Category: Introductory Essays

The Perspective from Inside the Apple

Published March 16, 2021 by admin

Baha’u’llah’s son ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ used many analogies to explain our relationship to God, like the profound idea expressed below-

And as we reflect, we observe that man is like unto a tiny organism contained within a fruit; this fruit hath developed out of the blossom, the blossom hath grown out of the tree, the tree is sustained by the sap, and the sap formed out of earth and water. How then can this tiny organism comprehend the nature of the garden, conceive of the gardener and comprehend his being? That is manifestly impossible. Should that organism understand and reflect, it would observe that this garden, this tree, this blossom, this fruit would in no wise have come to exist by themselves in such order and perfection. Similarly the wise and reflecting soul will know of a certainty that this infinite universe with all its grandeur and perfect order could not have come to exist by itself. (‘Abdu’l-Baha)

Quote from ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablet to Dr Forel, available at www.bahai.org/library. Photo by Timotheus Fröbel on Unsplash

Comments closed

The Spiritual Instinct

The Spiritual Instinct

Published July 26, 2020 by admin

Inherent in the nature of all human beings is the desire for transcendence, a “sense”, however vague, that one is connected to something immensely greater than ourselves. This “spiritual instinct”, this longing for transcendence, is a natural and universal human phenomenon. All people, all cultures, have expressed it in different patterns and to different degrees.

But much like the natural forces of wind and water, which humans needed to learn how to use to do productive work, we needed to learn about our natural spiritual instinct and how to use it. Two thousand years ago, Christ came into the world and inspired humanity’s spiritual instinct, teaching people how to use it for the benefit of themselves and their communities. Wherever His message spread, communities sprung up that learned to use the native energy within themselves to spread virtue, care for the materially disadvantaged, and ultimately build the ethical basis of human civilization.

Six hundred years after Christ, the Prophet Muhammad appeared in a different part of the world, and taught people how to see their spiritual instinct as something that was universal. In the wake of His message came an enlightened culture, focused on community unity and the care of everyone under the banner of one God. That culture was the envy of the world for hundreds of years.

In these great religions, the knowledge of God became the knowledge of our own selves- how to tap into our noblest qualities, develop and refine them, and put our sense of transcendence to work in the service of others. But the spiritual instinct is not the only human instinct, and it can become overwhelmed by other aspects of our nature. The civilizing of human character is a klunky process, with two steps forward followed by one step back. Meanwhile, human civilization is becoming more complex and integrated, calling for more and more from out of our interior selves to deal with its challenges.

In the 19th century, among the cauldron of ideas that ultimately formed our modern world, was the piercing call of Baha’u’llah. A prisoner, an exile, a refugee, He once again called for the further refinement of humanity’s spiritual instinct, this time to accomplish a greater task than it had ever before been called upon to do- the unification of the human race in a culture of justice, fairness, and genuine love. At the root of His teachings was a simple truth- that a higher level of unity among people required a higher level of human character- the transformation of our inner “copper” into “gold”. Once again, He taught humanity about its spiritual instinct- how to find it, how to nurture it, and how to constructively use it in the building of a global civilization. His religion became known as the Baha’i Faith, and it has the power to change the world.

Comments closed

Introductory Essays Series

Published August 20, 2019 by admin

“Introductory Essays” is a series of reflective introductory essays on the teachings and significance of Baha’u’llah’s teachings and Revelation. They are authored by Kendal Williams, the editor of Sifter of Dust, and reflect his own views about the Baha’i Faith. You can read them in series by scrolling through or select them individually from the list below.

The Spiritual Instinct introduces the idea that all humans have a desire for transcendence- a spiritual instinct- and the purpose of the Revelations of God has been to refine and develop that instinct.

The Three Onenesses introduces the three core concepts of Baha’u’llah’s faith- that there is one God, one human race, and essentially one faith of God, revealed at different times in history according to our needs.

God is Not Dead (Part 1) is the formal start to the series by describing why it is reasonable to believe in an underlying Will and Intelligence behind the world we experience- what we have come to call “God”.

God is Not Dead (Part 2) continues the discussion of the Baha’i concept of God by describing how God is reflected in all creation and in the revelations that reflect His truth on earth.

The Perspective Inside the Apple highlights a short passage from the Baha’i Writings that explains our relationship to God and why we are so limited in our ability to know Him directly, but that we can see His reality in the world.

One God discusses the concept of the Oneness of God and why it was important in the development of humanity’s understanding of God.

God is Not Trying to Trick Us! (Part 1) describes the Baha’i concept of progressive revelation of spiritual truth and how it is embedded each of the religions of the past. In other words, God has told us what he was up to. He’s not trying to trick us!

God is Not Trying to Trick Us! (Part 2) discusses why each of the revelations of God differ even though they reflect the unfoldment of One Faith.

Taking a Broad Perspective reflects on the fact that Baha’u’llah’s revelation not only is itself a new mine of spiritual truth for people to explore, but sets the stage for people to study the other revelations of God and learn from them as well- revelations of God we might have previously ignored because they weren’t part of our religion.

What is a Human Being? is an essay on the Baha’i concept of a human being.

Two Natures of Humanity highlights a passage from ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ on what we can be as humans.

The Spirit of Faith continues the discussion of the nature of our humanity, highlighting what faith can mean for human spiritual and moral development.

Love and Detachment highlights two spiritual qualities that feature prominently in the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, and how they are related to each other.

Introducing the Speaker discusses the significance of the claims of Baha’u’llah and how they were described by those who most appreciated them.

The Reality of All Things describes how Baha’u’llah taught that spiritual truths are actually the reality of all things and from which we derive inspiration to change the world.

How to Save the World describes the far reaching implications of the oneness of humanity and how we can use it to “save the world”.

Who Speaks for Us? reflects on how Baha’u’llah has stood up for all humanity and is a guide to pull us out of the trap of materialism and understand the religious history of humankind- and ourselves- in a new light.

Comments closed

Who speaks for us?

Who speaks for us?

Published June 10, 2019 by admin

In the famous children’s book by Dr Seuss known as the Lorax, all the trees are being cut down to feed a factory until the Lorax arrives to protest, stating that he “speaks for the trees” because they have no voice. I often think of Baha’u’llah as being like the Lorax, and that line “I speak for the trees” reverberates. Like the Lorax, Baha’u’llah only had His Pen as a tool, as His Voice. He was up against the imperialist and sovereign rules of the earth, the inveterate clergy whose authority he challenged, and a largely neglectful humanity who was engrossed in its material preoccupations. Baha’u’llah speaks with a challenging Voice, but he needed to in order to break through the walls that had built up between people and their own potential.

By the righteousness of God, my Well-Beloved! I have never aspired after worldly leadership. My sole purpose hath been to hand down unto men that which I was bidden to deliver by God, the Gracious, the Incomparable, that it may detach them from all that pertaineth to this world, and cause them to attain such heights as neither the ungodly can conceive, nor the froward imagine.

Baha’u’llah not only speaks for the trees, He speaks for us, for the people. His teachings are for us. We are the ones who ultimately benefit. “The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance voiceth continually this call: “All things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake.”

In His Tablets to the Kings, Baha’u’llah describes the importance of the people- who He describes as the “treasures of the earth”- and also the land and the earth through which they harvest their wealth. He warns the leaders not to neglect their true treasure-

If ye stay not the hand of the oppressor, if ye fail to safeguard the rights of the down-trodden, what right have ye then to vaunt yourselves among men? What is it of which ye can rightly boast? Is it on your food and your drink that ye pride yourselves, on the riches ye lay up in your treasuries, on the diversity and the cost of the ornaments with which ye deck yourselves? If true glory were to consist in the possession of such perishable things, then the earth on which ye walk must needs vaunt itself over you, because it supplieth you, and bestoweth upon you, these very things, by the decree of the Almighty. In its bowels are contained, according to what God hath ordained, all that ye possess. From it, as a sign of His mercy, ye derive your riches. Behold then your state, the thing in which ye glory! Would that ye could perceive it! Nay, By Him Who holdeth in His grasp the kingdom of the entire creation! Nowhere doth your true and abiding glory reside except in your firm adherence unto the precepts of God, your wholehearted observance of His laws, your resolution to see that they do not remain unenforced, and to pursue steadfastly the right course…

We now live in a world where people, not just the earth and the land, are considered “consumers”, “human capital”, and minds and hearts to be manipulated for their own ends. Even information is now “spun” to achieve the greatest effect, enriching someone’s “portfolio” or enhancing some selfish interest. Materialist scientists and other “public intellectuals” tell humans that they are nothing more than the result of mindless matter rearranging itself through chance and necessity to produce a biological machine without any soul, without any purpose.

Baha’u’llah’s vision bring coherence back to the reality of our world. The religions of the world are not some gobbleygook of incoherent nonsense- as they sometimes appear- but steps in the evolution of humanity’s spiritual education. If they appear outworn, outmoded, or just plain old, it is partly because we have evolved beyond the messages and world view of those traditional religions. At the same time, all of them are true within their own station, and deserve our respect and honor. Nothing Baha’u’llah ever said even remotely suggested that we have to abandon the profound truth and beauty of the Revelations of the past.

For many people, traditional religions have already been replaced by materialism. People are attracted to materialism as the intellectual theme of our time, but the nature of creation cannot simply be only matter. It simply can’t. You end up having to deny things we know exist- like human free will and even subjective consciousness itself. Such a view is ultimately as incoherent as some of the teachings of traditional religion. But we need a new framework through which to think about the world.

Baha’u’llah’s teachings are the way out of the trap, the gift we have been given to find our real humanity again. In a remarkable and beautiful passage, He describes His commandments-

O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord of Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments, shining above the Dayspring of His bountiful care and loving-kindness…Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!

We have reviewed some of these “commandments” in this series of essays- teachings about the oneness of humanity, the education of women, the independent investigation of truth, avoidance of all forms of prejudice, and the need for religion to “make sense” and to be consistent with our findings in the scientific realm. There are many other critical ideas we could have discussed- and will highlight in future posts on Sifter of Dust- such as the importance of consultation in human decision making and the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty that exist in our world. All of these are ideals that Baha’is act with others to try and make into a reality world-wide. We believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to tackle the range of challenges that afflict humanity world-wide.

Beyond the social teachings however, there is a profound message in Baha’u’llah’s words to each one of us, to our innermost hearts. The massive changes in our world in the last three centuries and the overturning of previous beliefs that rooted people in our own lives have left us vulnerable on the inside. We no longer trust ourselves. We no longer trust our natural spiritual instincts that our lives have purpose and meaning and that we are built for something greater than ourselves. We are caught in a narrative about ourselves that we are material things built for material purposes only- and that is what we seek. Our inner spirituality has withered.

In one passage, Baha’u’llah states that “the beginning of religion is love for God…, and its end is to manifest that love to His servants”. The core of the message Baha’u’llah brought into the world is spiritual transformation, to revive the love of God in our hearts. He seeks to transform the world by transforming our inner reality. But it’s not something we do alone. We do it in communities where we work with others to not only fuel the engine of our spirituality, but express that faith in lines of action that Baha’u’llah has outlined, the essence of which is “love to His servants”.

In a beautiful passage, Baha’u’llah says that, in the past, humans would search their whole lives to find their inner beloved, but, in this Day, it is the Beloved Himself who is searching for his lovers-

For whereas in days past every lover besought and searched after his Beloved, it is the Beloved Himself Who now is calling His lovers and is inviting them to attain His presence. Take heed lest ye forfeit so precious a favor; beware lest ye belittle so remarkable a token of His grace. Abandon not the incorruptible benefits, and be not content with that which perisheth. Lift up the veil that obscureth your vision, and dispel the darkness with which it is enveloped, that ye may gaze on the naked beauty of the Beloved’s face, may behold that which no eye hath beheld, and hear that which no ear hath heard.

With that, we invite you to explore the beauty of Baha’u’llah’s Faith and the Revelation of God for our time in history. There’s no rush, no pressure. We all come to religion with all different perspectives and different histories that need to be worked through. The kind of transformation we are engaged in is not one that can be rushed or forced. We simply invite you to join us on the journey of exploration.

Photo by Danka & Peter on Unsplash

Comments closed

How to Save the World

How to Save the World

Published June 3, 2019 by admin

One of the primary themes in the Tablets and Writings of Baha’u’llah is the remarkable nature of the time in which we live, the significance of this “Day” in history.

This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God’s mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Daystar of His loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.

Baha’u’llah taught that the revelations of God come to humanity in line with humanity’s capacity to receive them, and that they are geared to humanity’s capacity at that time in history. Our time in history is especially blessed because society had evolved to the point where it was ready for a great leap forward. Undoubtedly, from the late 1700s, humanity has been on quite a roller coaster ride of change, with a trajectory pointed straight up. The growth of science, knowledge, technology, economic growth, energy production and use, population size, education and a host of other factors has expanded so dramatically that our world is almost unrecognizable to peoples who would have lived in the same places 300 years ago. There is a graph of humanity’s technological development until the 1850’s- and then after. It shows very slow growth with an almost completely horizontal line nearly paralleling the x-axis until 1850, then a dramatic upward turn in about 1850 such that the line now nearly parallels the y-axis- a full 90 degree turn straight up.

This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behooveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. ..Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfill that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.

Considering what we know about the world since the time of the revelation of these words, sometime in the mid to late 1800’s, we have to admit that they are astonishing. Looking at recent history, it truly seems that a “most might grace hath been infused into all created things”. The “order’ at the time of Baha’u’llah- imperialist kings with religious systems that had a firm grip on the conceptions of the people- are all gone and a new “order” is being rolled out as we speak.

What are the features of that new “order”? As our world hurdles into the future, what are the principles we can cling to so that we ensure our peace and security? Baha’u’llah not only knew our place in history but he also revealed the principles we needed to cling to in order that our roller coaster ride turns out ok. The term “salvation” has had many meanings, and can be sort of a controversial word, but the image that always comes to mind is a life raft in the middle of a swirling sea, and we cling to that life raft to stay afloat and move forward in our journey. The principles of Baha’u’llah are humanity’s salvation.

Baha’u’llah taught that the fundamental principle to recognize and implement in our societies is the oneness of humanity. As He says above, It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behooveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests”. The oneness of humanity has always been a spiritual truth, but now it needs to be a social truth as well. As ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ further explained-

In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of thought were well nigh impossible. Consequently intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the earth were unattainable. In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one. And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land, to associate and exchange views with its peoples, and to become familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century—the century of light—hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.

Baha’u’llah outlined these realities in His Tablets to the Kings-

Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need armaments no more save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions. Be united, O concourse of the sovereigns of the world, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you and your peoples find rest. Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice.”

Baha’u’llah praised the formation of representative democracies, stating that it “benefitted all the peoples of the earth” but gave guidance as to how the representatives should conduct themselves- “It behoveth them, however, to be trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves as the representatives of all that dwell on earth. This is what counselleth them, in this Tablet, He Who is the Ruler, the All-Wise.”

As the world was increasing becoming interdependent, it was critical that the representatives see themselves as representing “all that dwell on earth”. He further stated that we needed to develop a “world-embracing vision”. Like it or not, the world that was emerging in Baha’u’llah’s time and that has now arrived is one in which we- all over the world- are dependent on each other. Baha’u’llah compared humanity to the human body, which required that all its various parts work in harmony for the system to work effectively.

Unfortunately, the kings and leaders of the world in the 19th century did not follow Baha’u’llah’s counsels. They continued to compete for world resources and engaged in petty skirmishes over issues that have been long since forgotten. One by one, their empires fell, some due to war, other due to the revolution from the people they had ignored and oppressed. But no matter who was in charge, they continued to plot against each other, angling for wealth and influence. When ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ came to the United States and Europe in 1912, the world was already a tinderbox ready to explode.

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s presentations in America have been captured in a compilation known as the “Promulgation of Universal Peace”, and it is well-worth everyone’s time to read them. He spoke with such clarity, focused on universal values, and exhibited such extraordinary kindness and wisdom that he quickly became a personality that newspapers would follow daily. Even government leaders- such as Supreme Court Justices, Presidential Cabinet Members- sought out his advice, and he was invited, though declined due to a scheduling conflict, to speak to Congress.

In ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s presentations, he laid out the principles of his Father’s Revelation, the principles of universal peace among nations. He taught that they should apply the principle of federalism that welded together the states in America- to world governance structure. Such a system was the natural outcome of the nations increasing interdependence on each other and would provide an administrative structure for peace and coordination, while preserving national sovereignty and diversity. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ stated again and again that all prejudices- national, racial, religious, and political- were all unreal and the destroyer of the foundation of human solidarity. He challenged even the most enlightened thinkers of the time. For instance, W.E.B Dubois, an influential intellectual, founder of the NAACP, and civil rights activist- and also a great admirer of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’- wouldn’t even touch the idea of inter-racial marriage. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ fearlessly addressed it in inter-racial gatherings that he himself sponsored in Washington, D.C.- actively encouraging people of different races to marry- for thereby the foundations of the oneness of humanity would be promoted.

‘Abdu’l-Baha’ not only promoted women’s education and full engagement with the political and work world, but stated that the promotion of women’s rights would be a foundation of the world’s peace. Indeed, we have seen since that time that the education of women is a key element- if not the most important element- in the social and economic development of a nation.

But the most prominent theme in his talks was the value and truth of religion, and its fundamental oneness. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ stood for everything that was good about religion- promotion of virtue, high-mindedness, inspiration for social change- and he met with scores of religious leaders in his travels. He promoted the progressive revelation of religious truth and stated that we all must look at the fundamentals of our own religion and see how they have been also part of other faiths. He decried the increasingly materialistic turn of human thinking- both in economics and science- describing it as a profound limitation to the nature of reality and of human beings themselves.

As we now sit 100 years after Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha presented these ideas to the world, we now see how profound and important they are. We have 100 years of history to reflect on since that time. Two world wars ravaged the planet, after which a broken humanity founded the United Nations organization and it’s surrounding bodies like the WHO, UNICEF and others. NATO was founded in Europe and promoted the principle of collective security- a principle Baha’u’llah had taught 100 years before to ensure peace among nations- and Europe has enjoyed over 60 years of peace and prosperity- the longest period of peace in it’s history. Indeed, it is the degree to which we have implemented the principles revealed by Baha’u’llah and further explained by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ that we have seen peace and success. But there is still much more work to do.

Shoghi Effendi led the Baha’i community for 36 years and guided the development and growth of Baha’i institutions throughout the world. In his letters to those communities, he continued to expand on the ideas and principles of Baha’u’llah, and how they applied to the modern day. We will conclude this essay with one of his most famous passages on the implications for the principle of the oneness of humankind. As described, the oneness of humanity is not simply an ideal, but is a reality that implies an “organic change” in the way we have always done business, a transformation in our collective identity of who we are and how we structure our societies.

“The principle of the Oneness of Mankind—the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve—is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious coöperation among individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence. It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn shibboleths of national creeds—creeds that have had their day and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel, fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world—a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units.

Photo by Tom Ezzatkhah on Unsplash

Comments closed

The Reality of All Things

The Reality of All Things

Published May 31, 2019 by admin

In the early period of Baha’u’llah’s revelation, as He was educating the community the Bab had left him to mold, Baha’u’llah began the process of unfolding the spiritual and social teachings of His message with the revelation of a small book of short aphorisms known as the “Hidden Words”. Hailed by Baha’u’llah as the “inner essence” of the revelations of God from the past, the work can be thought of as Baha’u’llah’s Revelation in the form of a seed that would then unfold over the next few decades as a full tree. The Voice of God is the author, who speaks directly to the human heart, in a sublime and intimate manner. Though initially the language and form may seem different, when you ponder upon its meanings, spiritual insights unfold before you. At no time in the history of religion has God spoken to humanity with more intimacy, as a lover speaking to his beloved.

O Son of Man! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.

O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.

‘Abdu’l-Baha’, Baha’u’llah’s son, described divine revelation as the “essential connection that proceeds from the reality of all things”. Within the Hidden Words, Baha’u’llah is revealing to us our true natures, as well as the nature of the world, and the truths that we need to appreciate in order to fully thrive as human beings. As the passages above suggest, humans are not only fundamentally spiritual but have been brought into being to fulfill a fundamentally exalted purpose.

O SON OF SPIRIT! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.

Again and again, the Voice of God urges us to pull ourselves up out of our limited conceptions- filled with existential doubt about the true purpose of our lives- to see ourselves and the world in its true and glorious dimension.

O FLEETING SHADOW! Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!

O MOVING FORM OF DUST! I desire communion with thee, but thou wouldst put no trust in Me. The sword of thy rebellion hath felled the tree of thy hope. At all times I am near unto thee, but thou art ever far from Me. Imperishable glory I have chosen for thee, yet boundless shame thou hast chosen for thyself. While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy chance.

The Voice of God even pines away for us, sad that we have not risen to our true destiny, that of being an intimate lover of God.

O SON OF DUST! All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee, except the human heart, which I have made the habitation of My beauty and glory; yet thou didst give My home and dwelling to another than Me; and whenever the manifestation of My holiness sought His own abode, a stranger found He there, and, homeless, hastened unto the sanctuary of the Beloved. Notwithstanding I have concealed thy secret and desired not thy shame.

This idea that we have given our heart to another, when our inmost hearts true desire is to be united with its spiritual Beloved is extraordinarily powerful and beautiful. But who or what have we given our heart to, instead of to God? Baha’u’llah teaches us that it is our “worldly affections”, our attachments to money, wealth, power, and ego, that keep us from finding our true selves and the Beloved within us.

O BEFRIENDED STRANGER! The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of My power, quench it not with the contrary winds of self and passion. The healer of all thine ills is remembrance of Me, forget it not. Make My love thy treasure and cherish it even as thy very sight and life.

ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY DESIRE! Even as the swiftness of lightning ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have set your hearts on satanic fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain imagining, and call it truth. Ye turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it a flower. Not a pure breath have ye breathed, nor hath the breeze of detachment been wafted from the meadows of your hearts. Ye have cast to the winds the loving counsels of the Beloved and have effaced them utterly from the tablet of your hearts, and even as the beasts of the field, ye move and have your being within the pastures of desire and passion.

There is an extraordinarily profound reality at the root of all this. Baha’u’llah is telling us that this journey we are all on called “life” is really fundamentally a moral and spiritual journey in which the destination is to ultimately find our true Beloved within us. The ramifications of this perspective are so far reaching that it’s impossible to go into all its aspects. Suffice it to say that every difficulty we face in life, and every bounty, is actually truly valuable to the degree that it moves us forward or backward along this spiritual journey.

Take, for instance, the idea of wealth. People go through great efforts to acquire wealth, often making it the object and purpose of nearly every waking moment. But what value does wealth really have, when framed within the reality of the spiritual journey we are all on?

O SON OF MAN! Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from it. Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession, and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom. By My life! This is My knowledge, and that is thy fancy; how can My way accord with thine?

In a later passage, Baha’u’llah will tell us that wealth is only truly valuable to people who have reached spiritual maturity, who see wealth as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. When complexed with the love of God, wealth can be a wonderful thing as people with spiritual maturity use it to benefit of others.

O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds.

Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!

The extremes of wealth and poverty we see in our world are really the expression of a fundamental ignorance about the true value of wealth. Those who hoard it to a degree far beyond their means are really expressing a form of ignorance, as the wealth will ultimately become a major barrier in their own spiritual progress.

O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.

Note in this passage it’s not that we should “tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor” to relieve the plight of the poor, but the wealthy! They are the ones on the “path of destruction” because they are at risk for over-valuing their wealth and not developing their inner resources.

O SON OF MAN! Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven thou mayest draw from stores of unfading splendor and treasures of imperishable glory. But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye.

The theme of the reality of our spiritual journey as human beings will course throughout Baha’u’llah’s revelation. People who thirst for power, wealth, and influence will be portrayed as “ignorant”, victims of their own “idle fancies” and “vain imaginings”- ideas that only serve to feed our egos but are out of step with the underlying spiritual truths at the root of all reality. These “veils” have imprisoned them within their own conceptions. Baha’u’llah consistently, throughout the Hidden Words, implores us to listen to His Voice, and put aside those shadowy voices within us that are expressions of ignorance.

O SON OF DUST! Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness.

The Hidden Words also lays the spiritual foundations of many of the social concepts that Baha’u’llah would later reveal in more detail, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ would further explain in his writings and talks in the West.

For instance, the second Hidden Word counsels us about justice.

O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

Note that Baha’u’llah is not only describing our typical sense of justice, as reflected in our legal system or the “rule of law’, although that sense of justice is undoubtedly part of it, but also about independence of mind and spirit- that we should look at things with our own eyes, know of our own knowledge and not be blind followers of others. That sense of justice, of fair-mindedness, of independent truth seeking, is God’s “best beloved”. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ would later describe this as the principle of “independent investigation of truth” and he would say that blindly following tradition or one’s impressions without investigation it is at the root of all prejudice, and thus the cause of great and needless division in the world.

The distinctive teaching of Baha’u’llah’s revelation is the oneness of humanity. This will later be described as “the pivot around which all the teachings of Baha’u’llah revolve”. It’s far reaching implications, in our social and political systems, as well as in our daily lives and efforts will be developed more fully in both Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Writings, as well as later those of Shoghi Effendi, who led the Faith until the Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963.

But even that concept follows from a fundamental spiritual reality expressed in the Hidden Words- that human beings are fundamentally all one.

O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

The concept of the oneness of humanity also flows from the fact that all human beings were created out of love- “I loved thy creation, hence I created thee”. All human beings are therefore loved, intimately and personally loved, by their Creator. Moreover, we have been created for a noble purpose- “Noble have I created thee”. These are foundational ideas about human nature with extended social implications. Because love is a universal reality that extends to all humanity, no limits should be placed on its application- “It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” God’s love is the basis of the concept of the oneness of humanity, and our love for God is the energy we can draw upon to actualize a love of all humanity, irrespective of their differences from us in terms of culture and habit.

O SON OF MAN! Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face; be then abashed before Me.

Baha’u’llah would found all his social teachings on spiritual roots. In another instance, Baha’u’llah prohibits slavery as being against the law of God and expressed that “It is not for him who is himself a servant to buy another of God’s servants, and this hath been prohibited in His Holy Tablet. Thus, by His mercy, hath the commandment been recorded by the Pen of justice. Let no man exalt himself above another; all are but bondslaves before the Lord, and all exemplify the truth that there is none other God but Him. He, verily, is the All-Wise, Whose wisdom encompasseth all things.”. The prohibition of slavery extended from a spiritual truth at the root of our reality- that we are created from love in a state of servitude to God- to a social and political teaching- that slavery must be abolished.

Unlike the various social thinkers of the 19th century or since, the principles of Baha’u’llah’s revelation all spring from spiritual roots, truths that well-up from the underlying reality of the world. Baha’u’llah taught that that reality, and the reality of our consciousness, is ultimately and fundamentally spiritual, where the greatest commodity to own is virtue and authentic character. Therefore, as much as civil liberties and secular equalities are valuable in their own right, the true and lasting basis of human civilization is the upliftment of human beings to their natural state of nobility and goodness, which will then flow out in many directions in the improvement of our world materially and socially.

As noted above, Baha’u’llah described the Hidden Words as the “inner essence” of the Revelations of the past. It’s worth citing the entire preamble-

This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of divine virtue.

Baha’u’llah’s teaching about religion is that each revelation of God has two aspects- an inner changeless aspect, and an outer form that varies from age to age depending on humanity’s circumstances and maturity. The inner aspect is expressed in the Hidden Words and everyone- of whatever faith- will hear echoes of their own religion within them. These are the changeless principles of God- the foundation of true civilization.

Baha’u’llah will later encourage people of all faiths to look at the inner essence of their religion, abandon the traditions, forms, and structures that have build up over the centuries, and see the law and teachings of God as one Reality.

O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. ..There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you. This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory.

Religion itself, at its root, is the “essential connection that proceeds from the reality of all things”. Humanity has covered up that reality in ceremonies, traditions, and dogmas that make religion- the expression of the fundamental reality at the root of all things- seem even irrational. The solution is to turn to the root of faith, those truths that are at the heart of every religion, and see them as the expression of one Reality, and use that as a further basis to establish the oneness of humanity on a sure foundation.

The social teachings that Baha’u’llah will subsequently reveal build on this foundation. As humanity has evolved socially and politically, it has greater capacity to express spiritual truths in social structures. For instance, it has always been true that all humanity are servants of one God, but we have now evolved where we can recognize that and eliminate slavery as a fundamental contradiction to that reality. The same is true for the social equality of women. As humanity now has greater socio-economic capacity, the possibilities for women greatly expand. Baha’u’llah says that “women and men have always been equal in the sight of God” but now that our social and economic structures have evolved, we can now see that expressed fully in society.

In summary, the Hidden Words and Baha’u’llah’s revelation teaches us that the spiritual truths at the heart of all religion and all civilization are fundamentally one, but that it is us that changes. As we change and evolve, we have greater capacity to manifest those truths in our social structures. Baha’u’llah’s social teaching can thereby be seen as simply a further manifestation of the spiritual and moral truths at the heart of every religion.

With those introductory thoughts, we will turn in the next installment to some of more specific social teachings that are part of God’s “divine prescription” for our time in history.

Photo is of the Chilean Baha’i House of Worship and is courtesy of Baha’i Blog.

Comments closed

Introducing the Speaker

Introducing the Speaker

Published May 28, 2019 by admin

We are going to conclude the short series of introductory essays on the Baha’i Faith and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah with several installments that outline the basic social and spiritual teachings Baha’u’llah proclaimed to “save the world”. These ideas are as relevant and compelling now as they were when they were first enunciated. Baha’u’llah came in the 19th century, a century rife with paralyzing divisions, but also a time of immense potential and transformation. Most of the basis of our modern civilization was laid or solidified in that century. It was also the century in which a rich and beautiful new revelation of God unfolded itself before humanity.

Whenever someone gives a talk, at an academic conference or other settings, there is invariably a host who first welcomes everyone and then introduces the speaker. Oftentimes, these introductions take the form of reciting the speaker’s accomplishments, titles, and so forth- reasons that they are particularly worthy to give such a presentation. Ultimately, the introduction is intended to convince you that you should pay attention to the speaker and the content they will deliver.

When a new Manifestation of God comes into the world, they are often devoid of any of the “worldly titles” that tend to draw peoples attention. Imagine if we were to introduce Christ to an audience of his contemporaries. We would have nothing to say of His worldly titles. He was not rich or known to have scholastic accomplishments. He didn’t write a book or lead an army. There was nothing to acclaim His message except the power and truth of His own words. This was true of every Manifestation of God we know of. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, Baha’u’llah’s son, once wrote that the Manifestations of God come into the world “dressed in nothing but their own poverty”.

The host who introduced Baha’u’llah to the world was the herald-prophet known as the “The Báb”- a 26 yo merchant from Shiraz Iran, who, without any theological training or accomplishment, turned his country on end with His claim to be a Prophet of God. The Báb’s story is absolutely fascinating. In His early teachings, He presented his religion within the context of the theological world view of the time. Once he had gained an audience, numbering thousands of people, many of whom were so attracted to him that they would willingly give their lives, He pivoted all his teachings to the One who would come after Him. His later writings are a single song of praise for the Manifestation of God who would soon come into the world and transform our conceptions radically. Once He had the attention of an entire country, he funneled it all to the transformative figure he was sent to herald- Baha’u’llah.

The Báb was introducing the speaker. He was telling us why we should pay attention- who the Speaker was in relation to us and to Him. He did that through theological and philosophical explanation, but also through some truly remarkable passages, like this one-

When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne. Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His leave….Ye have, one and all, been called into being to seek His presence and to attain that exalted and glorious station. Indeed, He will send down from the heaven of His mercy that which will benefit you, and whatever is graciously vouchsafed by Him shall enable you to dispense with all mankind. Verily on that Day the learning of the learned shall prove of no avail, neither the accomplishments of the exponents of knowledge, nor the pomp of the highly honoured, nor the power of the mighty, nor the remembrance of the devout, nor the deeds of the righteous, nor the genuflexion of the kneeling worshipper, nor his prostration or turning towards the Qiblih, nor the honour of the honoured, nor the kinship of the highly born, nor the nobility of those of noble descent, nor the discourse of the eloquent, nor the titles of the prominent—none of these shall be of any avail unto them—inasmuch as all these and whatever else ye have known or comprehended were created by His word of command ‘Be’ and it is.

The Báb was executed by the Persian authorities, at the behest of the clergy, because his movement was thought to be a threat to the government, despite the fact that the Báb had written Tablets to the King emphasizing that He had no desire for worldly leadership. His mission was only to prepare the way for the One who would come after. On the eve of His death, He revealed passages such as this one-

I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards God, their Lord, and believe in God, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice, inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the splendour of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose. How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon God, and will continue to call upon Him. He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer.

Nineteen years after the Báb had initiated His movement, Baha’u’llah formally declared Himself to be the Promise the Báb had foretold. As a result of the Báb’s teaching, most of His followers almost immediately accepted Baha’u’llah and He molded that community into a new creation over the ensuing decades of His Revelation. In place of division and discord, he taught them to be united. Whole communities of Jews and Zoroastrians became Baha’is, and together with former Muslims, they would meet in secret to study the new Word of God and implement it in their families and communities. People who would normally not even associate in public life were now meeting together in secret, offering their possessions and even their lives for each other.

While Baha’u’llah was molding the new community internally, He simultaneously announced His mission and teachings to the rest of humanity with Tablets and Letters to every significant government and religious authority on the planet. These “Tablets to the Kings” form the proclamation of Baha’u’llah, both announcing the new Revelation, but also providing an overview of the social teachings that would underly His Revelation and unfold in more detail in the ensuing decades. Like the passages from the Báb, the Tablets to the Kings contain equally compelling statements of divine authority-

Ye are but vassals, O Kings of the earth! He Who is the King of kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation; lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty.

For many who have come from Christian backgrounds, reading the passages addressed to Christians is eye-opening, as they clearly demonstrate the remarkable and compelling nature of His claim.

O people of the Gospel! They who were not in the Kingdom have now entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day, tarrying at the gate. Rend the veils asunder by the power of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, and enter, then, in My name My Kingdom. Thus biddeth you He Who desireth for you everlasting life… We behold you, O children of the Kingdom, in darkness. This, verily, beseemeth you not. Verily, He (Jesus) said: ‘Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.’ In this day, however, We say: ‘Come ye after Me, that We may make you to become quickeners of mankind.’

In this next passage, Baha’u’llah abolishes monasticism and priesthood! He then states that confessions of sins before human beings is no longer permitted.

The pious deeds of the monks and priests among the followers of the Spirit (Christ)…are remembered in His presence. In this Day, however, let them give up the life of seclusion and direct their steps towards the open world and busy themselves with that which will profit themselves and others. We have granted them leave to enter into wedlock that they may bring forth one who will make mention of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of the Exalted Throne.

When the sinner findeth himself wholly detached and freed from all save God, he should beg forgiveness and pardon from Him. Confession of sins and transgressions before human beings is not permissible, as it hath never been nor will ever be conducive to divine forgiveness. Moreover such confession before people results in one’s humiliation and abasement, and God—exalted be His glory—wisheth not the humiliation of His servants. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

We don’t cite these passages to be controversial, but to truthfully state the extraordinary claims of Baha’u’llah as He Himself enunciated them. He spoke with the Voice of God throughout His Revelation, with a compelling and powerful tone. It is the combination of those extraordinary claims with the simultaneous reasonability, coherence, and uplifting nature of his teachings that makes Baha’u’llah so intriguing to any reflective reader.

After Baha’u’llah, his son ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ would then come to North America and Europe, where he would further expand on Baha’u’llah’s teachings to a Western audience. In churches and synagogues, philosophical societies and social organizations, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ proclaimed the oneness of humanity, encouraged the investigation of truth so that humanity would no longer be fettered by the prejudices of the past, and outlined with more specifics Baha’u’llah’s teachings. Taken all together, these represent God’s “divine prescription” for how we can save our world. Baha’u’llah described himself as a “physician” prescribing a remedy.

The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements…We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self-conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician…Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re-born in this Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live.

This “divine prescription” contained remarkable elements, elements that were not traditionally associated with religion but Baha’u’llah proclaimed were essential to the peace of the world. Among them were universal education, reduction of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the education of women and full participation in the functions of society, the investigation of truth with an open and unbiased mind- a mind not limited by tradition or traditional assumptions. He called upon world leaders to “reconcile their differences” and initiate a plan for collective security that would ensure the peace of the planet.

Baha’u’llah urged us to “be anxiously concerned with the age in which ye live”. When we look around our world, we see it continues to be beset with many of the same problems that were present in the 19th century- marked disparities between the rich and poor, both on the levels of individuals and countries, the hoarding of wealth, rising nationalism, lack of a vision of world solidarity, and the continued oppression of women and minorities. We have made great progress on many issues, and we will see that much of this progress is because humanity, even without specific knowledge of Baha’u’llah’s teachings, applied His principles to humanity’s problems- often after suffering the devastation of neglecting them first.

In the following installments of this essay entitled “How to Save the World”, we will outline these principles and how they unfolded within the Revelation of Baha’u’llah and also how they continue to apply to our modern world.

Photo by Nikola Knezevic on Unsplash

Comments closed

The Spirit of Faith

The Spirit of Faith

Published May 9, 2019 by admin

In a previous essay, we outlined the concept of a human being that is presented in the revelation of Baha’u’llah. We discussed how humans have both a lower nature and a higher nature. The lower nature is the part of us that we share with animals and is concerned with fulfilling our material desires and instincts. If we were to completely give in to our lower natures, we become no different, and can behave even worse, than animals. The higher nature is the true and distinctive reality of our humanity and the part that has allowed for the growth of civilizations and increasingly peaceful societies, as through it we commit to ideals that unite us. If we reflect further upon our higher nature, it actually has two different aspects- our mind and intelligence, which is the seat of our rationality and ability to do science and other distinctive intellectual pursuits, and our heart- which is the seat of our values and ideals.

In distinguishing between the two aspects of our higher nature- rationality and heart- we can see a correlation between a common distinction philosophers make between facts and values. “Facts” correspond to scientific theories and other products of our rational mind and intelligence. “Values” are not rationally derived, and consist of our moral standards, define how we treat each other, and how we judge ourselves. Philosophers make the point that one is not derivable from the other- they are separate realities in the world- and they reflect separate aspects of us.

A simple thought experiment can highlight the distinction between facts and values- between rationality and heart. Imagine a person who is extremely smart, hyper-rational, but morally bankrupt. One can be highly knowledgeable and rational but not moral. Such people are the most dangerous people in the world. Similarly, picture another person who has the highest possible values, loves and serves all humankind without distinction, but has no knowledge of a single scientific theory and no understanding of how the world works. Those imagined people teach us that there is a distinction between these two aspects of our higher selves and both are needed to make a person “perfect”. The scenario also reminds us which part of our being is most important. Clearly, we all know which person we would invite on a weekend camping trip! Values trump facts every time. In other words, values are more foundational than facts, as facts are the most useful to us when placed in the context of values. Within a human being, though rationality and knowledge is extremely important, it is less important than our heart.

The Baha’i writings offer unadulterated praise on humanity’s rational capacity as it is an expression of our fundamentally abstract and spiritual nature-

The virtues of humanity are many, but science is the most noble of them all. The distinction which man enjoys above and beyond the station of the animal is due to this paramount virtue. It is a bestowal of God; it is not material; it is divine. Science is an effulgence of the Sun of Reality, the power of investigating and discovering the verities of the universe, the means by which man finds a pathway to God. All the powers and attributes of man are human and hereditary in origin—outcomes of nature’s processes—except the intellect, which is supernatural. Through intellectual and intelligent inquiry science is the discoverer of all things.

Science is further described by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ as the “very foundation of all individual and national development” and is “likened to a mirror wherein the infinite forms and images of existing things are revealed and reflected”. Baha’u’lah further describes the outcome of our intelligence- knowledge- to be “as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent on everyone”. Baha’u’llah further praises scientists and “craftsmen”- engineers, artists, and other creators of useful technologies, stating that “great indeed” is their “claim’ upon the world, stating that we should always honor them. He calls knowledge a “veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him”, concluding with “Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this Most Great Prison”.

Religion, as an expression of humanity’s higher nature, must therefore always make sense and be consistent with the outcomes of other intellectual investigations. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ describes as both being essential to true human progress. The one enhances our factual understanding of the world, the other is primarily- though not exclusively- associated with our values. Religion and science are the two wings upon which man’s intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress, stating further that “there is no contradiction between true religion and science. When a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere superstition: that which is contrary to knowledge is ignorance.”

While science is far reaching in its benefits, it does not translate clearly to noble values. Noble values are not “rational” as people could- and often do- provide rational justifications for bad actions. From their own selfish perspective, their actions can be entirely “rational”.

That is why the revelations of God speak to our heart and work to develop that aspect of our being. As Baha’u’llah says in the Hidden Words-

All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee, except the human heart, which I have made the habitation of My beauty and glory.

Indeed, the purpose of religion itself is not only to bring unity to humanity, and establish principles that ensure human social progress, but it opens up new vistas within our hearts. It empowers us to performs deeds of great service and virtue- willingly and joyfully!

Baha’u’llah tells us that our “heart” can make an infinite amount of progress. At the most basic level, we follow the rules. We obey stoplights and generally try to stay out of trouble, but we are mostly just acting out of convenience or a sense of duty without any conscious appreciation. But Baha’u’llah, like Christ before Him, invites us to higher level of moral and spiritual consciousness, into a different relationship with ourselves and with God- a personal relationship with God that brings to life our inner spirituality and morality in ways we could not have imagined otherwise. We become transformed by the “spirit of faith”.

The spirit of faith is highlighted in numerous passages in the Bible, Quran, and the revelation of Baha’u’llah. It reflects our connection with a transcendent spirit, one that causes us to be spiritually “alive” when we were previously dead. Being “dead” is a relative state in which we are not “alive” to the spiritual reality of who we are- and may not even acknowledge that it exists!. Famously, it is what Jesus was referring to when he talked about being “born again”-

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Connecting with the spirit of faith is like being put on a moral and spiritual escalator, or one of those moving walkways at the airport. You can make moral and spiritual progress without it, trudging through life trying to make the best progress you can, but it really helps to connect with transcendent spirit offered by the revelations of God. They are utterly transformative of our entire outlook and inner world and the impact is felt in every part of our heart. In the analogy that Jesus gave us, it is the difference from being dead to being alive. In some other passages, it is compared to being asleep and then being awakened to a new reality.

Baha’u’llah gave many examples of the same transformation. One famous one is that is like turning copper into gold. Some of the people in Baha’u’llah’s time were trying to get rich by finding a way to turn copper into gold through the use of basic chemistry, a practice called alchemy. They were never able to find the solution- known as the “elixir”- and alchemy died out as a practice. (As a side note, humanity did eventually learn how to do this using nuclear physics.) Baha’u’llah used this practice of alchemy as an analogy for what happens to human consciousness when it is transformed by a revelation from God.

“..Consider the substance of copper. Were it to be protected in its own mine from becoming solidified, it would, within the space of seventy years, attain to the state of gold.…Be that as it may, the real elixir will, in one instant, cause the substance of copper to attain the state of gold, and will traverse the seventy-year stages in a single moment.”

This is a metaphor, as copper does not turn into gold on its own in the physical world. Human beings who are like copper, and live approximately 70 years, will grow spiritually over the course of their lifetime and can turn into gold, developing more spiritual and moral maturity, unless they become “solidified” by being overly attached to the world or their own egos. But people can make the same amount of progress with the “spirit of faith”- as an inner spiritual response to a revelation from God- that would take a whole lifetime otherwise. Baha’u’llah refers, in this analogy, to the spirit of faith as being the “Divine Elixir”.

Likewise, these souls, through the potency of the Divine Elixir, traverse, in the twinkling of an eye, the world of dust and advance into the realm of holiness; and with one step cover the earth of limitations and reach the domain of the Placeless. It behooveth thee to exert thine utmost to attain unto this Elixir which, in one fleeting breath, causeth the west of ignorance to reach the east of knowledge, illuminates the darkness of night with the resplendence of the morn, guideth the wanderer in the wilderness of doubt to the well-spring of the Divine Presence and Fount of certitude, and conferreth upon mortal souls the honour of acceptance into the Ridván of immortality. Now, could this gold be thought to be copper, these people could likewise be thought to be the same as before they were endowed with faith.

He refers to it as a “mystic transformation” and highlights it in many other passages, including this one, that explains what happens when one spiritually connects to a revelation from God-

Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: “A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth….” For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light.

It should be noted that, unlike some interpretations within Christianity, Baha’u’llah is not saying that only those people who have experienced this transformation go to “heaven”, or become “saved”, whereas others are somehow condemned. It’s just a metaphor for spiritual transformation, and those terms reflect a relative state of spiritual understanding. He makes clear that all people can make spiritual and moral progress in life- no matter what their belief system- and indeed all people will continue to make progress after their death through the “worlds of God”. Indeed, progress is the entire purpose of life and Baha’u’llah goes even so far as to say everything in creation has educational value-

Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things.

But the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is the spiritual energies that flow through the revelations of God, something we will all come to appreciate eventually. He clearly states that it should be seen as a further advancement in our commitment to moral and spiritual principles, and not a replacement for the foundation of civil society- “It behoveth everyone to traverse this brief span of life with sincerity and fairness. Should one fail to attain unto the recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, let him at least conduct himself with reason and justice.”

When a person becomes illumined by the spirit of faith, not only can they make tremendous progress as a human being, but they begin to experience life in a whole new way. Baha’u’llah describes it this way-

Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences of an everlasting Manifestation.

Though the language is metaphorical, Baha’u’llah is describing a spiritual state in which you begin to see the world, not as a purposeless wasteland, but brimming with life and beauty.

“Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable Wisdom, and upon every rose-bush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody…Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest.”

As noted above, after this spiritual transformation, we are endowed “with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind”. We see the world from a broader perspective, one that is infused with purpose and meaning.

This is a reality that is better experienced than explained. What He is expressing to us is a change in consciousness, one that pulls us out of our materialistically focused lives into a life of faith- faith in ourselves, faith in the ultimate moral and spiritual purpose of the universe, and ultimately faith in the future and potential of humanity.

The other aspect of this transformation is that it cannot be fully encompassed by reason. We can experience it, appreciate its bounties, but ultimately these “steps of the spirit” supersede rationality. Because the reality of the world ultimately transcends the limited things we can encompass with our rational minds, over-reliance on rationality can actually become a hindrance to our spiritual development. Ultimately, the development of our moral and spiritual selves requires that we have “faith”, an increasing reliance on the “arc of the moral universe”- as Dr Martin Luther King expressed it. That is not a purely rational process, but is an affair of the heart. In one passage, Baha’u’llah gives an example of a “learned grammarian”- a man who was so caught up in his own mind that he was afraid to take the leap of faith required to experience genuine spirituality-

The story is told of a mystic knower, who went on a journey with a learned grammarian as his companion. They came to the shore of the Sea of Grandeur. The knower straightway flung himself into the waves, but the grammarian stood lost in his reasonings, which were as words that are written on water. The knower called out to him, “Why dost thou not follow?” The grammarian answered, “O Brother, I dare not advance. I must needs go back again.” Then the knower cried, “Forget what thou didst read in the books..and cross the water.”

In a similar statement, He quotes an Islamic tradition- “All human attainment moveth upon a lame ass, whilst Truth, riding upon the wind, darts across space”.

Reason is powerful and the source of our understanding of the world, but we have to be careful not to be limited by it, because spiritual truths are transcendent and require a commitment of the heart. Indeed, one can have profound understanding of spiritual truths and not be learned at all. Christ’s first apostle, Peter, was reportedly illiterate. One of Baha’u’llah’s most trusted believers, the one he most trusted to courier Tablets from Him to other believers throughout the Middle East, was similarly illiterate, but his spiritual understanding was profound. He cautions us to not allow our learning to make us proud, and explicitly states that the understanding of the Word of God, in every revelation, is not dependent on knowledge. “The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit.”

Baha’u’llah’s revelation, like the revelations before it, is intended to open up the universe of meaning that exists within our own hearts and reveal it to us. The language Baha’u’llah uses to describe the life of faith He lays out is so compelling and beautiful that it makes your heart dance and leap.

O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves—a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent Name, the seas of My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty a station.

In summary, a human being consists of a lower nature, which we share with animals and a higher nature that consists of both our rational intellect and our heart- the seat of our ideals and values and through which we can make spiritual progress. The spirit of faith is a gift of each of the Revelations from God, and is like a spiritual elevator that can propel us upward in our spiritual journey to heights we could not have even imagined for ourselves without it. As we grow spiritually, we not only become better people, but our internal world becomes filled with light and we start to see the world differently, in a broader and more transcendent way, in a manner that was previously veiled to us. We become so wedded to that new perspective that, as Baha’u’llah states, a “moment’s separation from it would be unthinkable”. It becomes our new Beloved, and we carry it with us in our heart wherever we go and with whomever we interact.

Photo by Sunyu on Unsplash

Comments closed

Two Natures of Humanity

Two Natures of Humanity

Published May 7, 2019 by admin

In the next several posts, we are going to present some of the talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ describing the nature of humanity and the purpose of life. These all relate to the last two introductory essays. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s explanations are illuminating and well worth reading and studying. In today’s post, he highlights the two natures in humanity- a material nature and a spiritual nature. This excerpt is taken from a talk he gave in Paris and published in “Paris Talks”.

In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God, in the other he lives for the world alone. Signs of both these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these are the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his Divine nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice, one and all being expressions of his higher nature. Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man’s spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature. If a man’s Divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint.

Man has the power both to do good and to do evil; if his power for good predominates and his inclinations to do wrong are conquered, then man in truth may be called a saint. But if, on the contrary, he rejects the things of God and allows his evil passions to conquer him, then he is no better than a mere animal.

Saints are men who have freed themselves from the world of matter and who have overcome sin. They live in the world but are not of it, their thoughts being continually in the world of the spirit. Their lives are spent in holiness, and their deeds show forth love, justice and godliness. They are illumined from on high; they are as bright and shining lamps in the dark places of the earth. These are the saints of God. The apostles, who were the disciples of Jesus Christ, were just as other men are; they, like their fellows, were attracted by the things of the world, and each thought only of his own advantage. They knew little of justice, nor were the Divine perfections found in their midst. But when they followed Christ and believed in Him, their ignorance gave place to understanding, cruelty was changed to justice, falsehood to truth, darkness into light. They had been worldly, they became spiritual and divine. They had been children of darkness, they became sons of God, they became saints! Strive therefore to follow in their steps, leaving all worldly things behind, and striving to attain to the Spiritual Kingdom.

Pray to God that He may strengthen you in divine virtue, so that you may be as angels in the world, and beacons of light to disclose the mysteries of the Kingdom to those with understanding hearts.

Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash

Comments closed

Love and Detachment

Love and Detachment

Published May 6, 2019 by admin

The central message of Baha’u’llah’s revelation is unity. This is expressed throughout His writings and clearly stated to be the purpose of His religion. “He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body”. He counsels us to “exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can insure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations.” ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ further stated that “in every Dispensation, the light of Divine Guidance has been focused upon one central theme…In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God, and the distinguishing feature of His Law, is the consciousness of the oneness of mankind.”

Baha’u’llah also taught us however that unity was a building that rested on certain foundations. Among those foundations is the conception of human beings that we discussed in the previous essay. Not only did Baha’u’llah present it to us as the reality of who we are, but as also being critical to unity. If humans think of themselves as animals, engaged in a ceaseless quest for supremacy over others, war will constantly be a major threat to the stability of our world. Indeed, it can truly be said that we will not survive as a species with that conception, because inevitably those forces will lead to a chain of actions that will destroy our planet. History has shown that human societies are successful when they are based on cooperation and reciprocity, on a devotion to abstract moral and ethical principles, on rationality and commitment to truth- in short- when they are based on the things that make us distinctly human. Therefore, when we talk about how to build world unity, part of that must involve a commitment to high ideals and principles that unite people across the various natural divisions that exist.

This bring us to a personal spiritual and moral quality that is featured very strongly in the writings of Baha’u’llah- the quality of detachment. Detachment sounds like a cold word. We refer to people as “emotionally detached” and think of them as aloof and somehow disengaged from the suffering of others. But Baha’u’llah often refers to detachment with another spiritual and moral quality together with it- the quality of love. Love and detachment.

“It behoveth…the loved ones of God to be forbearing towards their fellow-men, and to be so sanctified and detached from all things, and to evince such sincerity and fairness, that all the peoples of the earth may recognize them as the trustees of God amongst men…Blessed are they who, on the wings of certitude, have flown in the heavens which the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, hath spread.”

Love and detachment are magnificent qualities in a person, particularly when complexed together. Think of the people you admire. The people we admire tend to be people who are fair-minded, just, selfless, wise, calm, and serve as an inspiration and guidance for others. Now think what is happening in the heart of such a person. Internally, they have made a decision to prioritize abstract moral and spiritual principles- equality, justice, compassion, humility, and commitment to truth- over the lower aspects of themselves- attachment to ego or their animalistic impulses. It’s their commitment internally to those principles that makes them who they are. In prioritizing those qualities in their person, they are expressing detachment from the lower aspects of their nature, and making themselves truly and distinctively human.

Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha describe that humans have two aspects to their natures- a material element that we share with animals, and a spiritual element which is distinctly human and is the seat of our rationality and moral values The purpose of life is to grow such that the spiritual aspects of our nature complete dominate the lower aspects of our nature. It is not that we don’t participate and even enjoy our material life- enjoy our food or other material pleasures- but we learn to prioritize them to a much lesser degree than we do the spiritual aspects of ourselves. The process of growth is the process of detaching ourselves from our material inclinations and increasingly living the life of the spirit.

Rather than characterizing that life as one of continual self abnegation and deprivation, Baha’u’llah re-frames it as one of joyous love. In comparison, attachment to ourselves is a form of a prison-“Barter not the garden of eternal delight for the dust-heap of a mortal world. Up from thy prison ascend unto the glorious meads above, and from thy mortal cage wing thy flight unto the paradise of the Placeless”.

In Baha’u’llah’s Tablet to the Pope, Baha’u’llah outlined for the Pope how detachment from worldly things allowed the pearl inside human beings to manifest itself, and He encourages the Pope to put behind him the opulence and wealth associated with his position-

Consider a pearl which shineth by virtue of its inherent nature. If it be covered with silk, its luster and beauty will be concealed. Likewise, man’s distinction lieth in the excellence of his conduct and in the pursuit of that which beseemeth his station, not in childish play and pastimes. Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him, and not in the luxuries thou dost possess. Abandon them unto those who seek after them and turn unto God, He Who causeth the rivers to flow.

In another passage. Baha’u’llah compares the essence of us to a very beautiful sword that is concealed within the sheath of our material self-

O My Servant! Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer’s knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world.

In the Writings of Baha’u’llah, the fuel that powers our transition from a person who is materially focused to one who is spiritual is love.

Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart’s desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved.

In many passages, He clothes the concept of detachment in the robe of love- as in this passage, where Baha’u’llah outlines spiritual steps we can take to find our Beloved.

“Set out, then, from thine abode, take thou seven steps upon the earth, and with each step complete a stage of the journey. With the first, enter the ocean of search and seek God, thy Lord, with thine inmost heart and soul. With the second, enter the ocean of love and make mention of God, thy Lord, in the transports of thy longing and the ecstasies of thy rapture. With the third, tread the paths of detachment; that is, sever thyself from thine idle fancies and walk in the ways of thy Lord. With the fourth, enter the fathomless depths of oneness and the billowing seas of eternity. Cover thy face in the dust before the Lord of Lords, and sanctify thy self and thy spirit from all departure and return, that thine inmost heart may be freed from all things in the kingdoms of creation…”

In the end, we become so attracted by spiritual things that we judge material things to have only value to the extent that they support our true growth and development. In Baha’u’llah’s Tablet to Napoleon, He counsels him that his efforts to conquer land and amass armies were ultimately a worthless endeavor, efforts that someone with true understanding would not engage in-

Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Bahá, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant? Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon it, and turn thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world. Whither are gone the proud and their palaces? Gaze thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by this example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto every beholder. Were the breezes of Revelation to seize thee, thou wouldst flee the world, and turn unto the Kingdom, and wouldst expend all thou possessest, that thou mayest draw nigh unto this sublime Vision.

In another Tablet addressed to the Kings of the earth generally, Baha’u’llah states- “The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective. This ill beseemeth you, could ye but understand it.”

The “ultimate objective” for humans is to sever ourselves from our attachment to material things and even our own ego, becoming fully clothed in the garment of spiritual and moral qualities. Baha’u’llah describes the state that we should seek to reach as being “detached from all save God”.

This station is that of dying to the self and living in God, of being poor in self and rich in the Desired One. Poverty, as here referred to, signifieth being poor in that which pertaineth to the world of creation and rich in what belongeth to the realms of God. For when the true lover and devoted friend reacheth the presence of the Beloved, the radiant beauty of the Loved One and the fire of the lover’s heart will kindle a blaze and burn away all veils and wrappings…Whoso hath attained this station is sanctified from all that pertaineth to the world.

Why are these qualities so important for unity? Because virtually all conflict in the history of the human race has for its genesis an attachment wealth, land, power, or other forms of material or psychological attachment. Conversely, social institutions that have brought peace- the Constitution of the United States, the United Nations, various other forms of cooperative agreements between nations- are founded on abstract moral and spiritual principles. To the degree that we turn towards or away from those values is the degree to which our civilization will advance or retreat. The world desperately needs people whose sole concern is to see the qualities of God- justice, equity, kindness, mercy, compassion- manifested in our world, and who are not “attached” to their own personal gain. Not only do we need these people in our societies, we need them as our leaders!

In Baha’u’llah’s Tablet to the Kings, he outlines how they should act-

Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path. Compose your differences, and reduce your armaments, that the burden of your expenditures may be lightened, and that your minds and hearts may be tranquilized. Heal the dissensions that divide you, and ye will no longer be in need of any armaments except what the protection of your cities and territories demandeth…Beware not to deal unjustly with anyone that appealeth to you, and entereth beneath your shadow. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be ye of them that lead a godly life. Rest not on your power, your armies, and treasures. Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs.

Some people might not make the connection between the abstract qualities of justice, equality, and other virtues we value in our modern civilization and “being detached from all save God” but Baha’u’llah makes that connection apparent. In a sense, He has defined our closeness to God as being a state characterized by a deep commitment to abstract moral and spiritual values, one that overwhelms every other desire in life. It’s not a state where we retreat from the world, but one in which we are no longer attached to its material aspects that our greatest joy is expressing spiritual qualities in our lives and interactions with others.

Once a person has committed to spiritual and moral qualities, Baha’u’llah tells us we need to then act in the world. “Thy day of service is now come”, He told His followers.

“Now is the moment in which to cleanse thyself with the waters of detachment that have flowed out from the Supreme Pen, and to ponder, wholly for the sake of God, those things which, time and again, have been sent down or manifested, and then to strive, as much as lies in thee, to quench, through the power of wisdom and the force of thy utterance, the fire of enmity and hatred which smoulders in the hearts of the peoples of the world. The Divine Messengers have been sent down, and their Books were revealed, for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men.”

“Thou must show forth that which will ensure the peace and the well-being of the miserable and the down-trodden. Gird up the loins of thine endeavor, that perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains, and enable him to attain unto true liberty”.

He further states that “If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself”.

Detachment and love are two inner qualities that we can strive for as human beings, and then manifest in all our interactions with others. Baha’u’llah’s revelation is thus different than any other social movement out there in that it first seeks to transform human beings themselves, making them better fit to live in a world of peace and justice. Shoghi Effendi, who led the Baha’i Faith for 36 years, summarized this whole concept beautifully-

The Bahá’í Faith, like all other Divine religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character. Its chief goal is the development of the individual and society, through the acquisition of spiritual virtues and powers. It is the soul of man that has first to be fed….Laws and institutions, as viewed by Bahá’u’lláh, can become really effective only when our inner spiritual life has been perfected and transformed. Otherwise religion will degenerate into a mere organization, and become a dead thing.

The photo is that of a lotus flower. In Indian spirituality, the lotus is a symbol of spiritual growth and detachment. The flower grows out of the muck and mud, much like humans grow out of their material selves, to manifest beauty above the water. Photo by Paul on Unsplash

Comments closed