We have explained that the path to God is through Good (goodness), and now we explain what this Good is. For "Good" is just one word but many are its meaning and forms. Thus, to complete the teaching, we must expound this word and the forms that it appears in today's life. We all claim to know what goodness is, what virtue is. But if asked to give examples of virtue we will count only a few. And if looked at our daily lives for such examples even fewer cases will be counted. Like a man who is holding gems and diamonds in his hands but they are slipping through his fingers in large measures, we are running low on good deeds, a significant poverty in our perception of goodness, and its appreciation and application to daily life.
What is goodness? How to be "good"? We think we know but we don't! This is verily a trick and ploy of Evil who desires to draw people away from the path of goodness. For goodness is the emergency call for Evil. He knows as well that it is the path to the true God and true salvation. Thus, Evil and all its negative forces induce this idea in people's minds that goodness is a trivia thing, you already know it, already doing it, and now is time to move on to "other things"!
So we start focusing on "other things". So we spend our time learning about chemistry, physics, about how car engine works, about how plane is propelled on the air, how earthworm breath and bread, about minute details of election in such and such country, about social issues in regions thousands miles away and thousand other things, but virtue and ethics, nobody knows! There are classes for everything: for math, for driving, for cooking, for repairing cars, for sewing, but I did not see any class on goodness and ethics anywhere. I searched on the web and yellow pages, on posters, on community centers, and found none. Provided that goodness is the path to salvation, we would expect more.
Indeed in the school of pure religion goodness and ethics are the main focus. If the school day is four hours then two hours should be dedicated to goodness and moral training, and if the day is eight hours then four hours should be dedicated to that. Followers of the true religion should be known by their goodness, virtues, manners that they display in everyday life. And this is the badge of our religion. Our religion is not to be known by belief or dogma, but by friendly faces and sincere manners.
Now we shed light on this forgotten but most needed science of goodness and virtue, and may one day sessions and sittings be erected for it everywhere, and it becomes as they call it "light on light". The first topic in this science is, Goodness and ethics are neither trivia nor simple. Every human has some basic ideas about them, but there are many more details and branches like an Ashwatha tree.
Without training, it is very unlikely that one can meditate all these by himself. Today that such training is axed and abandoned, what is people's knowledge about morality 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 law upholds a very basic form of morality, only enough to prevent chaos, and not enough to exalt. Human beings are Divine beings, and indeed their moral capacity is far more than just stopping at the red traffic light and paying taxes unerringly.
Thus, training in goodness and virtue is needed, and people cannot comprehent all corners and notches of ethics and virtues by themselves just as one cannot comprehend quantum mechanics all by himself without external help. We don't provide such training to our children today, and are we witnessing a generation of exalted people, polite and pondering, with strong characters, with charms and wisdom in words, like knights of the olden as envisioned by the renaissance fathers? Or are we seeing a lost generation with a loose grip on morality, always depressed and stressed, headphone bearers enmeshed in the phones and disconnected from reality?
The next topic in this science is to learn about different forms and occasions of goodness and virtue. Here we count and detail some virtues. As basic as some of them may seem to be, we barely thought about them! The first virtue to begin with is "consideration", meaning to abstain from any action that creates inconvenience for others. What are those actions? Talking aloud in the apartment hallway at 2 am, or as oftentimes happens, people come to beaches or parks with large boomboxes playing very loud music which disturbs others and prevents from enjoying nature.
Other examples of inconsideration include littering, having awkward and violent appearance, dangerous driving, etc. As small as they seem, their effect on other people might be huge. It is below the honor of Aref (seekers in the path of pure religion) to do actions that create inconvenience for others, and it'll be a disgrace to his religion as well. Aref should focus on consideration more than everything else.
Another important virtue is Goshadeh-royee, meaning treating others with a nice and smiling face. Not a fake and pretentious smile, but one that comes from a natural kindness and expression of respect. It is the simplest of virtues, 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.
Next virtue is softness, meaning one does not sharply criticize others and bring their weakness or mistakes into the spotlight immediately. You may forgive others' mistakes, or if it's 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 virtue is forgiveness. A story has been narrated of an Aref (follower of true religion) who on some occasion of disagreement, his neighbor burst into anger and poured offenses and insults on him. Later in the day, the Aref 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 again, and the evil between them evaporated. Here, the apology was not a confession to mistakes, but was for the sake of goodness and politeness, for the sake of overcoming evil and establishing peace.
And there are other virtues that the student of this path ought to know in their varied forms and stages. All these virtues at the end make a good impression of the pure religion to others. Pure religion should be introduced by these virtues to the public 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 virtues, a student of this path should know about vices too. Just as virtue is the path to God, vice is the path to Evil. And both paths are wholly open to man and for him to choose from. The gates of hell 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.
Thus, the knowledge of vices is also a part of the pure religion training. Some vices are well-known for they constitute atrocious crimes and most people avoid them. They are murder, robbery, mayhem, and others. But there are some more vices that, on a first glance, may seem harmless, but hidden inside are seeds of evil. Many do not realize these as vice. By virtue 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 cloth can slay more.
Now we expose some of these hidden vices. One 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 mock, 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 is slashed and stabbed. It is like a spiritual murdering which undoubtedly causes darkness and negativity in the heart and spirit of the murderer. Another negative consequence of this act is the creation of hostility and hatred. Many enmities today among relatives and families come from these small and apparently guileless backbiting over coffees or lunches. They start with small laughings and end in big cryings.
Another hidden vice is Harzegaraye, which is excessive engagement with trivial and trifling matters. These days when people get together, it has become common that all the time should be spent in joking and "funny things". One person says a few words, then all laugh, then another person says a few words, then all laugh, and this is the format of the meeting which is an alternation of skit and laughter. And this became particularly common among younger men. Several hours that they spend together there is not a single serious discussion, and it's all trivial and tasteless jokes. Another example is to talk or read about celebrities' lives and how they spent their vacation and other useless info about worthless people.
We do not oppose jokes or talking about funny things, nor we forbid entertaining movies or TV series. Indeed a degree of such activities is sometimes needed. But Harzagaraye pushes beyond limit. It makes the whole life spent in futile and trivia matters. Harzegaraye 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 human to a worthless babbler, a buffoon, and his life to a circus of foolishness.
These hidden vices are more dangerous than grave vices and crimes like murdering. For such grave vices are sometimes even forbidden by the law. But for hidden vice like backbiting or Harzegaraye, 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 Harzegraye, and big destruction always comes in small steps and dozes.
Indeed the list of virtues and vices is long. But there is no need for a detailed analysis of them. As you follow the path of goodness and put into practice those virtues that you know you will be inspired and learn about more virtues that you did not know. The light that comes into your heart as a result of your good deed will illuminate more corners of spiritual wisdom, you will see more virtues and vices, and all the tricks and details of each.
Indeed the path to God is through developing virtues and abstaining from vices. The examples we gave above seem trivial, but indeed salvation is obtained through such trivial and small steps. There is no need for elaborate philosophies, exotic rituals and complex sacraments. That's how salvation is obtained: do not talk with your phone aloud at 2 am, help your neighbor for free to mow his lawn, and do not caveat others' wealth. Or as the bible says in the word of James the just: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." [James 1:27]. Thus, religion is summarized in virtue and good deeds in everyday life.