June 1, 1999 marks the 90th birthday of Dr. Dahesh and the 4th anniversary of Dahesh Voice, the magazine that proudly echoes his voice, the voice of truth and enlightment.
Celebrating the two occasions, we dedicate this issue to Dr. Dahesh, thanking him for the unforgettable days we spent with him, the noble message he left us, and for his teachings that opened our eyes to the spiritual truth and enlightened our hearts with love.
Bom on June 1, 1909, Dr. Dahesh witnessed world disputes and hate, that evolved into a series of wars that resulted in destruction and suffering felt in every country and on every land. Human minds were shackled by illusion, sectarianism, racism, emptiness and confusion.
Yet, in the midst of all that darkness and despair, Dr. Dahesh lit the torch of hope, love, justice and humane values, and launched his own war against falsehood, delusional and decadent beliefs. He preached equality of humankind and unity of religion that may be perceived through faith in the essence of religions based on divine justice, reincarnation and just deserts.
Dr. Dahesh elaborated his views in more than 150 books. These timeless truths constitute an integrated spiritual vision, that shines like a bright, everlasting beacon, illuminating the meaning of our existence and the secrets of the lives of animate beings and inanimate objects no less than the universal civilizations inhabiting millions of planets.
In his books. Dr. Dahesh affirmed that man is the master of his own destiny and stressed on the existence of a strict spiritual order to the universe, that links causes and effects and establishes a plan for life on the basis of just deserts. He believed in reincarnation and spiritual causal ity which represent the greatest manifestations of di vine justice. In his introduction to Volume ll of the book Strange Stories and Wonderful Tales, Dr. Dahesh writes that reincarnation is an act of mercy (see p. 4, Arabic Section, p.5). Life is too short and full of temptations, so our actions during one lifetime, mainly spent on sleep, or in sickness and irresponsible youth, cannot be judged as totally bad or totally good to deserve eternal hell or everlasting happiness. Merciful God has endowed us with reincarnation where, by repeated rebirths we are given further chances to cleanse ourselves front base inclinations in order to progress spiritually. However, spiritual progress depends on free will and determination to overcome instincts and evil tendencies (Arabic Section, p.9).
According to Dr. Dahesh, Earth is not the only body that can sustain life. Extraterrestrial civilizations exist, and the universe is teeming with life (see p.23, Arabic Section, p.68). The belief that life is not confined to our planet brings some humility to egocentric humans who feel that the universe only rotates around them. Contrary to other theological views, it also serves as further evidence of the existence of an omnipotent, almighty God.
In this felicitous issue, it is our pleasure to publish articles that whisper gratitude, love and dedication to Dr. Dahesh and his spiritual mission. In addition, we publish other articles that promote Dr. Dahesh’s ideals—culture, knowledge and human perfection.
All of us involved in the magazine are proud of what we have been publishing every three months. Both its contents and physical appearance have elicited favorable comments. However, we will continue to strive for further improvement, promising our readers that we will spare no effort in publishing articles that fit our notion of excellence, that are intriguing and inspirational. Having released 16 issues, we have not changed our minds about what we wrote in the editorial of the inaugural issue, that Dahesh Voice will always remain “for those who cherish the voices of truth, virtue and beauty... for those who yearn to transcend themselves, thereby uplifting the consciousness of humanity for a better tomorrow.” *
Editorial Board