricks and schemes, works for six months or a year and a half, then collapses—bankrupt, disgraced, or fled with others’ money. Another person begins the same kind of enterprise, but their principal “strategy” is honesty. He deals truthfully with people. Over time, this person’s company grows, their income increases, and trust gathers around them. If such a person says, “I need five million,” people ask, “How much do you need? Come, take it.” Why? Because this person has proven themselves trustworthy.
By contrast, the one who has deceived others—who has lied, schemed, and manipulated—cannot borrow even a trivial sum. No one entrusts him with a single coin. Observe the marketplace carefully: those who conduct their business with integrity rise to stability and respect; those who rely on fraud and deceit ultimately fall. Then you will see that the highest “cunning” is honesty itself. If your actions are based on honesty and authenticity, you will understand this truth.
We sometimes imagine ourselves clever, but in the end [it is proved that] we are not. There was a time in my own life, during my period of addiction, when I had intricacy and relied on manipulation. I would ask my closest relatives and friends to lend me a small amount—fifty thousand tomans—and no one would agree. I had deceived them too many times; and since they had no trust in me, they did not lend me any money.  My colleagues did not lend me money either, because I myself had complexity and intricacy. But now, it does not hold true. Even when I offered a post-dated check, they refused to lend me that amount of money. Why? Because when I wrote a check, I myself knew the check would never clear. I knew I had neither the intention nor the means to repay it. And if I knew it, of course they knew it too. Since I knew I had no money to clear the check, I had to play tricks to get money.
Today, however, the situation is entirely different. If I tell someone, “I need fifty million tomans by tomorrow afternoon,” I am confident that, even if I say I will never return the money, if they have the liquidity, they will provide it—sometimes without even asking what it is for. I am sure if they had enough time and liquidity, they would bring me the money immediately. And if they are given time, even if they have not that much money, they would sell their house, car, land, or precious properties to provide me the money.  Even those who cannot provide money immediately, do not ask about my intention or what I want the money for. This is the point: the greatest strategy is honesty. It is sincerity which works effectively.
The Residents [of the Heavens] then ask: “So how can we block these destructive waves so that the voice of love can be heard? How can we prevent these negative waves from drowning out love?”
I just mentioned that reaching a state of well-being, peace, or even a higher spiritual state is like being in paradise, and this requires that these disruptive forces be managed.
The Successor responds: “If I were to give a short answer on how to prevent the destructive waves, it would be through insight, awareness, and knowledge. Knowledge and consciousness are the key to shielding ourselves from these harmful waves.”
To explain further, just imagine you fall deeply in love with someone. Later, you discover that all of what they said was false or alternatively, you may be in love with a virtuous, faithful person, but malicious individuals gradually cloud your mind. They whisper lies and rumors, subtly making you doubt your beloved. You begin to think that your partner is deceitful and unfaithful, even though they are not.
Mr. Dezhakam mentions a poem by Rumi, “Oh Brother, you are completely contemplation, the rest is some bone and flesh”. That is why I emphasized the role of wisdom, knowledge and awareness in love. Then, the author exemplifies this matter and provides two examples, first, you fall in love with someone and you love that person very much, after a while, you realize that  this beloved has betrayed you and whatever they said has been lies; however, you have fallen in love based on the beloved’s lies.
The other story is that you love a person very much. A spiteful person comes to you and gradually clouds your mind about your beloved and whispers in your ears against the beloved, which resembles the classic story of Othello and Desdemona: Othello loved Desdemona, but a snitch called Iago and other manipulators planted seeds of doubt, claiming she was unfaithful. Othello, deceived by these whispers, tragically kills her—only later realizing it was all a scheme. Shakespeare’s works contain many similar [moral] tales, but undermined by malicious interference of a snitch, you think your beloved has betrayed, though the beloved is a virtuous, faithful and decent person.
The Successor then asks: what do you think happens in such a situation, and what plays the key role?
The residents respond: “Clearly, if love turns into hatred, it will fade away. The crucial factor here is the information and awareness involved.”
He continues: “In the matter of love, the most critical element is knowledge, understanding, and awareness. Then, when the destructive forces interfere, even if love does not change into hatred, it ebbs. The important matter in love is knowledge and awareness. False or misleading information can transform love into enmity. The same is true for friendship. For example, you may deeply respect or care for someone, but malicious individuals begin whispering in your ears: ‘This one is bad, this is like that, …’ They feed you false or distorted information. Gradually, you start seeing the person differently. And with a snitch whispering, once-close friendship can deteriorate into enmity, all due to flawed knowledge and misinformed awareness.
He emphasizes: whenever a snitch comes to you to gossip or backbite, this awareness, knowledge and discernment are essential. This is the first step of knowing that this person is a trouble man. According to the laws and principles of Congress 60, no one should speak ill of another behind their back. The first step is that a rule of Congress 60 has been violated, and this person does not believe in Congress 60. Because if someone has accepted and believed in Congress 60, they would respect all the laws and principles.
The second problem lies with the listener—you, because as the proverb asserts, the listener makes the speaker enthusiastically speak. Because when a gossiper backbites another person and the listener listens carefully and asks what happened next, then you yourself start backbiting; it means you are a troublesome person.
If someone comes to you and asks you to keep stolen property, and you agree to hold it, then you become complicit in the crime. You must not keep stolen property. Therefore, when someone comes to blame or criticize another person, you should respond by saying, “Please, if you want to say something about so-and-so, or about anyone, say it to their face. Why don’t you go directly to that person and speak?” Why not confront the person directly? Go face-to-face and say what you need to say. If you have courage and strength, go to them and instead of talking behind their back, speak to them face-to-face.
Here lies the point: knowledge, awareness, and discernment can play an extremely crucial role. The next point is that, every harm you do comes back to yourself. There’s even a Persian proverb: “Whoever brings the faults of others to you, be certain that they will also bring your faults to others.” If someone comes to you speaking ill of another, rest assured that tomorrow, when even the smallest interest or advantage arises, they will betray you too, because they will pass your faults on to someone else. This is why knowledge, awareness, and discernment are so important.
This knowledge and awareness can turn love into hatred, resentment, and enmity. If this knowledge or awareness is flawed, it can transform kinship, relations and friendships into hostility. It can turn family bonds into alienation. In short, not only can lack of knowledge turn love into resentment and hatred, but it can also affect all relationships. You must understand this: it is like a microbe, like a virus. Someone who constantly criticizes or gossips about others is like a virus. You must either keep this “virus” away from yourself or train them not to act in such ways.
The same principle applies to love. So the question raised by the Residents: how can we hear the voice and sense the waves of love? The answer, given by the Successor, is: through knowledge and awareness. This truth plays a key role at all levels of life: in love, in marriage, in family, in friendship, in companionship, in society, and even in politics. Knowledge and awareness can influence every sphere of life.
So, we must be very careful about whatever happens around us and consider the consequences and benefits. Secondly, we have to beware of the role people play. Just think for a moment: why this person comes to me, speaks about someone else, criticizes them, and then starts attaching labels, quickly marking them in various ways. Pause for a minute and reflect: What does this mean? What has happened? What is intended to happen? What reactions have occurred, and which have not? What is going on here? What interests are at play? This is an issue that you must be very careful about at all levels of your life.
In the past, I have experienced these situations myself. Even though I was a drug-abuser, I was mindful. Whenever someone criticized another behind their back, I would ask: “Why don’t you say it to their face? What do you mean by this?” I would even confront them directly asking “Why are you saying this? What is your intention? If there is a problem, why didn’t you address it directly? Why didn’t you find a solution to the problem?”  If someone insults me, why don’t you stand up in front of them? Why did you accept it? If someone curses me, why don’t you respond? If someone says something wrong against me, why don’t you react to it and then why are you are retelling it to me? If you are my friend, why are you coming to tell me about it—what is the point of reporting it after the fact? If someone insulted me or did something wrong, you should confront them directly: “What is the story here? What is happening? Why are you doing this? What is your intention? Are you trying to ruin my friendship and that person? Why are you trying to ruin family bond? Our life together? What is the purpose of this gossip, of spreading words?” Thus, this awareness and understanding play an extremely crucial role at all levels of your life and in your family life. Pay close attention to this.
Moreover, if love does not turn into hatred, it will inevitably subside over time. The key factor here, again, is information and awareness.
The Successor: Yes, you are right. Therefore, we can conclude that discernment, knowledge, and awareness play a vital role in love. It can be said that they are among the foundational pillars of love. Of course, the function of the “X System” also always has its place, the X System’s role is like good coal [for consuming opium], it is effective [the “X System” is the internal system of human body producing opioid-like substances]. Thank you very much.

Translated by Elahe

Part 11

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of God, we begin this session.
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the session guardian.
(Audience responds: Hello, Hossein!)
I kindly ask everyone to observe fourteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty and free ourselves from our greatest enemy, our own ignorance and unawareness.
(Fourteen seconds of silence observed)
Thank you, friends. I now request our esteemed secretary to provide a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.

Hello, friends. My name is Zahra, and I am a traveler.
(Audience responds: Hello, Neda!)
In the name of the Absolute Power of God, today the 20th session of the 14th round of Congress 60 workshops, is held with the agenda “The 11th part of the 14th Valley” from the book “14 valleys for Recovery” written in 2012. The session started under the guidance and supervision of Mr. Dezhakam and me Zahra as the secretary at 9:00 a.m.
(Audience applauds)

Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler.
We are on page forty-six of The Valley of Love. In this section, we arrive at a point where the successor says: if I were to give a short answer, because the question is asked of the successor, how can we prevent destructive waves so that the voice of love can be heard?, remember that story we told, the story of the forest, where there are so many different interferences in our lives that we are no longer able to recognize the voice of love and affection at all.
He says: if I want to give a short answer, it is through insight, understanding, and awareness. Truly, insight, understanding, and awareness are the foundation and the root of everything. The root of everything is awareness, it is understanding, it is insight. If these are not in place, life becomes filled with many problems and damages.
Then he explains how this happens: how is it that two people who love each other, through a single piece of gossip or a misunderstanding, that love fades away or even turns into hatred?
To explain further, he says: imagine you are in love with someone, but after some time, you realize that everything they said was a lie. Or imagine that the one you love is actually a decent and sincere person, and you yourself are loyal.
Again, imagine you are in love with someone, but after some time, you come to believe that everything they said was a lie. Or that your beloved is a good and faithful person, but a number of malicious individuals, through deception and lies, cloud your mind about them, so that you begin to think your beloved is dishonest, unworthy, and even unfaithful to you.
Now, what do you think happens in such a situation? And what do you think plays the key and decisive role in this matter?
Here again, we arrive at that same essential point: the key role of understanding, information, and awareness.

A person who is aware, who has understanding, who, in other words, possesses insight, does not engage in gossip or tale-bearing. This matter has been strongly condemned, and in most cultures, it is not considered acceptable at all. Because it carries a great deal of corruption within it; it clouds people’s minds toward one another.
In fact, this issue is considered so vile that it is said: if you backbite or speak ill of someone behind their back, it is as if you are eating the flesh of a dead body. That is how strongly this act has been condemned, how ugly and repulsive it is.
One could even say that the foundation of many conflicts lies with these gossipers and tale-bearers, who, through their words, create disturbed and chaotic environments. Often, they do this to justify their own wrong actions, or to give an outlet to their hatred, resentment, jealousy, failures, and frustrations.
We see this clearly in the story of Othello in the play by William Shakespeare, and in many, many other places as well. Even in the story of Siyavash and Sudabeh, we can observe this theme. And in countless other stories, myths, and narratives, this issue appears again and again. Not only in stories, but also in real life, among people, friends, companions, and even within families, this happens very often.
The residents say: it is certain that even if love does not turn into hatred, it will definitely fade away, this kind of gossip can cause it to diminish. And the key point here is information and awareness.
Even in our own journey of treatment, if we have reached a result, it has been based on that very same foundation: the information, the understanding, the awareness, the knowledge, and the insight that we have gained.

If we had not gained that information, we would never have reached where we are.
Don’t think that we are only tapering substances, tapering is just one part of the process. If tapering is done, but awareness, understanding, and knowledge do not increase, we will face failure.
As the guys say, when the substance is reduced by one-fifth, awareness and wisdom must also increase by one-fifth. If it doesn’t, we will run into problems.
The successor says: yes, that’s correct. So, we come to this conclusion, that insight, understanding, and awareness play a vital role in love, and we can say they are among the main and fundamental pillars of love.
Of course, the function of the X system also always has its own place. This role of the X system is emphasized everywhere, it is essential. If someone loves anything or anyone, but their X system is not in balance, they will not reach a proper result, and it will lead to conflict.
Now the residents ask: how do two people of the opposite sex, male and female, fall in love with each other? What is the mechanism behind it?
Then the discussion moves into specific love. It asks: what actually happens that causes a man and a woman to fall in love with each other, or to become interested in one another?
The successor replies: as it was said, in existence and even in non-existence, all “shadows” are constantly sending out their own waves of attraction. Everything that exists as a “shadow” in nature, in existence, is continuously emitting a series of attractive waves.
Whatever exists, whether this process is happening consciously or unconsciously, this principle holds true in both cases.
Therefore, every human being, pay close attention to this, because all “shadows” are constantly sending, so when we apply this to human beings, each person, based on their physical structure (that is, their form, appearance, body, and so on), each person, based on the physical structure of their shadows, their outward appearance, and also the information, characteristics, intellect, faith, and desires they carry, is continuously sending and receiving waves of attraction, whether consciously or unconsciously.
So, the sending of these waves of attraction is not limited only to physical structure. It is also based on awareness, on knowledge, on the information one possesses, these too all play a role in this process.
It should be noted that usually, at the beginning, and before the lover and the beloved are determined and chosen (before the lover and the beloved are determined and selected), these waves act like the rays of a lamp, spreading throughout the surrounding space. Then, as love progresses, they become focused and purposeful, like a laser beam that targets only a specific point.
In other words, at first, before the lover and the beloved are determined, these waves are like the light of a lamp, radiating and spreading everywhere. Because no target has yet been determined, they are not yet focused. But once they become targeted, as will be explained, they turn into something like a laser beam: the lover sends, the beloved receives, or the beloved sends, and the lover receives. At that point, it becomes something specific and directed.
Others may no longer receive these waves, as will be explained later. Because at first, everyone is sending out their waves, and like a lamp, the light spreads everywhere, but later, it becomes focused and specific.
Now, let us assume that person A is sending out their waves of attraction, consciously or unconsciously, like a lamp. Of course, the lamp is only an example. The light of a lamp is visible to everyone, but these waves of love are not visible to the physical eye.
In other words, we said these are like the waves of a lamp, but while the light of a lamp is visible everywhere, these waves are not visible. These initial waves of attraction, whether conscious or unconscious, are being emitted continuously. In fact, the person themselves may not even realize that they are sending out these waves, yet the process is still taking place.
If, one day, a special measuring device were to be invented, these waves could be detected.
So, what is happening? What is the person doing with these waves? The person, let’s call them person A, is emitting them.
Now, if this person is in an environment where other people are present, it is possible that no one receives these waves. It may be that these waves are being sent out, and there are many people in that environment, yet no one receives them.
Or in another setting, it is possible that some individuals receive these waves, but they do not send any response back.
Again, it may happen that in one environment, the waves are being sent, but no one at all receives them. In another environment, the waves, whether sent consciously or unconsciously, are received by some people, yet they still do not respond or give any answer.
And again, it is possible that on another day, in another place, some individuals receive these waves and send a response, and person A receives that response, but it is not pleasant or agreeable to them.
So, what do we have here?
Yes, there is someone who is sending out waves automatically, unconsciously, and no one even notices. That is one stage.
In another stage, somewhere else, the waves are being sent, some people receive them, but they do not respond.
In yet another situation, in a different place, the waves are sent unconsciously; some people receive them, and some respond. They send back a response, and person A receives those waves, but they are not pleasing to them. It is not what they wanted, so they show no reaction.
So how many states do we have? Three states.
Up to this point, in all three situations, no two-way bond of love is formed. No mutual connection or relationship comes into existence. In all three cases, there is no real link, no connection established between the two sides.

Until one day, in another place, person B receives the waves of attraction from person A. And because these waves feel pleasant and agreeable to them, they immediately send a response back toward person A.
In this situation, person A once again receives that response through their feeling. If it is acceptable to them, they experience a pleasant inner vibration, like their heart suddenly dropping or opening, and immediately send a positive response back to person B.
Yes, this is another state that can occur, at another time, in another place, under certain conditions. These things do not happen often; I am not saying they happen every day. What we are describing here is an ideal situation, a perfect and complete form of it.
Again, in another space, whether consciously or unconsciously, these waves are received. We say person A and person B, but these are just names. Person A can be a woman or a man, and person B can also be a woman or a man, female or male.
Person A sends out the waves, and person B receives them. Once B receives them, they must feel pleasant or agreeable. If it feels pleasant, they respond.
Now, how is that response given? All of these exchanges happen through feeling. Person A sends, and person B, or any other human being, must receive through their own sense, through feeling.
When person B receives the waves and finds them pleasant, they send a response back to person A. Then A receives that response, and if it is also pleasant for A, what happens?
A sudden inner vibration arises, like a soft collapse or falling within the heart. In that moment, a special feeling appears within them, and immediately, they send a positive response back to person B.

Now it says: through the back-and-forth exchange of these waves of attraction, and their reception through feeling, the feeling of both sides, the very first spark of love is ignited between them.
When this movement happens, this is only the moment when the spark of love is first lit, and then they enter another stage. Yes, they enter a new stage.
Through seeing each other and speaking with one another, a connection gradually begins to form between them. And if the exchange of these waves continues in harmony, little by little, affection starts to appear between them. This affection, over time, reaches a point where it gains strength and rises to its peak, so much so that the two individuals, based on understanding and trust, no longer hide anything from one another.
In such a state, love in its true meaning comes into being, this is what is called the love of creature for creature.
So, the waves were sent, received, a response was given, and that inner vibration was felt, this is where the first spark is ignited. But this is not the end; it is only a spark, just the beginning. What follows comes later: through connection, through conversation, through affection, and most importantly, through understanding and awareness.
This point, understanding and awareness, is very important. Through understanding and awareness, little by little, affection begins to grow between them. And if this gradual process continues, they eventually reach a stage where they no longer hide anything from each other.
If they reach that point, where nothing is hidden, where no secrets remain between them, then they enter the stage of love.
Let me read the paragraph again:
Through the exchange of waves of attraction and their reception through the feeling of both sides, the first spark of love is ignited between them. Then they enter another stage, and through seeing and speaking with one another, a connection gradually forms between them. If this exchange of waves continues in harmony, little by little, affection appears between them. Over time, this affection reaches its peak and gains enough strength that the two individuals, based on understanding and belief, hide no secrets from each other. In this state, love in its true sense comes into being, this is called the love of creature for creature.
Here, it specifically refers to the love of creature for creature.

The residents say: Is there really any other kind of love besides the love of creature for creature, or human for human?
It is said again: After all, is there any love other than the love of creature for creature?
The successor replies: A great man used to say, and this is from Eyn al-Quzat Hamadani, that if you do not yet have the love of the Creator, then prepare the love of the creature so that the meaning of these words may become clear to you.
Another great figure says: If you do not have the love of the Creator, then cultivate the love of the creature; find it, create it, bring it into being. It is not an easy task; it is extremely difficult. Go and find it, so that later you may understand the meaning of the words I am speaking about God, and grasp their true value.
And he would also say: “The lover has only the account of love; what business does he have with the beloved?”, a sentence that is always repeated in discussions of love.
Yes, there is another stage of love: the love of the creature for the Absolute Power.
In other words, there is another kind of love, and that is the love of the creature for God or the Absolute Power. And since the Absolute Power is manifested throughout all existence and within all beings, the lover begins to see all the “shadows” in existence as signs of that Absolute Power, and therefore loves them and feels affection toward them.
Look, when we come to this discussion, especially in this Fourteenth Valley, it speaks about love toward God. Later it explains it more deeply.
What is God? God exists in our minds, in our thoughts. When you stand in prayer and speak to God, what do you imagine in your mind? What form do you picture? What shape does it have? What size? Is it light, what kind of light? Is it sound, what kind of sound? Is it power, what kind of power? Is it male or female, how is it imagined?
When you want to love the Absolute Power, what exactly are you loving? There must be a “shadow” for you to love; otherwise, love cannot take form.
Here it is saying: when you want to love the Absolute Power, to love God, then all created beings, whether mineral, plant, or animal, are all shadows of God. This is what it is expressing.

Yes, there is another stage in love, and that is the love of the creature for the Absolute Power. And since the Absolute Power is manifested throughout all existence and within all beings, the lover begins to see all the “shadows” in existence as signs of that Absolute Power, and therefore comes to love them and feel affection toward them.
In other words, whatever “shadow” exists in being, the person loves all of them and feels love toward all of creation. This happens when a human being has reached a relatively good level in the stages of intellect, faith, love, and khamr, and has either passed the stage of love of creature for creature in a specific sense, or holds it within themselves.
So, it is believed in the Fourteenth Valley that when you want to love God, HE is manifested in all creatures.
Therefore, everything you see in existence is a sign of the Absolute Power, whether it is a plant, a mineral, an animal, or a human being.
To reach this stage, to step into it, a person must have reached a relatively good level of intellect, good love, good faith, and good khamr. And then they must either have passed the stage of love of creature for creature, or still carry it within themselves. In other words, this is step by step.
My own understanding is that no one can truly love God unless they have experienced the love of a human being first. One must pass through that stage in order to reach this one.
So, this paragraph means that the person must either have gone beyond the love of creature for creature, or still hold it within themselves. And when it is said “gone beyond,” it refers to the realm of Alast.
Now, their love, whether it is in the apparent form of existence or in the hidden form of existence, does not matter. It says here that it makes no difference whether love is in the manifest world or the hidden world. Whether love exists or seems “dead,” none of those matters.
Because shadows exist both in the hidden and the manifest forms of existence.
At this stage, the human being reaches a level of understanding and awareness where they perceive existence differently. When they want to love God or love existence, they must reach a point where they have a different perception and understanding, and they recognize the underlying pillars that form it.
Then they go beyond the stage of personal love and reach the level of love between the creature and the Creator.

This is where we say: “The lover has only the account of love; what business does he have with the beloved?”
Therefore, when a person wants to reach this stage, it is not something you can simply decide from tomorrow and say, “I will try to love existence,” or “I will try to love human beings.” It does not work like that at all.
There must be understanding and awareness. One must have, at least to some extent, grasped the pillars that constitute existence. A person must have some perception of existence, some interpretation of it, some real understanding and knowledge of it.
They must understand why they should love, or why they do love. It is not a matter of forcing love; rather, love becomes something that naturally arises within them.
At this point, existence itself is perceived in a different way, and the person comes to recognize the foundational pillars that shape it.
Only then does one move beyond the stage of private, individual love and reach the station of the love between creature and Creator.
This is where we say again: the lover has only the account of love; what business does he have with the beloved?
This is where we say: the lover becomes the lover of all existence. He no longer deals with individuals as separate concerns. If he serves human beings or does something for them, it is not out of expectation. He has no dealings of personal gain with them, and he does not seek anything from them. His work is not with them, it is with love itself.

Because at this stage, the lover is like the sun, casting its light freely upon existence without any expectation. In this state, the lover serves all of existence, all beings, and all human beings as much as possible, whenever there is opportunity. They love them, care for them, and expect nothing in return.
Their account is with love itself, not with beings. In fact, the more they love and serve, the more they receive in return. They remain fresh, active, and full of energy. Whatever they look at, they see it as a part of the Absolute Power.
They simply do what they do. Once a lover reaches this level, they act naturally, without expectation. Because the more they serve, the more energetic, lively, and vibrant they become. And they believe that everything they see is from the pure essence of the Almighty.
The residents ask: So, this part is also clear. Does this mean that if we say we love God but do not serve human beings, then that is not correct at all?
In this stage, can a person love both the Absolute Power and another human being at the same time? Is it possible to love God and also love a specific person?
The successor replies: There is absolutely no contradiction in this. There is no problem in this matter at all. Because the lover also sees earthly love as a manifestation of divine love. Moreover, as was said, they love all beings, so even if you mean a specific earthly love, there is still no contradiction.
It is said: since they love everything, there is no contradiction in it. It is not necessary that if you love God, you should not love God’s servants. This is like certain groups, for example some sects of priests like the Catholics, who say: “We want to serve Jesus Christ and serve God,” and therefore they do not marry.
At times, however, reports emerge of severe misconduct and even abuse cases. This is where deviation appears, when such distortions occur under the name of spirituality. But in essence, it is said that there is no contradiction in this matter, and no problem within it.

The residents say: Is it possible for a person to love the Absolute Power, but not love its creatures, or even remain indifferent toward them? Is it really possible to find someone who loves God, loves the Absolute Power, but does not love human beings?
The successor replies: It was already said there that “shadows” exist, yet they are asking this question again.
The successor says: If someone claims, “I love the Absolute Power, but I do not love its creatures or human beings,” then in my view this statement is false and exaggerated. If someone says, “I love God, but I do not love human beings, beings, or existence itself,” then the successor says: in my opinion, such a person is either lying or speaking nonsense, this is falsehood, exaggeration, and empty talk.
Such a statement, in my view, is false and exaggerated. It was said that in order for love to be expressed, there must be “shadows” so that love can manifest within them. Without shadows, no love can come into existence at all, it has no external reality.
So where are the shadows of the Absolute Power? Where are they? How is it that we have fallen in love with the Absolute Power? It has been proven that without shadows, love cannot exist at all; it has no real existence.
So tell us: where are the shadows of the Absolute Power? What form do they take? How do they exist?
It was said that for love to be expressed, there must be shadows in which it becomes manifest, so that love can have attraction, feeling, reception, and exchange. Without shadows, no love can come into being.
So what are the shadows of the Absolute Power? Where are they? How are they, that we have fallen in love with the Absolute Power? What is it? Where is it?
When we say we love God, where is God really? What is it? Where is its “shadow”?
There must be a shadow, a point of attraction, a feeling that is received, so that we can say we love God. Otherwise, simply saying “I love God” becomes illusion.
Is it not true that the shadows of the Absolute Power are all created beings? Are not all creatures the shadows of God?
Therefore, the gateway to the heart of God is the heart of human beings and all beings in existence.
If you want to enter the gate of God’s heart, you need a door, and where is that door? That door is the heart of human beings.
As Shah Nematollah Vali said, and I have repeated this many times: If you do not perceive creation within Truth (God), and Truth within creation, you may find the house, but you will not find the door.
So, the gateway to the heart of the Absolute Power is the heart of human beings and all beings in existence.
Can you, in order to please the Absolute Power, cook ten thousand portions of the best food and then pour them into a well?
It is said: can you, to gain the pleasure of God, order or prepare ten thousand of the finest meals and then dump them into a well, so that God becomes pleased with you? Can you really do such a thing for the Absolute Power (God)?
Surely you would say: this is madness. Those meals should be distributed among people in need.
So how can you claim to love God, while that love brings no benefit to existence as a whole, no benefit to anyone, to any living being at all?
You see, if we told you to do such a thing for God, it would clearly be absurd. No one would accept it. So how is it possible that you love God, but your love for God brings no benefit to any creature, to no one, to nothing living?
For example, someone goes into a mountain, into a cave, and stays there forever, only praying, reciting, performing rituals from morning to night…
In some traditions, even within our own school or religion, there are people who go into seclusion for forty days, or five days, or thirty days, or three days, or a week. These are all short-term practices.
Even in self-purification, or during the month of Ramadan, we are told not to eat from morning to evening. They do not say to stop eating for the entire year. They do not say that out of twelve months, eleven months should be Ramadan. No, they say one month, and even then, only from morning until evening.
They do not say to stop eating for three days completely. Everything is based on balance and measure.
So, if someone goes and sits in a mountain or a cave, like in some traditions in India, for example, sitting under a tree for forty years and doing such things, what is the point of it?
“I am worshipping God.” But does God have any need for your worship? Does God have any lack that your worship fills? Go and live your life, man.

There is a story about Imam Ali (peace be upon him). It is said that one of his companions was looking for him and asked: “It has been a while since I have seen so-and-so in the mosque. Where has he gone? I haven’t seen him for some time.”
They told him: he has gone into seclusion. He is now wearing rough woolen clothing, and for about a month he has been engaged only in worship, praying and remembering God continuously.
The companion said: “Let us go and visit him.”
So, they went to see him. When they arrived, he was told: “Are you not ashamed of yourself? Your wife and children need food; they need to live. To whom have you abandoned their responsibility? Who is supposed to provide for their livelihood and expenses? You are sitting here idle from morning to night. Get up, get up, get up, and go take care of your work.”
Sometimes, such behavior can even lead to deviation. If someone were to spend their entire life like this, two years, three years, five years, ten years, only engaged in this kind of worship, then who will answer for their children? Who will take care of their responsibilities?

So, it is said here that the love you have for God must produce some form of result. How can you claim to love God, while that love brings no benefit to existence, to anyone, or to anything at all?
Therefore, sound reason dictates that love for God must be distributed among creation, without expectation of return. If there is love for God, it must manifest itself among human beings and all creatures, freely and without condition.
In some texts, we read expressions such as God saying: “Lend to Me,” or “Give Me a good loan.” It is also said that when you give zakat, God records it as a reward and writes it as merit for you.
Of course, God does not literally take zakat, rather, it is given to the poor and those in need. Yet it is expressed in this way: when you give to people, it is as if you have given to God; when you help God’s servants, it is as if you have helped God.
This is exactly the point being made: if you truly have love for God, then that love must be manifested in human beings.
Take the example of Ashura: there are people who love Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). They prepare food and distribute it among the people. They do not bring ten pots of food for Imam Hossein himself; they give it to the people. So, if we truly have love for God, it must be reflected in service to humanity.
A great man once said: “Hands that help are more sacred than lips that pray.” Those who serve people are far more sacred than those lips that are constantly engaged in prayer.
Therefore, if someone says: “I only love the Absolute Power and have nothing to do with His creatures, even if I can harm them, I still remain in worship,” then in my opinion, such a person is in complete deviation.
And if someone says: “I love God, but I do not love human beings,” and even if they are capable of harming others, the successor says: in my view, this is complete deviation.
Worship is nothing other than service to creation,
not merely beads, prayer mats, and ritual garments.

The residents ask: Is there another stage, a higher level of love beyond this?
They say: Is there really another stage beyond this stage of love?
The successor replies: Yes, there is.
That love is the love in which the Absolute Power becomes the lover of His own creation. There is no love higher than this, the love of human for human, the love of human for God, and the love of God for human beings. Yes, that is the love in which the Absolute Power becomes the lover of His own creation.
To reach this stage, one must already possess the first stage of love, creature for creature, and the second stage of love must also be held within one’s grasp.
At this level, a person reaches a point where even if they had a hundred lives, they would offer them all to the Beloved or to the Absolute Power. There is a stage where the lover, if they had a hundred lives, would offer all of them to the Beloved, and even for the hundred and first time, they would still stand ready, heart in hand, to pay the price of this love.
Again and again, even for the hundred and first time, they are ready to sacrifice their life to pay the cost of this love.
In the most difficult conditions, they will pass through the hardest passages, or they will be made to pass through them. At this stage, they move through the most difficult paths on their own, but if they cannot, they are helped, God helps them to pass through.
Then they preserve truth and righteousness, without any deliberate effort to preserve them. When a person reaches this stage, they become someone who upholds truth and reality naturally, without trying, without forcing themselves to do so.
This is a very important and fundamental point. The Congress 60 seeks this. It also seeks this in the treatment of addiction. From the very beginning, my effort has been to help people reach this point and this level.

Other individuals and other groups dealing with addiction suffer a great deal. Because the moment they wake up in the morning, as soon as they open their eyes, they say: “Only for today, what should I do so that I don’t use drugs today?” Now, according to their own words, four years of sobriety may have passed, but every morning they wake up and the very first thought that comes to their mind is: “What should I do today so that I don’t use drugs?” For three years, five years, ten years, six months, they have maintained it in this way, day by day through continuous effort, struggle, and pressure.
But this is not what the Congress 60 method wants. It says that a person reaches a point where even you, right now, are in that state: when you wake up in the morning, you are not struggling to avoid drugs anymore. The issue is no longer an “issue.” It has been resolved and set aside; you have reached that level. In this matter, it is understanding and awareness that matter, you reach a stage where this becomes internalized.
So you can feel this concept better: you do not try not to use drugs anymore, you do not struggle, you simply do not use them. It has no presence in your mind anymore; you do not even think about it. This is what is desired.
At that point, truth and righteousness are preserved without any effort to preserve them. There was a time when a person would try and struggle to tell the truth, would make an effort, would force themselves, but now they act without even trying to “act correctly.” They love all existence without trying to love it. They are in peace without trying to be in peace. It is automatic.
They love all human beings without any effort to love them. They help all people as much as they can without struggling or forcing themselves to help. Just like the sun, which spreads its light over the entire earth without making any daily effort or struggle to shine.
Like the sun, the sun shines without effort; it simply shines. And for the sun, it makes no difference whether it shines on a flower or on a thorn; there is no distinction for it.

At this stage, the lover and the beloved merge into one. You, who until now were only the lover, now become both the lover and the beloved. You reach a point where the lover and the beloved are no longer separate, they are fused together. It is no longer clear who is the lover and who is the beloved. In one sense it is love, in another sense it is beloved; in one moment it is the lover, in another it is the beloved. This constantly shifts between them.
It is no longer known who is the prey and who is the hunter. In fact, both are prey and both are hunter; even the hunter becomes the prey, and this is how it comes into being.
Because at this stage, the Absolute Power is your lover, and He loves you. It is said that in this stage, God becomes the lover of the human being and loves you. Again, in this stage, the love of the Absolute Power manifests through creation, and all beings love you. That is, when you become the beloved, the love of God is still manifested through creation, meaning that when it is said God loves you, it is expressed through His creatures. They love you on His behalf.
Thus, the human being becomes both beloved and lover at the same time. You who were previously only the lover are now both lover and beloved, because in this stage the Absolute Power becomes your lover and loves you.
Again, in this stage, the Absolute Power is manifested within creation, and all beings love you; they are in love with you. Because in this state, you see yourself in other human beings, and you want to give everything you have to them, helping them pass through difficult passages so that they may reach peace, tranquility, or their original state.
It says that in this condition, you see yourself within others. This is a stage in which you perceive yourself in human beings, because you want to give everything you possess to them. You want to help them rise from their position. Whatever knowledge you have, you give it to them according to their capacity; you offer awareness and love according to their capacity.
In every possible way, by any means, you help them and support them. Because you see yourself in them, you want them to become like you.
For example, those who were communists in the past wanted everyone to become communist. Or those who followed a particular religion wanted everyone to adopt their faith. Or dervishes wanted everyone to become dervishes. Everyone tends to make others like themselves.
It is the same here: because a person has passed through a path, they look at others through that same experience and want them to become like themselves so that they too may pass through the same path.

So I read this again: at this stage, the lover and the beloved merge into one. You, who until now were only the lover, now become both lover and beloved, because in this stage the Absolute Power becomes your lover and loves you.
Again, in this stage, the love of the Absolute Power is manifested within creation, and all beings love you and are in love with you. Because in this state, you see yourself within human beings, and you want to give everything you have to them and help them pass through difficult passages so that they may reach peace, tranquility, or their original state.
Here, when it is said that you love human beings and see yourself within them, it does not mean that a person is seeking personal benefit. No,it means that the knowledge, awareness, understanding, and insights they have are being transferred to people, to human beings, so that they may ascend to their true and original position.
The last paragraph says this: they must pass through in order to reach peace and tranquility or their original state. It is not that you want to make everyone your servant or your slave. No, it is not like that. These actions are done so that they can reach their true position,for themselves, not so that they bring any benefit to you.
Thank you for listening to my words. I am grateful to all of you.

Translated by: Companion Marjan
4/23/2026

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Part 12

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.  Drawing strength from the Absolute Power, Allah, we begin this session.  Hello friends, my name is Hossein, a traveler and the guardian of this meeting.

Participants: Hello Hossein.
Please, for our own liberation from our most powerful enemy—our ignorance and lack of awareness—let us observe fourteen seconds of silence and seek refuge in Almighty God.  Thank you, friends.  I would now like to invite our esteemed secretary, Ms. Maryam, to present a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.
Hello friends, I am Maryam, a traveler. Participants: Hello Maryam.  Today marks the first session of the fifteenth term, chaired by Mr. Dezhakam, with myself, Maryam, serving as secretary. The topic of today’s meeting is the Fourteenth Valley, Part Twelve. The session began at 9:00 a.m. (Applause)
Mr. Dezhakam: Thank you.  Hello friends, I am Hossein, a traveler.
The audience: Hello Hossein. 
Mr. Dezhakam: Before beginning, I would like to thank Ms. Zahra for conducting and managing several recent sessions. (Ms. Zahra: You’re welcome.) I would also like to warmly welcome Ms. Maryam. God willing, she too will help efficiently. 
We have now reached the section where we discussed the love of one human being [a creature] for another, and we examined the mechanism through which love operates—under what process it functions and how this connection or bond is formed.  From there, we moved to a higher stage: the love of a human being for the Creator, the love of a human being for the entirety of Existence. Then we arrived at the third stage where the Creator loves a human being; the Creator loves that creature.  That is where we concluded our discussion. I truly believe—indeed, I firmly believe in practice—that the foundation of all these teachings is knowledge and awareness.  If human beings attain that level of understanding and awareness, it is impossible for them to deviate from the straight path. Whenever someone strays from the straight path—the proper way and method of living—you can be certain that they have not yet reached that stage of understanding and awareness.  When a person has not attained knowledge and awareness, they end up harming themselves through their own ignorance. You may find it hard to believe, but it is through their own ignorance and lack of understanding that they take action against themselves. The very first action they take, the very first blow they strike, is a blow to their own being. With their own resources, they destroy themselves. They ruin themselves at their own expense.  This may be a military term. A grenade, a cannon shell, or a bullet has what is called a “charge.” That charge is the amount of gunpowder inside it. Imagine a grenade: it contains an explosive charge within its core. When it detonates, the first thing it does is shatter its own casing—splitting it apart, breaking it into fragments. It destroys itself first. Then its fragments scatter outward and strike whoever happens to be nearby. Until it demolishes itself, until it harms and tears itself apart, it cannot harm anyone else.
  If someone were to ask me, “Mr. Dezhakam, what in this world upsets you the most? What truly troubles you?” there is really only one thing that deeply disturbs me. Perhaps if a person kills another, I might not be as affected; I might say they had a conflict, perhaps they argued and it escalated. But what truly, profoundly upsets me is speaking ill of others behind their backs—criticizing them, gossiping, whispering, or prying into matters that do not concern us.
A judge passes judgment as part of their profession; they are paid for it—it is a judge’s job to pass judgement. But judging others is not our job. It is not our responsibility. When we pry into other people’s affairs, gossip behind their backs, or constantly criticize and challenge them, we are in fact destroying ourselves. We are engaging in self-harm. One day humanity must come to understand this. One day people must realize: whatever you do, you do to yourself [it is a Persian proverb]. Every action, whether good or bad, you take ultimately returns to you.
When a person is on the Straight Path, they distance themselves from anti-values and gradually attain understanding and awareness. With every step [on the right path] they take, they strengthen their own foundation. They become stronger for themselves, for their family, for society, for those around them, and for their friends.  It was not without reason that I told you in the previous session that the greatest trick is honesty. Even if you are extremely cunning, one day you will realize that honesty surpasses every form of trickery and is more useful. Truthfulness and integrity stand above any lie you can imagine.  You may gain temporary satisfaction from a dishonest act for a short while, but it will not last. It is not sustainable. In the end, you will only end up harming yourself.  Love is the same. When, in love, you reach understanding and awareness, you gradually and naturally distance yourself from these negative behaviors—little by little, almost automatically.
That is why in the previous session I said [when you reach true love], you will love everyone without even trying to love them. When you truly love everyone, you do not wish harm upon them. You do not hold grudges. You do not criticize others or seek to damage their face and reputation.  When you do not truly love people, it means you have not reached that wisdom and awareness.  Human beings are not fundamentally different from one another. There is no essential difference between people. Perhaps one is slightly higher, another slightly lower; and within this system, certain arrangements have been set in place [by the Almighty]. One person is born into a wealthy family and inherits great fortune; another is born into a family with nothing but poverty and must struggle and work hard. These are arrangements—agreements within the greater design—that God alone fully knows.  But the only true factor that distinguishes human beings from one another is their level of understanding, awareness, and wisdom.
  Almost all people possess roughly the same level of intelligence. A few may be mentally unbalanced, and a rare few may be exceptionally wise—but for the most part, people are alike. Just as everyone has eyes—one pair may be blue, another dark, another hazel; some smaller, some larger—but essentially they are the same. Ears are the same. Noses are the same. There may be few cases with larger size of nose or eyes, but overall human beings are remarkably similar.  Intelligence, too, does not differ dramatically among people. What truly sets them apart are their thoughts, contemplation and their way of thinking.
Therefore, if we wish to attain true understanding and reach the stage of love, the foundation must be knowledge and awareness.  In our Iranian classical and mystical writings, it is recorded that in earlier times the spiritual path was structured around the relationship of master and disciple [pir and murid], mentor and seeker. One would become a spiritual elder, and the others would become disciples and followers. Personally, I no longer hold the same belief in that system as it existed in the past. In earlier eras, this structure made sense, because there were no universities, no schools, no language classes. Someone might have been a butcher or a farmer, yet through personal study of mysticism, of self-knowledge, of the Qur’an, or other teachings—they would gain insight and then teach what they knew to others. That teacher-student relationship became known as master and disciple. That belonged to ancient times.  Today, in my view, aside from rare and specific cases, the relationship is simply that of teacher and student. The old hierarchical concepts have largely faded.  In those earlier teachings, it was said that the master sees himself reflected in the seeker—because he aims to raise the seeker to his own level. But the seeker, in the master, sees God—because he seeks to reach God through him. Of course, here we are speaking only of true and rightful masters, not of those who turn spirituality into a business. The more it becomes a marketplace, the more it turns into a game. The less commercialism involved, the purer and less distorted the path remains.
At this stage, the lover and the beloved merge into one another. You, who until now have been the lover, become both the lover and the beloved. For at this stage, the Absolute Power loves you and holds you dear. And at this same stage, the love of the Absolute Power manifests itself within all beings and creatures, and everyone loves you.  The word lover is usually an active and agentive term, while beloved is passive. People often think that the lover must be the one who seeks, finds the beloved, and expresses love. Meanwhile, the beloved is imagined as someone waiting for their lover to arrive—perhaps on a white horse, as in romantic tales. But here in this manuscript comes a point where it is no longer clear who the lover is and who the beloved is.  Traditionally, when we speak about love among human beings, we often call the man the lover and the woman the beloved. However, [when a person reaches wisdom and awareness], there comes a stage where the beloved is also a lover, and the lover is also the beloved. At that point, these two roles [lover and beloved] merge together and the distinction disappears.
There comes a moment when the roles of lover and beloved blend so completely that it is impossible to say who is which. “You become both lover and beloved at the same time. For in this stage, the Absolute Power loves you—God loves you and cherishes you.” At the same time, the love of the Absolute Power manifests itself within all beings and creatures, and everyone loves you and feels affection toward you.  “This happens because at this stage you see yourself within other human beings. You want to give them whatever you have and help them pass through the difficult passages [of life] so that they may reach peace, tranquility, or their true place. You wish to bring them out of darkness and guide them toward the same place you have reached—so that they too may enter the light.  Because if you observe closely, you will see that the people of Heaven always try to guide others toward Heaven, while the people of Hell tend to draw others toward Hell.” 
People begin to see the sign of the Absolute Power manifested within you. This is the stage at which a seeker sees God in their master or teacher. It does not mean they believe that the teacher is God. Rather, they perceive this because they wish to reach the Absolute Power through the path illuminated by the guide.  The reference point here, however, is the Absolute Power Himself. And through the knowledge, wisdom, intellect, faith, and inner Khamr [a physiological system in the body which naturally produces opioid-like substances in the body] you have gained, you will gradually become familiar with parts of your own visible and invisible forms. When a person reaches this stage, they slowly begin to recognize aspects of their internal and external aspects of yourself—the visible and the concealed parts of themselves.  At this stage, You enter the Archive, and your life continues naturally—both on earth and in the heavens. At the same time, you continue to live an ordinary personal life, just like other human beings.  Reaching this stage does not mean that a person no longer has a private or personal life. Rather, they become aware of their work and their purpose. Gradually, they will be familiar with their hidden dimensions, while they still maintain their own individual and personal life.
At present, the highest poles [of spirituality]—of mysticism and divine guidance—are the prophets. If we look at the greatest figures of spirituality, we see that they are the prophets. When we observe them, we see that Prophet Noah had his own personal life and plans. Moses had his own life. Regarding Jesus, it was once said that he had no personal life, but more recently even some clergy and church scholars suggest that he may well have had one. There are discussions about this.  Because God has never meant and asked His prophets to live in an unnatural way. The prophets were not meant to behave in eccentric or theatrical ways. No—their lives were natural and ordinary. If we look at Prophet Mohammad,  the Messenger of God, or at Ali ibn Abi Talib, or at Abraham, we see that all of them had their own personal lives. They lived naturally, both on earth and in the heavens, and they continued their existence in a normal and balanced manner, while still enjoying a personal life like other human beings.  At the same time, in carrying out their assigned responsibilities, they were always ready to serve under any circumstances. They functioned as teachers and guides. One of their essential roles was that of an educator. Of course, their responsibility was far greater and heavier than that of an ordinary teacher.
Their task was to provide the necessary teachings and guidance.  And whatever command was given to them, they were always ready to carry it out. This point is very important. No matter what instruction they received, they executed it. Whatever the command might be, they fulfilled it. They were always prepared to implement any order given to them.  Whether the place of implementing the command was heaven or hell made no difference to them. For the prophets were all completely surrendered before the Absolute Power.
When a person reaches that stage and that position, and once a command is given to them, it no longer matters whether they are told to work in paradise or in hell. Someone who obeys the Commander-in-Chief—God—does not ask whether they are assigned to headquarters or to the front lines, or whether they are asked to serve in any places or in the most difficult and dangerous position, they comply—because they are surrendered.  It is not the case that, simply because someone is chosen as prophet, they are sent only to pleasant and comfortable places. They may be dispatched to the most difficult tasks, to the deepest and darkest realms, or to carry out their mission. In any case, it makes no difference to these selected people and prophets.  As the verse says:  “On the path of spirituality, it does not matter whether you are in light or in darkness; On the highest heights, it does not matter if you are the sun or the moon.”  When you are on the path of spirituality, when you are surrendered to God, being in brightness or in darkness makes no difference. Why does such a person act this way? Because they are surrendered. Once someone has surrendered before God, nothing makes a difference to them anymore.
Here, the Inhabitants pose a very beautiful and fundamental question to the Successor:  “With the explanations you have given, love appears to hold a very high rank and station, and not everyone seems capable of comprehending it. So how can all human beings understand it and benefit from it? It seems to be out of reach.”  The Inhabitants say, up to this point, you have spoken—throughout the Valleys, especially in the Fourteenth Valley—about love as something of immense dignity and stature. You have said that the base of love is knowledge, awareness, and wisdom. Given this, love seems like something difficult and inaccessible. It would appear that not all human beings can partake of such love.  When we read mystical and classical spiritual texts today, love is always described as possessing a lofty rank—something that not everyone can reach. It is even compared to God, whose station is said to be so exalted that no one can truly approach Him. So the question arises: with everything you have said, how does this apply to everyone? It is inaccessible  As you have described it, it does not seem practical or attainable for every human being.  Once again, the question is repeated:  “With these explanations—that love has such a high station and that not everyone can comprehend it—how can all hum
an beings understand and benefit from it? It seems unreachable.” 
The Successor replies:  “Love flows within human beings and within all beings in diverse forms and manifestations. Love is constantly, through countless reasons and pretexts, drawing all beings closer to one another. It is the very cause and instrument of the stability of creation and the turning of the Cosmic Wheel.”
In other words, love exists within all beings in many different forms. It is always at work—through various reasons, countless excuses, different means and movements—bringing all beings and creatures closer together. There may be thousands upon thousands of reasons and pathways, but love enters the cycle for the purpose of uniting beings.  Love is the sustaining force of Creation. It is what gives creation its stability and endurance. When we say something has gained firmness—like dough that becomes cohesive when kneaded—we mean it has found its stability. In the same way, love is what holds creation together and keeps the great cosmic wheel turning.  This happens because all beings, according to the law of love’s triangle— including shadows, attraction, and sense, are connected to one another through particles of love. The name of this close connection and affection is love. This bond, this nearness, this mutual attraction—this is what we call love.
If trees did not love one another, they would not grow side by side. If humans did not love one another, they would not gather together. If atoms of gold, iron, or silver did not “love” one another, they would not bond. This attraction, this connection, is called love. It is called love, even if it arises for only a moment, even if they merely taste this love for very short moments and very briefly, that moment is still love.  A subtle point is made here: even if two beings love each other for only a few moments, that fleeting love is still love.
  Thus, through the triangle of love—shadow, attraction, and sensation—all particles are connected by love and drawn toward one another. Even if the attraction lasts only for a brief moment, that is still love. We can never say that because the duration of someone’s love was short, it was not love. It was love, but transient and passing.  This happens often among humans: two people may love each other deeply—for ten years, five years, a week, ten days, twenty days—and later that love may fade, end, or turn into separation. But we cannot claim that because of the short length of this attraction, love did not exist among them at all. Often, people dismiss past love, saying things like, “It wasn’t real,” or “It was deceit, manipulation, or a trick.” But no—during those hours, minutes, or days when that love reached its peak, it was real love. It may have been short-lived, but it was still love. It came, and then it passed.  A beautiful Persian analogy illustrates this: a pinch of salt is salt, and a truckload of salt is also salt. The quantity differs, but the nature is the same.  Similarly, if we strike a match in the dark and it illuminates the space briefly before going out, we cannot say there was no light or that it was “false light.” The light existed and brightened the space, even if briefly and faintly. Some people speak of “false energy” or “false light,” but light is either present or absent. Anything “false” implies a lie, a deception. A photo of a lit match resembles false light; however, the match itself produces real light, although its light is small or short-lived. 
This principle applies universally: between lovers, among family members, between parents and son [children], and among all human beings. Love exists in two forms [as mentioned earlier], exclusive love for a special person and comprehensive love for all beings and creatures. The love for a special person sometimes lasts for years, 10 years, five years,  or a year, sometimes for months, sometimes for a week. They may break up, it was real love in its time.
In these cases, one cannot claim that the beloved had been a charlatan from the very beginning, no, once in that time, you loved him or her and s/he love you; now, the situation has changed, and you cannot rule out the truth that it was love. At that time, it was love and then it ebbed. It was nothing but love. As mentioned earlier, a pinch of salt is considered as salt and mass of salt is salt too. If we strike a match in the dark and after a while its light fades away, we can never claim that light did not exist; because light was produced and light the space, but its light was small.
Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that love is not something reserved for specific people or legendary lovers. In the final pages of the Valley of Love, everything shifts dramatically. The text distinguishes between absolute, pure love—100% love—and partial or lesser forms of love: love might be five percent, two percent, one percent, sixty percent, seventy percent. Even partial love is still love.  Love does not belong to specific people like Romeo and Juliet, Layla and Majnun, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Bayazid Bastami, Sohrevardi, or any other legendary figures. Love belongs to all human beings. It is not reserved for a select few. Love is not confined to  anyone or legendary people; because all beings and creatures live in love and practice it, striving for higher forms of love. Everything exists immersed in love, floating within it, because existence itself is immersed in love. To sum up, it states that love does not belong to particular people or only for legends. It belongs to everyone.
Love belongs to no one. God belongs to no one. It is not true that only certain kinds of people can be lovers, or that only those who meet specific conditions can experience love. No, love belongs to all, because all beings exist immersed in love. Love is not the possession of anyone. All beings live within it and practice it.  At this point, Master Dezhakam [with tear-stained eyes and voice] states that he can no longer continue reading aloud. Master Dezhakam asks if anyone with good composition [a sense of inspiration to compose] is ready to continue the text. Ms. Rozha volunteers and she continues.
“The waves of love radiate to all beings, like sunlight shining everywhere. Each being receives sunlight of love according to their own capacity. Even the cruelest individuals are touched by these waves. Despite their hardness, their hearts sometimes still beat for loved ones or for others. In other words, love can open a small window in even the hardest hearts, hiding itself there and waiting for the moment when it can gradually grow, emerge, and reveal itself—allowing them to taste the sweetness of love and recognize how nourishing and delightful it truly is.”
The listeners, amazed, staring at the Successor and say, “Earlier, you said that love without Wisdom and Faith is mere self-intoxication. But now you’re saying something different!”  The Successor, himself astonished, gazes at the listeners in wonder and replies: “Even I do not fully know who is speaking through me right now. Previously, when I spoke of the ultimate height of love, I was in the valleys, guided and restrained by two forces: Wisdom and Faith. It was as if I were a drunk camel, with two reins—one of Wisdom and one of Faith—threaded through my nostrils, holding me back so that I would not lose control and break the reins apart in my intoxication; the reins of Wisdom and Faith prevented me from foaming at the mouth, and shouting like a madman and sounding the drum of scandal, so that others would not consider me insane. I had to act in a way that kept my feet firmly on the ground, not with hanging feet and dancing in the sky like a crucified man;  so that I could speak with balance and clarity.”  “But now, here in the Valley of Love, the power of love exceeds me. It is love itself that has made me an intoxicated drunk, compelling me to break the lock of the prison of love so that love can escape the bounds of exclusivity and confinement, so that I proclaim, loudly and without restraint, on the top of the mountains and overhead of the skies: love belongs to all human beings. Love belongs to the entire universe. Love belongs to all beings.” 

  God is love, life is love, being and non-being are love; Heaven and hell are love; men and women are love, the young and the old are love. All the children of the world are love; all the homeless are love, all addicts are love, all the hungry are love; all the sick are love. All those who serve to improve the conditions of the children of the world, the homeless, addicts, the hungry, and the sick—these too are love. All inanimate things, plants, and animals are love. The Earth, the heavens, existence and non-existence, and everything contained within them, all are love.  Because all are immersed in love, so that [they all] realize that love has no particular place, rank or position. Anyone, with any qualities and in any position, simply needs to open the window of their heart to become a host for the waves of love and taste its sweetness.  At this moment, the Successor was speaking like a drunk camel that has broken its reins and foamed at the mouth, meanwhile he was extremely overwhelmed by the intensity of the waves of love coursing through him; Love was speaking through the Successor’s tongue, and his strength and endurance collapsed, and he fell unconscious to the ground. Silence enveloped the room; no one moved. After a few minutes, the Successor rose from the ground, his complexion changed, and with calm and composure he said:  “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you. At this moment, my time to speak has ended. I must inform you that shortly, in the continuation of this gathering and in the presence of the Absolute Power, light which was pregnant with darkness will give birth to its own child [darkness]. From this, a great branching will occur, and immediately a covenant will be made with the Absolute Power. Another life, in a different form, will begin, and this cycle will continue, so that after navigating countless ups and downs, acquiring knowledge, cognizance, experience, and valuable teachings, one day we will return to this same point from which we have branched. Farewell.”
After Ms. Rozha finished reading the text, Master Dezhakam continued: “I truly could not continue reading. Up to the 12th part of the 14th valley, I endured as best I could. I tried very hard to convey these teachings so that all of you may understand the value of love in life. We must all recognize it—even for those we loved for only a short time, we must honor that love. We cannot dismiss love that lasted only for moments and claim it never existed, or that it was not real love, or that it was negative, or a mere illusion. At times, the task is difficult, and the one who has written a text cannot even read their own words. Thank you Rozha for reading this passage to us.” “It was really impossible! Truly very emotional—one can’t help but cry!” 
Master Dezhakam then added: “A crucial point must be emphasized here that writing of the last Valley—the fourteenth valley—ended on 14/12/1388 (based on the Persian calendar—March, Fifth, 2010) [in Congress 60, number “14” resembles love]. Master Dezhakam emphasized that “this coincidence interestingly happened by chance; I had made no prior plans. I just wrote this date [14/12/1388] at the bottom of the page to specify that the writing of this valley just finished on this day. It was asked and then decided that in Congress 60, this day would be commemorated as the Day of Love and Compassion. Every year, a ceremony is held to mark this day. In English translations, it is recognized as such. This day—the 14th of Esfand (March, the Fifth)—is dedicated to love itself.” 
One of female travelers asks: “So it replaced Valentine’s Day?”
  Master Dezhakam: “No, Valentine’s Day keeps its own place.” (Audience laughs) “Valentine’s is for lovers, where there is a specific, [romantic] sense between male and female. But this Day of Love [the 14th of Esfand (March, the Fifth)] is for all existence, for all humanity. It is not relevant to romantic love. It is a day for universal love, though special love for a specific person has its own commemorative day [Valentine’s Day].”  
In any case, from the very beginning when I was writing, I had a challenge—how would I ever read it aloud, especially its final part? When I write the Valleys, I need complete silence and a safe place to write and make them ready. Fortunately, the twelfth [the last] part of the fourteenth Valley is now complete. We must strive to taste, understand and feel how to love. It is not necessary for a specific person [beloved] to embody that love; that love can specifically exist. However, what I mean here is that we have to value what we are and value all the existing moments. If we practice and learn this, life is not that difficult. We all have our struggles.
  Yesterday, I was with one of Congress 60 members, Mr. Ali Ashkazari and he shared a story—or perhaps a proverb—with me. He told me: There was once an old man, a headman [in a tribe]. Everyone around him had their own problems and troubles and [always] complained about the problems they had. One day, the headman said: “Ok, put your problems in a suitcase, and bring them to me.” Everyone packed their troubles into large suitcases and gave them to the old man. Afterward, he said: “Now go, and each of you take whichever suitcase you want.” (Audience laughs) Everyone went and, of course, each person took someone else’s suitcase, not their own. A month later, everyone returned, complaining: “Sir, we made a mistake. Give us our own suitcases back!” (Audience laughs)  We often think that our own problems are heavier and worse than anyone else’s, that no one else faces the troubles we face. But this is not true. If we try carrying someone else’s problems, we realize that our own troubles were actually easier to manage.  Well, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. The rest is up to you; I don’t need to interpret it further. The words themselves convey the meaning.
One of female travelers raised her hand and says: “Hello friends, I’m Zahra, a traveler.”
Audience: “Hello Zahra.”
Zahra: “I have a question. If we feel love or affection for someone who has passed away, does that person receive our love in the afterlife, or does it end here?”
Master Dezhakam replied: “Yes, exactly.”
Zahra: “Or does this love stop here?”
Master Dezhakam: “No, [the bond of] love continues. Love has no fixed beginning or end. Love is one of the things that is never destroyed. Even if that person has passed away, they still carry that love and feel it toward you. Thank you, friends.
Translated by  companion Elahe