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The eigth session of the 85th round of Congress 60 educational workshops—dedicated to both travelers and companions, began at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, with Mr. Hossein Dezhakam as the master and guardian of the ceremoney, and companion Nilsa as the secretary, with the agenda "The Sixth Valley and its Impact on Me.
Hello, friends. I’m Hossein, the guardian of this session. (Hello Hossein). Lets take foutteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty for our liberation from our most powerful enemy—our own ignorance and unawareness (14 seconds of silence). Thank you, friends.
I now request the secretary to read the summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.
Hello friends, I’m Hossein, a Traveler. I hope you are all doing well; thank God, I’m fine too. Today is the 22nd of Mordad 1404 (August 13, 2025). We’ve already passed the first half of summer and entered the second half. Soon it will be September, then autumn, winter, and before we know it, Nowruz will arrive—time really flies like lightning. I hope you all had a good holiday and made the most of it. I want to remind you of a few important points:
When the Guides come to introduce those who are reaching Liberation from addiction in front of audience in different branches of Congress 60, sometimes they speak too much. There have been complaints that the Guides take over and talk for too long. In reality, they should speak very little—the main focus should be on the Traveler introducing themselves, briefly. The same applies to Companion’s Guides: they should give only a short greeting, introduce the person, and then leave the time for the Companion to speak. If the Guides continue to take too much time, we may even prohibit them from speaking in the branches, because the session time is very important—and they are meant to be role models. Therefore, Guides should keep their introductions as short and simple as possible. Later, when we give Liberation flowers and bring them up again, they can be introduced once more—but still in a brief and concise way.
Another point: when we read a letter, file, or instruction, everything written in it must be carried out exactly as stated. For example, in the case of cigarette liberation, a photo must be attached. If no photo is provided, the submission is incomplete and should not be accepted. For 40 CDs or 30 CDs liberations (Congress 60 members are required to first transcribe 40 and later on 30 educational CDs), a photo on the liberation form is likewise required; without it, the process cannot move forward. The same applies to the Second Journey. In short, what is written must be followed precisely. Otherwise, I will not grant the liberation (all liberation forms are signed by either Master Hossein or Amin Dezhakam).
The next topic concerns the forms. These include the forms for becoming a Guide—whether a Newcomers’ Guide with the pistachio-green shawl or a DST Guide with the orange shawl—as well as the forms for Marzbani (border guards). Everything written in these forms must be followed exactly, word for word, with no alterations. For example, if a form states “stamp and signature,” then both are required. If only a signature is provided without the stamp, the form will be returned. Whenever it specifies “stamp and signature,” both must always be included. Why both? Because—even though it may be rare—someone could sign on behalf of the intended authority and submit the form. For instance, if the Sports Guardian is required to sign, another person might sign instead and hand it in. Therefore, whenever the instruction is “stamp and signature,” it must always be both stamped and signed without exception.
The next point is about stamp signatures. Some people have made stamps of their own signature, but this is very risky. If someone gets hold of your stamp, they can easily forge your signature—and legally, you will be held responsible.That’s why no one should ever use a stamp instead of their signature, except in very rare and exceptional cases where it is specifically allowed. But in general, it is a risky practice. A signature must always be written personally by the individual.
A signature is one thing, and a stamp is another. Both—the stamp and the signature—must go together. It is not acceptable to stamp without signing, or to sign without stamping. This means that whatever is written on a form, you must make it a habit to read it carefully, be fully aware of it, and carry it out completely. Now, who should have a stamp? Anyone who may be required to sign a form or document must have their own personal stamp. This includes the Sports Guardian, the Secretary of the Sports Council, Marzbani, Didebans, Assistants, and Agents. Wherever a form requires it, both stamp and signature must always be present. This is a very important point.
The ceremony for presenting the Newcomer Guides’ shawls will take place on Saturday, August 15, 2025. It is important to note that when we say we are giving the Newcomer Guides’ shawls, it does not apply to everyone who has been accepted. Only those whose names are officially announced and who are contacted by phone to attend on that specific day should be present. It is not a situation where all accepted individuals attend. The ceremony for the Newcomer Guides’ shawls will be held on August 15, 2025, while the ceremony for the DST (orange-shawl) Guides will take place on Thursday, August 28, 2025. The DST ceremony was originally scheduled for one week earlier; however, since Sunday fell on an official public holiday, the preceding Saturday became a “bridge holiday,” generally treated as a day off. For this reason, the ceremony had to be postponed by one week. This is another important point.
In some branches, certain activities take place. For example, in Kerman, the members were financially inexperienced at first. Thank God, they improved over time. By “financially inexperienced,” I mean they hadn’t received proper training yet, so the processes hadn’t fully settled with them. Later, however, we saw that their manner was corrected [they finantially participated to buy and construct a building for their own city], now thank God, Kerman’s activities improved. They even established a branch, and a second branch is currently being set up. When setting up the second branch, they again faced a shortage of funds. Unlike some branches that have billions in resources, they had very little. I temporarily paused the work, but I told Mr. Zarkesh to immediately organize the financial legion and speak with the Kerman members. Thank God, he did, and the members understood. They immediately contributed about 900 million tomans and promised to provide another 1.5 billion within two weeks so that work could begin and their building could be renovated. In Kerman, the building being constructed has two floors: the upper floor is for companions, and the lower floor is for female travelers. Seeing how well their activities were going, I suggested that one billion tomans from the female travelers’ account be added to the Kerman building fund. The important point is that none of them are “financially hesitant”; they simply hadn’t been properly trained or guided.
If the Congress 60 members are properly informed and understand the process, they will even sell their personal belongings for the sake of Congress 60 if necessary. So, whenever we see a shortage of funds, it is usually because proper guidance hasn’t been given—they need to be informed about what is expected. Currently, Kerman is constructing its third and fourth branches. The same is true in all cities. Who sets these up? The members themselves, with support from the financial legions that provide these budgets. Mr. Zarkesh immediately went to Kerman—by plane, hopefully, or maybe by car—held a meeting, everyone collaborated, and work began. This is how it works everywher.
I pay close attention to the envelopes that members give me. Even though 100,000 or 200,000 tomans isn’t much nowadays, and I personally have enough funds and no financial problems, I still check carefully, because this serves both as a training opportunity and as a model for the city to follow.
Consider this: spending one night in a hospital can cost around 10 to 15 million tomans. If you stay in the ICU, the costs can be even higher, around 14 to 15 million tomans. Overall, a single night in the hospital can easily cost 15 to 20 million tomans. Despite these high charges, hospitals can hardly cover all their expenses or pay their staff, and they face serious financial challenges.
Now, someone comes to Congress 60 and has lost 50 kilograms—this is truly remarkable. They have overcome their addiction, and even if they had a serious illness like cancer, they have recovered. For example, from the provinces of Mashhad, Quchan, Sabzevar, and Nishapur, I received envelopes from members that contained only a small amount of money. Their financial contributions are very low [on the liberation day, a Congress 60 member is required to give an envelope of money to Mr. Dezhakam and their guide as a sign of gratitude].
It’s the same for all of them. For example, you see that everyone puts only a small amount of money in their envelopes. If seven people bring envelopes for a liberation ceremony, each contributing 50,000 tomans, there will be seven envelopes with 50,000 tomans each—or seven with 100,000 tomans each. This shows that the guide has instructed them on how much to contribute [since all of them have put the same amount in the envelope]. This guidance naturally shapes their behavior, and over time, it becomes a customary practice that extends to all branches and occasions within Congress 60.
Soon, this practice spreads to the Companion Celebration and the Guide Celebration. Even when it’s the guides’ turn to be honored, the same pattern occurs. During Marzban Week, it’s no different—they often fail to recognize its true value. Think about it: if you lost 50 kilograms or recovered from cancer, your illness was fully cured through your journey. Is 100,000 or 200,000 tomans really a lot compared to that? You have achieved a complete definite cure. Around the world, people haven’t reached this kind of recovery, and many would gladly pay billions of tomans or millions of dollars for it. I’m serious, not joking. Even many Nobel Prize winners—or many Oscar-winning actors—struggled with alcoholism or substance use. They had plenty of money and spent huge amounts, yet they couldn’t be cured. Some even committed suicide, despite spending millions, they could not cure their addiction, because they assumed recovery required a luxury rehab with swimming pools, billiard tables, lawns, golf courses, and so on. As the old saying goes, “All the luxuries in the world won’t solve the problem.” Golf, swimming pools, hot baths, or massages cannot cure opiate or heroin addiction—they cannot restore the opioid-like system of their body [which naturally produces opioid-like substances in the body] or they could not repair the neural functions impaired by these substances. Once you are fully cured, you must participate at all levels: join the financial legion, take initiative, support others, and engage in activities that help expand this healing work. Having been cured, it is our responsibility to lay the foundation so that others can achieve the same.
In the near future, your child or grandchild might need a place for proper cure of addiction. You might not believe it, but in some cities, the streets look very different today because substance abuse has declined. I notice this clearly when visiting our branches across Zanjan province, including Hidaj, Abhar, Qeydar, and Zanjan itself. For example, if you go to Hidaj now, you won’t see addicts on the streets like before. In some towns in Zanjan, theft has decreased by 90%. Older farmers whose children used to be on heroin or crystal meth—openly using drugs at home or in their gardens—are now all cured. They used to steal water pumps, walnuts, or do anything for money to buy drugs. Now, they’ve recovered and are cultivating their land again. This shows just how important this work is. In Hidaj, you no longer see addicts at intersections or on the streets. The same is true in Khorramdarreh, Abhar—where we recently opened new branches—and in other towns. Others planted seeds and seedlings, and we reaped, and now we plant so that others can benefit. We all must work together to establish branches and make this work as effective as possible. Here’s an important point: all cities in Khorasan should pay attention, and guides should educate their students. No guide is allowed to tell a student how much money to put in an envelope. Guides should not dictate amounts during Marzban Week either. If someone asks, simply say, “Give whatever you feel is right. It’s none of my business. You can give 5,000 tomans, a note, or even a letter.” If someone doesn’t have anything to give, that’s fine—we don’t expect anything from them. Some people truly can’t afford to give, and we don’t demand anything from them. For those who can give, the guide should never decide the amount. Just say, “Give what you feel is right; you know best.” Do not coordinate or plan the envelopes together. Otherwise, you might see eight envelopes, each with 50,000 tomans, which shows they coordinated with the guide—and that should not happen.
The next point concerns the 2025 Golrizan (money donation ceremoney). Members can contribute either all at once or gradually. Declaring a position including Sardar, Donor, or Pahlevan [those who voluntarily donate 100, 1000, 10000 dollars respectively for the aims and goals of Congress 60 to be spent on scientific research studies of Congress 60 and buying land for Congress 60 branches]—is conditional upon paying at least half of the financial requirement for that position. For example, anyone who wants to declare themselves a Pahlevan must have paid at least half of that amount. The same applies to Donor and Sardar. A Pahlevan cannot simply say, “I’m a Pahlevan,” without paying anything. At least half must be paid: 3 million tomans for Sardar, 30 million tomans for Donor, and 300 million tomans for Pahlevan. All payments for these positions must be deposited in cash into the Congress 60 account. Members cannot provide materials instead of cash. For example, someone cannot declare themselves a Pahlevan and give bricks or cement, or let the branch spend the money. The cash must be deposited first, and if materials are needed, Congress 60 buys them. Invoices cannot replace the cash payment. It is also important that members of the Sardar legion who have not yet fulfilled last year’s financial commitment settle it before making a commitment for the new year. For instance, if someone became a Donor last year but hasn’t paid, they must fully settle that commitment before registering for Donor this year. These details are important so that proper actions can be taken, and we can understand that pupils who haven’t been trained need guidance. Every matter must be accompanied by proper education so that we can follow the correct path.
For a while, we didn’t have D.Sap, but fortunately, it’s available again. I didn’t raise the price much—even though prices for almost everything have tripled or quadrupled since last year. I only added a small amount because it’s like medicine for the members, and I don’t want it to be so expensive that they can’t use it. This is an important point.
The next point is about weight loss, which is especially important and effective for women, since physiologically women differ somewhat from men. When women carry 12, 15, or 20 extra kilograms, their body systems don’t function properly. But as soon as their weight is brought back to a healthy range, their entire physiological system returns to normal and balanced. This has a very constructive effect. So everyone—men and women—if you have extra weight, high blood pressure, fatty liver, shortness of breath, or women’s health issues, don’t look for quick fixes. If you are overweight, don’t immediately take thyroid medication thinking your thyroid is overactive or underactive and that’s why you gained weight. In fact, it’s the extra weight itself that causes many problems: thyroid imbalance, shortness of breath, high cholesterol, knee pain—even making you think you might need knee surgery. Many health problems stem directly from being overweight. So if someone is 7, 8, or 10 kilos overweight, whatever other health issues they have, the first step should be to adjust their weight. Don’t get trapped by unnecessary medications, surgeries, or other treatments. Most of the time, the real problem is simply the extra weight. I hope these points are useful for everyone.
And now, today’s lesson is about the Command of Aql (Wisdom). I always remember a story whenever this topic comes up. Once, a person was lying down and drinking water from a stream. In the old days, people drank from streams, and the water was clean—you might find it hard to believe—but people really drank from streams and bathed in them. Today, could anyone drink from the Sohravardi stream? It’s so dirty and full of sludge that even touching it would require detoxing. Anyway, this person was lying down, trying to drink water like animals—head down in the stream, gulping it. Someone told him, “Don’t drink lying down; it will dull your Aql.” He asked, “What is Aql?” The person replied, “Just go ahead and drink.” This story illustrates Aql’s command for us. Following it is extremely important. It exists within all of us. Most of the time, we can distinguish light from darkness, truth from falsehood. We know it’s wrong to gossip, spy on others, give false testimony, or make incorrect judgments if we are in a position of authority. Most of the time, we can discern right from wrong. Sometimes, we may not be completely sure—and in those cases, we abstain. But generally, we have the power and ability to make these judgments. The key is to listen and obey—that is the essence of Aql’s command. Aql tells you: don’t give false testimony. If you do, you haven’t followed Aql’s command. Aql tells you: don’t lie. If you lie, you haven’t carried it out. Following Aql’s command is not easy; it is challenging. In the past, people used to say that whoever knows the Greatest Name [اسم اعظم] can achieve anything. Many books have been written about it, and the holy Quran experts spoke of it. There is a name which, if known, works like a magic lamp—whatever you wish for can come true.
Philosophers and mystics have offered many definitions of the Greatest Name, but what I personally believe in is that the Greatest Name is the Aql’s command. It is like the Greatest Name: if you truly follow it, you can act correctly in every situation. For instance, the Aql’s command might say: “Get up and take a shower!” But you might reply, “I don’t feel like it,” even though your body smells unpleasant. Ignoring it means you are not listening to your Aql. It might also say: “Wash the dishes.” Many families leave dishes in the sink after eating, which is not ideal. Ideally, each person should wash their glass immediately after use and put it away. When eating watermelon on a plate, you can rinse the plate and fork right away. In other words, many dishes can be washed immediately instead of piling up and starting to smell. Some people use a dishwasher—though we have one ourselves, I don’t fully approve. Even when tools are available, if you don’t do the work and leave tasks undone, you are still ignoring the Aql’s command.
The Aql’s command might say: “Take out the trash!” If you ignore it, many other tasks will also go undone. Fully following the Aql’s command is challenging—it’s not easy to master completely. When we do follow it, we experience the stage of “کن فیکون” in the holy Quran, which means “Be, and it will be”, this is called God possesses this power instantly [He orders and the things are created immediately], but we also have a version of it in our own time. For example, if the Aql’s command says, “Take out the trash,” you get up, take the trash, and empty it. Then it might say, “Study!” You study, which takes time. “Get into university!” You study, apply, and eventually succeed. The key question is: how much of what we desire can we actually achieve? Some goals are very large—like buying a house—which may take 10 or 20 years. But many smaller tasks can be accomplished immediately. The more we carry out small tasks according to the Aql’s command and simply say “Be,” the more successful we will be. This principle underlies the first four valleys (Valleys 1 to 4), which emphasize the importance of thought.
The fifth valley says that [a true] thought must be put into action. When you act on your thoughts, you encounter the Aql’s command. Of course, no one fully understands what Aql is or exactly how it works. There is so much we don’t know. If we look at existence, everything around us is a miracle. Sometimes we fail to see it because we’ve grown accustomed to it. Simply sleeping at night and breathing is a miracle. Your heart beating while you sleep—that’s a miracle. Your kidneys functioning—that’s a miracle. We live on a huge rock called Earth, spinning in the galaxy. That in itself is a miracle. We plant wheat, and it grows from the soil—isn’t that a miracle? We plant an apricot seed in soil, water it, and fertilize it, and it grows into a tree—isn’t that a miracle? When we pay attention, we see that all life is full of miracles, and we must value it. This is why we still don’t fully understand Aql. As it is said, “Aql was the first thing God created.” But we have not yet completely grasped its mechanism, because everything about it functions like a miracle. Understanding it fully is very difficult. So far, we only comprehend small parts, while the true essence of Aql is known only to God.
I hope that, little by little, we can come closer to following the Aql’s command. Thank you for listening to my words.
Translated by: Companion Samira, Legion 18, Sheikhbahaei branch of Congress 60, Isfahan, Iran
Reviewed and edited by Elahe
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