How To Use This Book

The ‘thoughts’ or spiritual and moral concepts included in this book have been arranged in alphabetical order. The treatment given to each ‘thought’ is not intended to be complete but rather provides a beginning for more detailed study of each idea.

The structure of each chapter follows the same format. Section 1 provides short quotations from the scriptures of the world or other writings. Many of these are suitable for children to memorize, or they may be used as captions for pictures children might draw, illustration each thought. Section 2 provides longer quotations from religious texts. Each ‘thought’ includes stories or poems which illustrate the theme, and these are grouped under Section 3. Many of the ‘thoughts’ are quite difficult for children, especially young children, to grasp, and Section 4 includes questions which will stimulate the children into thinking about the concepts and how they relate to their own lives.

The sources of the quotations have been kept deliberately short within the text, but detailed lists of references and sources are included at the end of the book. Authors of stories and poems are cited at the end of their works. All quotations in Sections 1 and 2 are within quotation marks. In Sections 3 and 4, text for which there is no reference, or which is not in quotation marks, is by compiler.

The source books and religious teachers most often cited in the text refer to the following religions:

Upanishads, Vedas, Bhagavad-Gita - Hinduism

Yacna - Zoroastrianism

Dhammapada - Buddhism

Old Testament - Judaism

New Testament - Christianity

Muhammad - Islam

The Bab - Babi Religion

Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Baha - Baha’i Faith

                                                                                 By Irene Taafaki