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Son of Dust

Published August 26, 2019 by admin

The Hidden Words is a collection of short sayings that Baha’u’llah revealed early in his revelation. He described it as the “inner essence” of all the revelations of the past, and you can hear the echoes of past revelations within them. They are extraordinary in every way, containing a power and depth that transforms you. In short sayings, Baha’u’llah has captured so much beauty and wisdom. It’s helpful to read them slowly, taking each one and digesting it, or even just reading one a day and meditating on it. Through this process, many Baha’is have memorized the Hidden Words, and then they are within you and you bring them to mind in the course of your day.

The passage sung below is as follows-

“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 meanings are manifold so it is foolish to give just one interpretation, but it reminds us, in our busy modern lives filled with so many distractions, that finding God requires us to stop and listen. Baha’u’llah has told us that God is closer to us than our “life vein”, a phrase also used in the Quran, but we can be distracted by the “world” and forget that, allowing veils of different forms to come between us and God.

The passage is sung by Grant Hindin Miller, a beloved Baha’i musician from New Zealand. Grant’s music can be found here. The entire Hidden Words can be found here. Enjoy!

Music courtesy of Baha’i Blog. Photo by Jan’s Archive on Unsplash

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A Bit of History

Published August 20, 2019 by admin

“A Bit of History” is a folder of short essays that describes the lives of the major historical figures of the Baha’i Faith- The Bab, Baha’u’llah, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha’. As many people are also not familiar with the other great religions that we draw on in our posts, we also included essays on Christianity and Islam. All are written by Kendal Williams, the editor of Sifter of Dust. You can read them by scrolling through or skip to the essay of your choice by following the hyperlinks below.

The Prophet of Shiraz tells the story of the forerunner to Baha’u’llah, the young prophet from Shiraz, Persia known as the Bab, who claimed to deliver a divine revelation and prepare the way for an even greater revelation soon to follow.

Baha’u’llah is a short introductory essay describing the life and teachings of Baha’u’llah himself

The Prisoner and the Chief highlights the historical circumstances of a Tablet written by Baha’u’llah to one of his oppressors, teaching spiritual and moral lessons about how we should approach life and treat others.

The Master is a short essay on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, who was designated by Baha’u’llah as the Center of His Covenant with all humanity, the exemplar, and explainer of the full reality of His teachings.

The Gospels of Jesus describes the historical circumstances of Jesus and the collection of His sayings in the four gospels.It is a short introduction to the gospels for those who are not otherwise familiar with them.

The Quran and Islam provides an introduction to the Islamic Revelation and its unfoldment.

Profiles in Spirituality- the Life of Ali Ibn Talib highlights the life and presents several accounts of one of the most significant figures in Islam. Ali was the Prophet’s son-in-law and a brilliant example of the true spirit of Islam. He is venerated in the Islamic world, but little known in the West. These three short essays are intended to provide insights into his life. (scroll through to see all three)

About Baha’u’llah is a description and excerpt from the talk given in Philadelphia by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ about his Father and what he means to the world.

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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.

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Falling Stars

Falling Stars

Published August 18, 2019 by admin

With this post, we continue our discussion of the Gospels and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, this time focusing on the relationship between the Manifestations of God and the religious leaders of their day.

One the common themes in each of the great scriptures of humankind- the Gospels, the Quran, and the Baha’i Writings- is the challenges that the Manifestations of God faced by the clergy and religious leaders of their time. This is a prominent theme in the Gospels. It is of course a very natural and understandable thing. When a new Manifestation comes into the world, He speaks with great authority and often counters the traditional interpretations of the previous revelation, so conflict with the traditional authorities is bound to happen. There are many passages in the Gospels where Jesus dialogues with the priests of His day, in that case mostly Jewish priests, and challenges their behavior and teaching of the people.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in…The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

Muhammad similarly faced persecution and denial by the priests of His time, in that case many of them were pagan leaders, but also Jews and some Christians, and there are prominent verses in the Quran attesting to the challenges. It should also be noted that Muhammad urged tolerance of those religious communities and urged respect among His followers for their priests.

In the time of the Bab, He knew that His revelation and teachings were going to face severe persecution and it is reflected in His Writings. The Bab commented on many themes related to the acceptance and denial of the Revelations of God. His Revelation was to prepare the way for Baha’u’llah and so He outlined many of the “pitfalls” people encounter in comprehending a new revelation, so that His own followers would not get tripped up and miss it. In one well-known passage, He describes one of the cities in Persia- Isfahan- known for its university and theological learning, in which only an illiterate man- a sifter of wheat by profession- accepted the new revelation-

In the land of Isfahan, which to outward seeming is a great city, in every corner of whose seminaries are vast numbers of people regarded as divines and doctors, yet when the time came for inmost essences to be drawn forth, only its sifter of wheat donned the robe of discipleship . This is the mystery of what was uttered by the kindred of the Prophet Muḥammad…concerning this Revelation, saying that the abased shall be exalted and the exalted shall be abased.

Likewise in the Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest (Baha’u’llah), among those to whom it will never occur that they might merit the displeasure of God, and whose pious deeds will be exemplary unto everyone, there will be many who will become the personification of the nethermost fire itself, when they fail to embrace His Cause; while among the lowly servants whom no one would imagine to be of any merit, how great the number who will be honored with true faith and on whom the Fountainhead of generosity will bestow the robe of authority.

Jesus also told a parable of a landowner who was looking for workers in his vineyard. He hired some in the morning for one denarii, and later hired others in the afternoon for the same amount, even though they worked less as they were hired later in the day. The morning workers complained, but the landowner told them they had all agreed to the same amount. Jesus then said- “So the last will be first and the first will be last”. The interpretation seems to be that the workers hired early- who had to work the longest- were like the priests, and the workers hired late were like the lay people- and both were offered the same reward, no matter their “station” in society. Indeed, it is often the case, as with the “sifter of wheat” that those considered “last” in society are actually ‘first” in the eyes of God.

It is also notable how each of the Manifestations of God in the last two thousand years- Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah- were all lay people who had no formal training in religion. Their revelations came from completely outside the religious establishment of their day.

There seems to be a really important spiritual lesson in all this- and that is that it is never appropriate to think of yourself as better than others because of religion. God seems to really want to drive this lesson home. In a beautiful passage known as the “Tablet of the True Seeker”, Baha’u’llah outlines the spiritual qualities of people who are seeking spiritual truth and understanding-

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above anyone, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century. That seeker should, also, regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire…He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!

Several parts of that Tablet suggest that we need to develop a sense of humility and never consider ourselves better than others. In another passage, Baha’u’llah further explains this-

“They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy souls should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust will be thrilled by its influence. They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address to them such words as these: “I am to be preferred above you. For witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth—a wealth that supplieth the needs of all creation—behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men….”

As Christ said,” Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”. Indeed, much of the criticism towards the priests of Their day, in all the great scriptures, centers around their haughtiness and lack of humility.

We started this post with how it is often religious leaders who contend with the revelations of God when they come, and some of the strongest passages in the world’s scriptures reflect these challenges. We could mistakenly conclude that all religious leaders- or even all leaders of thought generally- should be looked upon with suspicion. Such an “anti-intellectual” or “anti-clerical” stance is also specifically countered by Baha’u’llah-

O people of God! Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat them with deference. They are indeed fountains of soft-flowing water, stars that shine resplendent, fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of celestial power, and oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth them.

This Wronged One hath invariably treated the wise with affection. By the wise is meant men whose knowledge is not confined to mere words and whose lives have been fruitful and have produced enduring results. It is incumbent upon everyone to honour these blessed souls. Happy are they that observe God’s precepts; happy are they that have recognized the Truth; happy are they that judge with fairness in all matters and hold fast to the Cord of My inviolable Justice.

Baha’u’llah eliminated priesthood in his revelation and the leadership of His religion is placed in the hands of elected councils- “Houses of Justice”. One can appreciate how priests and other religious leaders were necessary in the earlier revelations, as people were largely illiterate and it was often the religious schools who trained the children and promoted learning. Religiously oriented scholars were also among the first scientists in the scientific revolution of the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The Islamic scholars and priests created philosophical schools of great merit, to the point where even one of the Popes trained there. Indeed, our civilization today was in some ways built by these religious institutions. (Think of all the universities and hospitals of the world with religious titles, reflecting that they were founded by religious organizations)

While encouraging His followers to respect the “divines and learned”, Baha’u’llah also let it be known that the days of priests (and kings) holding sway over the people would be ending. In a famous passage, He declares- “From two ranks of people hath power been seized, kings and ecclesiastics (priests).” And in a similar passage, He states- “O concourse of divines! Ye shall not henceforward behold yourselves possessed of any power, inasmuch as We have seized it from you, and destined it for such as have believed in God, the One, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.”

Baha’u’llah referred to the decline of the authority of religious leaders as the “falling of stars” and explained that it was one of the signs that Jesus was referring to in a passage from the Gospel of Matthew predicting His return- “But in those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken”. At the end of a revelation, when the religion no longer has force and has been corrupted, the “sun of truth” is darkened, and the religious leaders- the “stars”- no longer occupy the lofty place of wisdom- they have “fallen”- a new revelation comes to awaken humanity and the “heaven of divine revelation” is renewed.

Baha’u’llah also suggested that theology should no longer be someone’s profession- “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.”

He also re-defined what learning we should pursue, focusing on those studies that lead to the advancement of civilization and development of our understanding of the world-

“The learned of the day must direct the people to acquire those branches of knowledge which are of use, that both the learned themselves and the generality of mankind may derive benefits therefrom. Such academic pursuits as begin and end in words alone have never been and will never be of any worth. The majority of Persia’s learned doctors devote all their lives to the study of a philosophy the ultimate yield of which is nothing but words.”

He said we should study sciences “which redound to the progress and advancement of the people”. Baha’u’llah emphasized the promotion of knowledge and said it was obligatory for all people to acquire it to the extent of their abilities-

Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world…. In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this Most Great Prison.

This ‘democratization’ of learning is a major feature of His revelation- “We shall cause wisdom to spread amongst the people”. A world where everyone works to acquire knowledge, where we all regard each other as brothers and sisters, where everyone works together for the building of true community- this appears to be the standard we are called to strive for. In many ways, it reflects what Jesus told us those so many years ago-

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Next post in this series- Sovereignty

Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash. Durango, United States.

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Everlasting Beauty

Everlasting Beauty

Published August 16, 2019 by admin

One of the most important themes in all religion is the importance of not getting attached to “worldly” things- money, material stuff, and the various transient elements of our lives, and instead set our affections on the true reality of life, which is spiritual. The Buddha famously taught that the source of all suffering was people’s lack of understanding that the world was ever-changing, and the only way to escape from its cycle was to find that part of us that is unchanging and truly real.

The words of Jesus, also reflect this theme-

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The quality of “living in the world but not being of the world” is known as detachment. There are some amazing passages in the Writings of Baha’u’llah about the bounties that come to a person who learns to be detached. Rather than asking us to simply pull ourselves away from the world, however, He inspires the love of God so strongly that it becomes your primary attachment, and then you see the beauty of God in everything in life. The world becomes more vivid, reflecting the beauty of God, who has now become your Beloved. Everything you do becomes an expression of that love.

The beautiful song below, posted on Baha’i blog and sung by Shirin Esmaeili, is of a Hidden Word of Baha’u’llah that echoes the words of Jesus, to not build our lives on sand, but by attachment to the “everlasting beauty”. Enjoy!

“O Friends! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust.

Many thanks to our friends at Baha’i Blog for hosting this beautiful song and to Shirin, for sharing it with everyone. Photo by Qingbao Meng on Unsplash

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Purity of Children

Purity of Children

Published August 14, 2019 by admin

In this post, we continue our series in which we are making correlations between the Gospels of Jesus and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah.

One of the most beautiful passages in the Gospels of Jesus centers around children and their purity of heart. This is from the Gospel of Matthew-

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming Me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Purity of heart is also a major theme in the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. His “first counsel” is to “possess a pure, kindly, and radiant heart”.

O SON OF SPIRIT! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.

O SON OF MAN! Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be worthy to meet Me and to mirror forth My beauty.

He also warns us, as does Christ, about the dangers of planting “thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts”. The imagery that Jesus gives us about the implications of spiritually harming a child is so vivid- “it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Our modern experience has taught us the immense importance of protecting children. Various forms of childhood trauma are among the most challenging experiences to overcome. We can now appreciate, more than ever, the guidance given to us by Jesus about protecting children- and the implications of not doing so.

Baha’u’llah told us that people and children are the true “treasures” of a community and we must protect and nurture that treasure at all times. Even when teaching about religion, He warned us to ensure our teaching did not “harm the children by resulting in ignorant fanaticism and bigotry”.

The spiritual and moral education of children is a major focus of Baha’i community activities all over the world. Formal trainings in childhood education are delivered regularly and programs are offered by Baha’i communities for children, junior youth, and youth. These programs are open to all the members of the community, not just Baha’is, teaching purity of heart, the oneness of humanity, and the other qualities that distinguish an illumined soul.

The following is a beautiful prayer often used in those classes-

O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them, the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. (‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

Next post in this series- Falling Stars

Photo by Loren Joseph on Unsplash

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Filled with Light

Filled with Light

Published August 7, 2019 by admin

Houses of worship- churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples- dot the landscape of every region of the world. Often, they are the center of a major city, and the first community building people built when people settled an area. They all attest to an underlying reality- humans are spiritual beings who desire for spiritual relationships and community with others. Baha’is host devotional gatherings all over the world that are open to all peoples, and all the Baha’i Houses of Worship are open to everyone. They cause people to be “filled with light”.

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The Way, the Truth, the Life- Part 2

The Way, the Truth, the Life- Part 2

Published August 3, 2019 by admin

This post continues as part 2 on the claims of Jesus and their relationship to Baha’u’llah’s teachings, from our series on the Gospels. In this part, we look at it from a more philosophical and theological perspective, exploring some of the terminology used in the Gospels and Baha’i Writings to explain the nature of religion.

In part 1, we discussed the passage where Jesus declares that He is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” and “no one gets to the Father but through Him”. We discussed how an interpretation of this passage based on the truths revealed by Baha’u’llah maintains the obvious interpretation of the passage- that Christ represented God and He was the Way to God- even the exclusive way to God for that time in history- but that because Christ said He would return and Baha’u’llah claimed to be the return of Christ, Baha’u’llah’s claim is not fundamentally contradictory to the obvious meaning of the passage.

We could just stop there, but there is so much more depth to this discussion worth highlighting that it’s valuable to press on. Jesus had said He had many things to tell his followers but they “could not bear it” at that time, but the “Spirit of Truth” would come and lead us “into all Truth”. The “Spirit of Truth”, in a Baha’i understanding, is another Manifestation of God who builds on the teachings of Christ in a new age, a later time in history. For our time, that is Baha’u’llah.

A fundamental aspect of Jesus’ teaching is that He represented the “Father”– that is, God- on earth. He makes the point that “nobody has seen the Father”, and therefore Christ is needed to represent Him.

In the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, we have passages that explain this principle in greater depth than is spelled out in the Gospels. Baha’u’llah’s forerunner, his “John the Baptist”, the prophet known as the Bab, states again and again in His Tablets that the Essence of God- the “Father”- is unknowable to humans-

….There can be no doubt that from everlasting God hath been invested with the independent sovereignty of His exalted Being, and unto everlasting He will remain inaccessible in the transcendent majesty of His holy Essence. No creature hath ever recognized Him as befitteth His recognition, nor hath any created being ever praised Him as is worthy of His praise. He is exalted above every name, and is sanctified from every comparison. Through Him all things are made known, while too lofty is His reality to be known through anyone but Him.

For us, as beings created by God, our experience of our Creator is limited to the expression of God’s qualities in His creation. Just as Christ taught, we cannot know the “Father” directly- “You have not seen the Father”. It is as if we are living in a painting created by a painter, or we are a video game character created in a virtual reality. Our entire universe of experience is within the painting or the video game. We simply don’t possess the capacity to experience the Creator in a direct sense. Yet, we are of course completely dependent on the Creator at all times. The Báb expresses this concept in another passage-

God is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ever exists between Him and any created thing, while ye have all arisen at His bidding. Verily He is your Lord and your God, your Master and your King.

Baha’u’llah similarly expresses this fundamental concept throughout His Revelation-

To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute… Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.

Our experience of God is only that of His Will as expressed in the creation we experience. If we were living in the painting, our experience of God would be the paintbrush, which acts as the Will of the painter within the painting. The Báb called this the “Primal Will”, the paintbrush that acts within the painting.

In the Bible and Baha’u’llah’s Writings, it is also called “Word of God”, the primal Information that creates all that is- “The Word of God is the king of words and its pervasive influence is incalculable. It hath ever dominated and will continue to dominate the realm of being It is an ocean inexhaustible in riches, comprehending all things. Every thing which can be perceived is but an emanation therefrom. High, immeasurably high is this sublime station, in whose shadow moveth the essence of loftiness and splendour, wrapt in praise and adoration.”

Baha’u’llah further tells us that it is “Command of God”, that it is “spoken without any syllable or sound”, an essence that “is God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity far removed above all that hath been and shall be. “ Everything we know is an expression of it. Nature itself “is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world. It is a dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of being, no one should question this assertion.” In other words, the “Primal Will’ of God, otherwise known as the “Word of God”, is the creative action of God in the world, and the closest we can see and understand of God from our limited perspective.

Divine revelation is the phenomenon of God expressing His Will through a human being- the Manifestations of God, bringing words and teachings that push humanity forward on our path of spiritual and social advancement. The Manifestations are the embodiment of the Divine Will. They aren’t God, but they are God to us. If God is the sun in the sky- too bright for us to look at directly- the Manifestations of God are like a perfect mirror of His light upon the earth, one that we can look at.

As Baha’u’llah further explains-

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace…hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Daysprings of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never fade.

In the Gospels, Jesus speaks with the authority of God throughout. In one significant passage, He is being chastised by the priests and leaders for His claim to be related to Abraham and He responds:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Jesus as a human being was only a young man, only about 30 years old, but as the embodiment of the Will of God to humanity, He was as ancient as the eternity of all creation itself, and therefore He was “before Abraham”.

Similarly, the opening passage of the Gospel of John expresses this idea-

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For Christians, this became known as the “Logos”, from the Greek word that is the root of “logic” and “logical”. It also is translated as “word” or “reason”. It is the fundamental reality that holds everything together and through which the universe makes sense. In the Baha’i Writings, as well as the Bible, it is described as the “Word of God”, but, as noted, Baha’u’llah also uses the term “Command of God”, or the “Will of God”. The terminology can seem confusing, but if you think of it as God speaking a Word, or giving a Command, that reflects his Will- from which flows a creative action. The “word”, “command” and “will” are aspects of the same thing. Baha’u’llah tells us that this “Word” is uttered “without any syllable or sound”, which can help us understand that these terms are just metaphors for what is in reality something so sublime that it is beyond language to describe it.

The Báb, in preparing the way for people to accept Baha’u’llah’s, who He called “Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest”, explained further how the revelations that have created the major religions of humankind are a reflection of the action of that “Primal Will” in the world-

“…Know thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.

And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure forevermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the Last oweth its lastness unto It.

In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam; in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him; and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muḥammad, the Apostle of God; the day of the “Point of the Bayán”; the day of Him Whom God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered by the Apostle of God (Muhammad), “I am all the Prophets,” inasmuch as what shineth resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and the same sun.”

For both Christ and Baha’u’llah, it isn’t their physical persons that are important, but the Will of God that was reflected in their person and words. Indeed, both their names are titles- “Christ” meaning “the Chosen One” and the appellation “Baha’u’llah” means “The Glory of God”. Baha’u’llah expressed His relationship to God in a prayer- “When I contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created things ‘verily I am God!’; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it coarser than clay!”

After declaring His Mission, Baha’u’llah continued to explain these concepts to His followers, including this Tablet to a believer named “Salman”.

O Salman! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and will continue forever to be, closed in the face of men. No man’s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Daystars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.

From a rational perspective, this all makes sense. If we look at the vast and ancient universe, and how small we are as a part of it, it is unreasonable for us to expect that we can know the Creator of this marvelous world directly. Since everything we know and have ever experienced proceeds from the Mind of God, we are completely dependent on His Reality- by definition- and that Mind so surrounds the creation that is is impossible for that creation to fully understand It. But God doesn’t leave us without a path to Him. Not only are His attributes reflected in the world, and in us- in our rationality and faith- but He also sends great Teachers who can educate us about His nature to the degree that we can understand it. These Teachers are the “Manifestations of God” and the embodiments of the “Will of God”, and the “Word of God”. These Teachers are not part of some haphazard process of conflicting claims, but part of one process- “the changeless Faith of God”– that continually educates humanity according to our capacity. Since the human race is over 200,000 years old, it only makes sense that, if any religion is true, it must be true as part of a long process, not just one event in history 2000 years ago.

In light of the passage above, and many others in the Tablets of Baha’u’llah, we can now understand Jesus Christ’s words more clearly- how he is “the Way, the Truth and the Life, and nobody gets to the Father but through Me”. As a Manifestation of God to humanity for that time in history and hundreds of years after, His religion was the “way of God that connects this world with the realms above” and He Himself was the embodiment of the “Word of God”. No more exalted a position could be claimed for Him, as beyond the paintbrush is the Painter Himself. The difference between a traditional Christian interpretation of these passages and the interpretation that Baha’u’llah gives us, is that Christians believe that Christ’s statement was true for Him and Him alone, whereas Baha’u’llah tells us that Christ’s words were not only true for Him, but also for every other time in which the Will of God has manifested itself to humanity in the form of a human being. It wasn’t the person of Christ that made Him special, it was the Word of God that He manifested to humanity. In reality, all the Manifestations of God said the same thing Christ did in other words, as They are all embodiment of the Will or the Word of God for their time in history-

“The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as the Exponents of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new Message. Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they, therefore, are regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness.”

In several passages, Baha’u’llah explains that each of the Manifestations of God should be considered, in essence, One Reality, and it is through that Reality that we come to know God in the world of creation-

Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him…The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through specific acts. It is for this reason that they appear to vary in their greatness. Their Revelation may be likened unto the light of the moon that sheddeth its radiance upon the earth. Though every time it appeareth, it revealeth a fresh measure of its brightness, yet its inherent splendor can never diminish, nor can its light suffer extinction.

It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.

This last point tells us the purpose of the whole process. As humanity grows and our capacity for spiritual and moral progress increases, God sends us a new revelation of His “Will”, and the people who accept that Revelation become part of the vanguard of a new spiritual renaissance. Each Revelation is intended to “liberate us from ignorance” and “guide us to the light of true understanding” and to ensure the “peace and tranquility of mankind”, providing “all the means by which they can be established”. The process is not so that we can set up various religious camps, religious tribes, that cause disunity among humanity. Ideally, God wants us to recognize all the Manifestations of His Will as One Reality and warns us that, only then, are we truly recognizing God Himself. That is the standard that Baha’u’llah has brought into the world and the challenge for us to achieve. But this process will continue far beyond Baha’u’llah Himself. As the Bab states, it is like the rising and setting of the sun, and we should see it all as part of the “development of God’s Faith until the end that hath no end”.

Finally, one more point about the “Word of God”. Most of us will never meet a Manifestation of God, but we do have access to the words They reveal, whether it be the words of Jesus in the Gospels or the words of the Quran, or those of Baha’u’llah. Those words- which are the “Word of God”- is how we will all come to relate to the Manifestations- by reading and studying their words. Baha’u’llah taught that, just as the “Will” or “Word of God’ expressed in nature has creative power, ultimately to produce the physical reality we all know, the words of the Manifestations have creative power to create us spiritually. Baha’is refer to the words of the Manifestations as the “creative word” for just this reason. It is of course also expressed by Jesus in the Gospels- “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. It is described as the “bread of heaven” but also as the ‘water of life”, as in the passage where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well and tells her that the true water is the water he is offering, not the water that comes up from the well- “Everyone who drinks this water will become thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never become thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become a well of water for him, springing up to eternal life.”

Baha’u’llah describes His words in the same way-

O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the rocks, through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind.

For most of us, the truth of any individual Manifestation of God, whether it be Jesus Christ, Muhammad, or Baha’u’llah, is judged by the power of their words on our hearts. The Gospels frequently note the distinctive character of the way Jesus spoke, as “someone who had authority”. It was because He was speaking with the Voice of God, with a power and beauty that is an unmistakable element of the Word of God. The “good news” of Baha’u’llah’s Revelation is the the best news of all, that God has not forgotten humanity, that our lives have a meaning and purpose that we can discover, and that the Voice of God has spoken to us again.

“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.”

Next post in this series- Purity of Children

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The Way, the Truth, and the Life

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Published August 1, 2019 by admin

This post continues our series on the Gospels and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, this time addressing a famous passage with varying theological interpretations. Today is part 1, tomorrow we will post part 2.

When Baha’is tell their Christian friends that Baha’u’llah is the return of Christ, or even when Baha’is present the idea that all the great religions are from the same God, Christians frequently point to a specific Gospel passage that they feel contradicts such a claim. The passage is very familiar to many people- John 14:6-where Jesus says- “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and nobody gets to the Father except through Me”. This passage has historically been referenced as the source of the belief that it is only through Christ that human beings can be “saved”, and therefore Christianity is the exclusive path to God. For many Christians, this is a foundational belief, and they won’t even take seriously another claim to divine authority in the world.

So, let’s look closely at this passage and then review how Baha’is believe that Baha’u’llah upholds the truth of this passage, but with a less exclusive interpretation, and also significantly supplements its meaning.

The passage is most frequently quoted from the Gospel of John but appears in other Gospels as well. The words were spoken by Christ in the setting of a discussion about his imminent martyrdom and crucifixion. He was comforting the disciples, telling them that He would die but would go to heaven, that his “Father’s mansion has many rooms” and that He would go “and prepare a place for them”, so that they could find Him. He tells them that they know the “way”, but they are confused and question Him saying- “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”. Jesus then responds that He Himself is the way- “I am the way, the truth and the life and no-one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus goes on to explain that His relationship with the Father is such that if they know Him, they know the Father as well. The implication is also that, should they truly believe in Him, they would also find their way to Heaven just as He will when He is crucified. He further states-

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me

For reference- here is the entire passage.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

It’s worth parsing out the specifics of the passage above. First, clearly Jesus is telling us that it is through His teachings and belief in His person that people can find God, that He Himself is the path to God. He further states that His relationship with God is such that it is through Him that God is manifested to the world- that He speaks with the authority of God and not on His own authority. It is also clearly true that Christ expresses that nobody can get to the Father “except through Him”. So how would Baha’is respond to these clear statements from Jesus Himself?

The first element of a response is to state that Baha’u’llah fully confirms the interpretation above, but that He is the return of Christ, and therefore carries the same authority that Christ did when He came the first time. It’s not that Baha’is believe that every path to God is the same or equally valid- that is a misinterpretation of the concept of progressive revelation. What Baha’u’llah taught is that the process of revelation has an historical dimension, that the Manifestations of God are the path to God in every age, but when they return in a new Revelation, they become the path to God for that new time in history. It is humanity’s responsibility to accept Them whenever They come, otherwise we remain deprived of the bounties of their Truth. Indeed, Baha’u’llah tells us that true recognition of God- the belief that conforms most to what God wants from us- His “good pleasure”— is to recognize the revelations whenever they come to humanity, as only then are we recognizing the Truth of God in purest form. Otherwise, we are just worshipping “forms”- the religious trappings that we have become accustomed to in our society- and not the pure Truth of God.

When Christ spoke these words, people of that time believed in all sorts of things- some were Jews and committed to the Jewish leaders and law, some were pagans and worshipped like their ancestors, some were supporters of the various cults that were coming into the Roman Empire from Greece, India and other places. Against that background, Christ is telling the world that it is through Him that people can get to God. He is the Manifestation of God for that time in history. It was an exclusive claim, but did not mean that we should remain blinded to Him when He returns. Indeed, in the next section, Christ also promises His return:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

Christ is stating the principle of progressive revelation- that the Manifestations of God teach us according to our capacity, and that in every age, when our capacity has grown, a new Revelation comes to teach us more. He explicitly says that there were teachings He could give but that the people did not yet have the capacity to “bear”. It wasn’t that He didn’t know them, it was that the population wasn’t ready for them. He then promises that One would come to “guide you into all the truth” and that the One after Him would “glorify Me” and that the truth He reveals will be “from Me, that he will receive what He will make known to you”.

When we read the claims of Baha’u’llah, we see the exact same language. First, He claims that He represents God on earth-

“Naught is seen in my temple but the Temple of God, and in my beauty but His Beauty, and in my being but His Being, and in myself but Himself, and in my movement but His Movement, and in my acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in my pen but His Pen, the Precious, the Extolled…There hath not been in my soul but the Truth, and in myself naught can be seen but God.”

In Baha’u’llah’s Tablet to the Christians, known as the “Most Holy Tablet”, He invites Christians to enter the new Kingdom that has been outspread by His Revelation-

Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus) verily standeth before them. Wherefore keep ye afar from Him Who hath purposed to draw you nigh unto a Resplendent Spot? Say: We, in truth, have opened unto you the gates of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of your houses in My face? This indeed is naught but a grievous error. He, verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time. Beware lest ye dispute that which He proclaimeth, even as the people before you disputed His utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive it.

He then extols the blessings that come from His Revelation-

Blessed is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me. Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory.

These passages are proclamatory statements of Baha’u’llah’s claim, spoken with an authority and power that causes you to take notice. But one of the wonderful things about Baha’u’llah’s Revelation is that He not only makes this claim, but both He and the Bab patiently explained the nature of the Manifestations of God throughout their Writings, creating a philosophical and theological framework through which we can understand, not only Baha’u’llah’s claim, but also that of Jesus. In part two of this post, we will explore some of those significant passages in more detail.

Next post in this series- The Way, the Truth and the Life, Part 2

Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash

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Light on a Hill

Light on a Hill

Published July 31, 2019 by admin

The Revelations of God have often used light as a symbol for our inner spirituality and the Word of God that helps us grow. In our world, physical light is the source of life and nothing could exist without it. Spiritual light causes our spirituality to grow and finding the light within us and reflecting that to others can be seen as the purpose of our lives. For the next several posts, we will draw on the Gospels, the Quran and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah to highlight passages that reflect this theme.

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