Thus, we have explained that "the path to God is through Good," meaning good works are of central importance for reaching and realizing the Divine, and without them, there will be no salvation, as some sects today assume. Now we explain in more detail what good works are and what they constitute, for "good works" is just one phrase, but many are its meanings and forms.
We all claim to know what good works and goodness mean, but if asked to give some examples of them, we would not be able to, except for a few trivial cases. And if we looked at our daily lives for such examples, even fewer cases could be observed. Like a man who is holding gems and diamonds in his hands, but they are slipping through his fingers in large measure, so we are losing our perception of goodness and its appreciation in daily life.
Now we shed light on this forgotten but most needed science of good works and goodness. The first topic in this science is that this science is neither trivial nor simple. Every human has some basic ideas about good works, goodness, ethics, and similar topics, but there are many more details and branches, like an Ashwatha tree.
We need training and lessons to understand what good works are. Without such training, it is very unlikely that one can comprehend all corners and notches by oneself, just as one cannot comprehend quantum mechanics all by oneself without external help.
Today that such training is axed and abandoned, what is people's knowledge about good works and goodness? As we all see, it is limited to just "obeying the law," and apart from that, there is no more restriction. But civil laws uphold a very basic form of good works, only enough to prevent chaos, and not enough to exalt. Human beings are Divine beings, and indeed their moral and Divine capacity is far more than just stopping at a red traffic light and not committing murder.
This is verily a trick and ploy of Evil. For it knows that good works are the main force leading the soul to the True God and true salvation. Thus, Evil and all its negative forces induce this idea in people's minds that good works and goodness are trivial things; you already know them, are already doing them, and now it is time to move on to "other things"!
The next topic in this science is to learn about different forms and occasions of good works. Good works appear in humans as virtues, moral traits, and good deeds. Indeed, these three are synonyms, and each results in the other. Together, they are like manifestations of the Divine in man and make him like unto God. Now we detail some forms and examples of good works.
The first form to begin with is "consideration," meaning to abstain from any action that creates inconvenience for others. Talking with a loud voice in the apartment hallway at 2 a.m. is an example of creating such inconvenience. Playing loud music in parks or on beaches, which could disturb others and prevent them from enjoying nature, is another example. Watching clips on the phone with loud speakers and any other form of excessive noise-making in public places, as well as littering, uncleanliness, using bad language, etc., are all examples of common inconsideration today and should be avoided by the followers of the Divine path.
Such avoidance, as small as it seems, could have a significant positive effect on others. It is a dishonor for a seeker on the Divine path to do actions that create inconvenience for others, and it shall be a disgrace to his religion as well. The seeker should focus on consideration more than everything else.
The next form is well-receiving, meaning treating others with politeness and a nice face. Not a fake and pretentious smile, but one that comes from natural kindness and an expression of respect. It is the simplest of good works but solves complex problems. Sometimes one smile can shed light in a dark heart; sometimes it can melt icebergs of old aversion; sometimes it can bring many more smiles and happiness. It is a form of service to others.
The next form is softness, meaning not sharply criticizing others and bringing their weakness or mistakes into the spotlight immediately. You may forgive others' mistakes, or if it is something to point out, you may do it with kindness and in an indirect and harmless way. Avoid shaming others, and you will be on the path of no shame and regret.
The next form is forgiveness. A story has been narrated of an aspirant that, on some occasion of disagreement, his neighbor burst into anger and poured offenses and insults on him. Later in the day, the aspirant in question put on good clothes, knocked on the neighbor's door, apologized, and gave him a small gift. That blew the neighbor with shame and remorse. And he apologized as well. They became friends on that day, and the evil between them evaporated. Here, the apology was not a confession of mistakes but was for the sake of goodness and politeness, for the sake of overcoming evil and establishing peace.
The next form is to help others. This is the most well-known form of good works and the most overlooked one as well. For we see today's religions are focused on philosophy, doctrines, rituals, recitations, historic beliefs, and all other sorts of engagements, but they barely go out and help others, and as a result, they do not set a good and inspiring example for others. Religion should not be only about worship and chanting but should be about solving people's problems as well. You should constantly ask yourself whether you are solving a problem for others. If not, then none of the problems in your life will be solved.
The next form is to participate in the development and betterment of life conditions. A follower of the Divine path should till the earth, should array gardens, and should actively participate in life to manifest Divine beauty and order everywhere around him. The city of the Divine path followers should be the cleanest and most orderly city in the world.
These were some basic forms of good works and virtue for the aspirant to begin with. At more advanced levels, there will be other forms, such as fighting with injustice and evils around us. This requires more effort and possibly some sacrifice on the part of the aspirant in this path. It is not for all, but open to all, as they say: "each person according to his capacity."
And there are other forms of good works and virtues that the student of this path ought to know in their varied shapes and stages. All these good works at the end make good impressions of the Divine path and our pure religion on others. The pure religion should be introduced to others by purity, meaning by these virtues and good works, and not by philosophy or rituals.
Every action we do can set an example which changes someone's life and opinion. Our religion is the religion of action, of good actions which speak for themselves and draw people to this religion, just as a flower garden draws people to itself.
In addition to good works, a student of this path should know about evil works too. Just as good works and virtue are the path to God, evil works and vice are the path to Evil. And both paths are wholly open to man and for him to choose from. Evil works are anger, jealousy, greed, and other vices. The demons in the ancient myths personify the vices and are depicted as repulsive and hideous sub-creatures who can set the world on fire, and indeed they did today.
Thus, the knowledge of evil works is also a part of the Divine path training. Some evil works are well-known, for they constitute atrocious crimes such as murder, robbery, mayhem, and others that everybody knows about.
But there are some evil works that, at first glance, may seem harmless, but hidden inside are the seeds of evil. Many do not realize these as vices. By means of this, they could lead to more damage than well-known vices. For the thief that comes in the garb of a friend can steal more, and a wolf that comes in sheep's clothing can slay more. Now we expose some of these hidden evil works.
The first is backbiting and making fun of others. It seems innocent and fun that a group of friends get together and talk about other people's faults and mistakes, perhaps do some mocking, and meanwhile some laughter and chortle arise, and everyone becomes cheerful. But in reality, backbiting is a form of harming, not physically, but in the spiritual plane where the respect and dignity of that person are slashed and stabbed. It is like a spiritual murdering which undoubtedly causes darkness and negativity in the heart and induces a mild spirit of murder.
Another hidden evil work is frivolity, which is excessive engagement with trivial and trifling matters. It has become common these days when people get together; all the time should be spent in joking and "funny things." Several hours that they spend together, there is not a single serious discussion, and it is all trivial and tasteless jokes.
We do not oppose jokes or talking about funny things, nor do we forbid entertaining movies or TV series. Indeed, a degree of such activities is sometimes needed. But frivolity pushes beyond the limit. It makes the whole life spent in futile and trivial matters. Frivolity weakens the soul; it renders the mind incapable of being able to think about serious matters; it takes away one's charm and inherent dignity; it lowers one to a worthless babbler, a buffoon, and his life to a circus of foolishness.
These hidden evil works are more dangerous than the well-known ones such as murdering. For such works are sometimes even forbidden by the law and entail serious consequences. As a result, many people avoid them. But for hidden evil works like backbiting or frivolity, there is no such legal restriction. And so Evil invests in them more, for it is easier to persuade people to do them compared to committing murder or armed robbery. And now we see most people who talk with each other are engaged either in backbiting or in frivolity, and big destruction always comes in small measures.
Indeed, the list of good and evil works is long. But there is no need for a detailed analysis of them. As you follow the Divine path and put into practice those good works that you know about, God will show you the good works that you did not know about. The light that comes into your heart as a result of your good works will illuminate more corners of spiritual wisdom; you will see more virtues and vices, and all the tricks and details of each.