The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the
members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must
manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the
drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of
one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute
unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be
brought to naught.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Cited in ‘Bahá'í Administration: Selected
Messages 1922-1932’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, The National
Convention)
