He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk.
Exalt
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 264-265
Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words 68
He will cheer your souls with the gentle winds of His holiness and make bright your faces with the splendours of His lights, and exalt the memory of you amongst all peoples. Your Lord is verily the Compassionate, the Merciful.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 186-187
We must be careful not to exalt ourselves lest we be humiliated.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 147
Human society at present exerts a pernicious influence upon the soul of man. Instead of allowing him to live a life of service and sacrifice, it is highly competitive and teaches him to pride himself on his accomplishments. From early childhood he is trained to develop his ego and to seek to exalt himself above others, in the ultimate aim of achieving self-importance, success and power. The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh aims to reverse this process. The soul of man needs to be adorned with the virtues of humility and self-effacement so that it may become detached from the Kingdom of Names.
Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 22
