13 Unity
13.1 From One Comes Many, From Many Comes One
Unity is a surprisingly complex idea. I sometimes feel unity is defined by many as meaning sameness, like an orchestra of clarinets each playing the same melody. It might seem good in theory, but in implementation, it is a highly unnatural arrangement which no person would pay to attend nor critically acclaim it. To others unity means a minority should submit to the will of the majority, merely so there is no conflict. This would be like an orchestra where the clarinets outnumber the horns and are in front of microphones. The horns are not allowed any contribution and once again, it would not be an arrangement anyone would want to be a part of.
Instead, the Báb opens the Bayán with a different vision of unity derived from the name of God, the One:
The names and attributes are manifestations of the multiplicity of that primal unity. Reflect upon the verbal letters of the Bayán: all multiplicity originates from the first unity, even if it extends infinitely. And in the multiplicity of the universal manifestations, there arises a strength in the manifestation surpassing that of the primal unity. Yet, all things are realized through Him, and all return to Him, just as they originate from Him.1
If I had to summarize this theme here and elsewhere in the Bayán or the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, it would be that from One comes many, and many returns to One. It is the very essence of the Báb being called the Primal Point. So unity is not a policy, and it is not a mood. It is a pattern that repeats everywhere, in God’s names, in creation’s worlds, in the soul’s practices, and in the virtues that shape character. If that pattern is real, it should be traceable. The rest of this chapter follows that trail, moving from the most abstract form of unity (God’s Oneness) into the most personal form: how a single human heart tries to hold many truths without breaking.
13.1.1 Unity in the Names of God
In Chapter 1, we explored the various names and attributes of God. With God being One, all the other names are multiplied. They describe various attributes and these names exist in thousands of languages, which are also derived from one tongue and one breath. All of these names and attributes eventually return to the point of Oneness.
13.1.2 Unity in the Worlds of God
In Chapter 3, we explored the various worlds of God. Within a single creation, everything seen and unseen was multiplied. There are infinite worlds and planes of existence. Yet, when creation is ready to be made new, it is rolled all into one.2 All of these worlds eventually return to the point of Oneness.
13.1.3 Unity in the Spiritual Practices
Throughout Chapters 8-12, we explored the various spiritual practices. From one soul are multiple pathways for the soul to be more fully expressed, while exploring not only the multiplicity of the names, attributes, and worlds of God, but also exploring the essential unity underlying it all. From one God are a multiplication of souls throughout the world, and from this multiplication of souls comes One. All souls return to God.
The spiritual practices are not separate lanes. They are a single road approached from different angles. Prayer turns the will toward God. Recitation gives the Word a living voice. Remembrance keeps the heart oriented. Reflection integrates what the soul receives. Honoring God makes that inner order visible in action. When these practices converge, they form a kind of inner unity. And from that inner unity, virtues do not appear as isolated traits, but as interlocking lights.
Reflection: In what ways do you see oneness through many, or manyness from one?
Now we will explore those interlocking lights.
13.2 Unity in the Virtues
We also explored several virtues. With God being the essence of all virtue, these virtues are the lights guiding each of us. For example, from one light of trustworthiness can come multiple expressions of trustworthiness, and from these multiple expressions of trustworthiness can we return to the source of all virtue.
All these virtues are like stars of a greater constellation. The constellation itself can be called Unity. When all the stars are within view, they are all interconnected and work as One. If one virtue shines too strongly, there is risk nearby stars cannot be seen. The constellation is broken. If one virtue is never developed, the constellation is also broken. The stars may not shine equally at all times, but they must all be seen in order for the constellation of unity to form. The constellation endures only when each virtue is allowed its rightful place.
The shape of the constellation may be seen differently. One constellation may appear as a Scorpio while to another, it may appear as an Orion. These ways to interpret what we see can be limitless, as our experiences are unique, our souls are unique, and our place in the spiritual worlds may always be in a unique position. From these multitudes of constellations of unity return to one, which is also unity. These constellations will be seen by others. These constellations are the evidence of sincere belief, being signs of the spirit of God for those who seek God.
As we see, unity is not sameness. Instead, it is like a well-rehearsed orchestra with hundreds of instruments. These instruments play different melodies, different notes, different tones, yet harmonize into the most beautiful sound ever heard. This harmonized sound passes through one ear, and it is heard and felt. This is unity.
Reflection: What do your constellation of virtues look like? Do any shine brightly more than others? If so, why?
Unity becomes difficult when life becomes complicated. What happens when truth introduces a new person, when loyalty meets justice, when courtesy meets disclosure, when piety meets consequence? This is why the unknown sister matters in this chapter. She is not a metaphor for sameness. She is a test of whether many can still return to One without anyone being denied.
13.3 Illuminations of The Unknown Sister - The Constellation of Unity
Unity allows her to hold the whole without forcing it into sameness. The family she thought she knew has become many. Some are known and unknown, near and distant, yet all still originate from one source and return to one truth. Unity does not require her to silence any part of this reality or elevate one voice over another. Instead, it reveals how fear, love, restraint, truthfulness, and trustworthiness can sound together without collapsing into noise. The situation remains unresolved, but no longer fragmented. Like an orchestra mid-rehearsal, each element now has a place, and from their tension a deeper harmony becomes possible, even before a single note is played.
Unity is not only what we aim for. It is also what we can lose. The constellation fractures most easily when a single virtue becomes so luminous that it starts to behave like a sun. When that happens, the rest of the sky goes dark—even if we still call it light.
13.3.1 When the Constellation Fractures - 5 Examples
We will now explore what are the risks involved when we treat a virtue as an absolute destination, focusing so much on one virtue we do not allow the other virtues to shine. A virtue as a destination can serve as an idol, distracting us from the total vision God counsels us to. Here are some examples of risks the executor of the will could face if a single virtue is potentially replacing God as our object of devotion.
13.3.2 Piety as an Idol
She reads the will with disciplined attention, taking her role seriously and letting duty govern her posture and pace. The moment is held inside obligation, what must be carried, what must be executed, what must be borne without display. While piety feels good in this case, there are risks. Without pure truthfulness, piety can retreat into procedure, using “responsibility” to avoid fully naming what has been revealed. Without courtesy, piety can become spiritually correct yet relationally blunt, honoring duties while failing to protect how others must receive them. Without loyalty, piety can become impersonal righteousness, so “doing what is right” loses the warmth of standing with those who will be affected.
Without trustworthiness, piety risks becoming image or intention without follow-through, where devotion to duty is felt but cannot be depended upon.
13.3.3 Pure Truthfulness as an Idol
The facts appear with clean force. There is one unfamiliar name, a birthdate, an address, and one truth laid down without explanation, as neutral and sharp as the legal language itself. Her mind computes meaning instantly, as if truth’s first duty is simply to be seen. While pure truthfulness feels good in this case, there are risks. Without piety, pure truthfulness can shrink into mere disclosure, detached from the reverence of obligation and the moral weight of consequences. Without courtesy, pure truthfulness can land like a blow, accurate but unreceived, wounding the soul it claims to respect. Without loyalty, pure truthfulness can become isolating clarity, where saying what is real forgets the shared covenant of relationship and care over time. Without trustworthiness, pure truthfulness can become momentary candor without dependability, leaving others unsure whether the truth will be carried consistently into action.
13.3.4 Courtesy as an Idol
Her voice stays even and measured. Her soft answers to her daughter, calm stillness with her brother, no sudden gestures that would rupture the room. Courtesy preserves dignity in the air, keeping fear from spilling outward, maintaining a stable surface while something immense shifts underneath. While courtesy feels good in this case, there are risks. Without piety, courtesy can become social smoothness that preserves comfort while sidestepping the deeper obligations the moment demands. Without pure truthfulness, courtesy can become concealment-by-polish, where calm language quietly delays honest recognition. Without loyalty, courtesy can become neutral distance, respectful to everyone yet committed to no one when commitment is most needed. Without trustworthiness, courtesy can become performance, offering reassurance that feels stable while failing to secure what others will need to rely on.
13.3.5 Loyalty as an Idol
Her brother remains steady, hands folded, offering a quiet pledge: “I trust you; we will handle it.” Loyalty takes the form of presence—nonintrusive, watchful, ready—holding the room together by refusing to pull anything from her before she is ready to speak. While loyalty feels good in this case, there are risks. Without piety, loyalty can drift into allegiance to the familiar, protecting the old family story rather than yielding to higher obligation. Without pure truthfulness, loyalty can become protective silence, preserving bonds by keeping reality unspoken until truth arrives too late or too harshly. Without courtesy, loyalty can turn into blunt partisanship, defending “ours” in a way that disregards the dignity of those newly implicated. Without trustworthiness, loyalty can become sentiment without endurance, pledged in feeling but unreliable when sustained costs begin.
13.3.6 Trustworthiness as an Idol
She aligns the pages, refolds them cleanly, returns them to the envelope—executor-minded, controlled, careful not to let the room fracture. Trustworthiness shows itself as containment: she holds the truth first so others do not have to, managing the moment with steadiness that looks like strength. While trustworthiness feels good in this case, there are risks. Without piety, trustworthiness can become mere competence, faithful to process but not necessarily faithful to the moral meaning of what must be done. Without pure truthfulness, trustworthiness can become quiet management, keeping things “handled” while the essential truth remains unspoken. Without courtesy, trustworthiness can become hard reliability, efficient but emotionally unsafe for those who must eventually enter the reality with her. Without loyalty, trustworthiness can become cold trusteeship, fulfilling duties without the enduring devotion that assures others they are not alone in the outcome.
13.3.7 Reflections of the Unknown Sister
While we did not advance the plot of the story, you may have explored what is next for all characters involved. The constellation of virtues developed through spiritual practice leads to a profound sense of empathy for all involved, an awareness each are on their own spiritual paths intertwined with that of the executor of the will.
Reflection: If you were any one of these characters, how would you proceed?
I also hope this story and the illuminations we explored throughout offer an intuitive framework to help guide your inner transformation regardless of the difficult situations we inevitably are involved in. Most importantly, I hope you are willing to use the teachings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh as primary sources for this framework. This leads us to the final unity explored in this chapter, that of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
These examples show why unity cannot be reduced to tone, consensus, or comfort. Unity is not achieved by avoiding tension, but by holding tension within a higher order. The Book is what names that order. Without revelation, “unity” becomes whatever the strongest voice needs it to mean. With revelation, unity becomes a path: not sameness, not coercion, but orientation to the One.
13.4 Unity in the Kitab-i-Aqdas
When the Kitáb-i-Aqdas commands us to recognize the Manifestation of God for this age, this is the foundation of all unity. You are committing yourself to belief in God, the worlds of God, the revelations of God, and all Manifestations of God. You are committing yourself to various spiritual practices and the development of your inner virtues. You are committing yourself to the liberation of your soul. You are also committing yourself to the liberation of souls near to you. These commitments can only arise through a commitment to unity, to the Oneness of God, to the essential Oneness of everything.
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is a book of unity. Because of this, as we proceed from belief and spiritual practice to practical application, we are constantly reminded of this essential unity. Every law, counsel, boundary, and exhortation exists for unity. Unity is the path of glory. Unity is the path of liberation. However, if we attempt to achieve unity without the entire Book guiding us, unity becomes a mere illusion. If unity is the only virtue, goal, or law, the religion of God becomes a deadly weapon which oppresses the souls God desires to liberate.
Reflection: If you claim belief, yet pick and choose what to obey, what then do you believe? Can one achieve unity ignoring the many which composes One?
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is not a book of sameness. While it prescribes the same Book to all, how the Book is expressed will have infinite forms. This is by design. From these infinite forms, and from each and every one of us, we have the opportunity to all walk a singular path of unity.
13.5 A Transition to Part 3
Unity is not something we announce. It is something we become. The proof is not in our claims, but in what our lives can hold without breaking: difference without contempt, truth without cruelty, loyalty without blindness, justice without coldness, and reverence without denial. From One comes many, and from many comes one. If this is the pattern of God, then unity is not the flattening of souls, but the harmonizing of them—until the world can finally sound like what it was always meant to be. This leads us to Part 3, the rights and responsibilities the Kitab-i-Aqdas enjoins. They are the framework of how virtues become manifest in the social life, social systems, and institutions we participate in. What good is virtue if it is only contained within?