The purpose of life is to get certain results; that is, the
life of man must bring forth certain fruitage. It does not depend upon the
length of life. As soon as the life is crowned with fruition then it is
completed, although that person may have had a short life. There are certain trees
which come to fruition very quickly, but there are other trees which attain to
fruition very late; the aim is fruit. If the tree brings forth its fruit young,
its life is short; it is praiseworthy. How regretful it is that a man may live
a long life and yet his life may not be crowned with success, like unto the
cypress tree which does not give any fruitage.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha at the
grave of Thornton Chase, San Francisco, California, October 19, 1912’ Star of
the West, vol. 3, no. 13, November 4, 1912)
