Anna’s Presentation Augmented or Amplified
An editorial deepening by Greg Kagira-Watson
[All highlighting—bold, brackets, underlines, etc.—are added by the editor.]
[This page is a work in progress – please forgive formatting issues.]
What follows is a selection from the popular introductory presentation[1] of the Bahá’í Faith called “Anna’s Presentation”— the story of a young girl telling her friend about the Bahá’í Faith. It appears in the left column (below), along with some additions (in the right column and endnotes) that provide more context. The purpose of this “amplification” document is to provide source documents (i.e., original authoritative Bahá’í Writings) and social context that support the points she makes in her presentation, so that those who wish to deepen their understanding of her points can do so by understanding principles and teachings found in original texts from which her presentation is derived. (In essence, then, it is an introduction for the person newly introduced to the Bahá’í Faith, and a parallel study for those who seek to deepen their existing understanding.)
[Note: Anna’s talk begins, and ends, where the yellow parts below are highlighted—beginning by declaring that The Bahá’í Faith is a “world religion.” The sections before it are a kind of preface, for those seekers who need the additional context—especially those who are repelled by the idea of religion, as it is so often practiced today. It is the editor’s opinion that for such seekers it may be helpful to first acknowledge the evil abuse of religion (as it is acknowledged by the Universal House of Justice in the Letter to the World’s Religious Leaders—see endnote # 5) before offering it as a good thing. In some cases religion, in general, must first be made “good news” before offering it to the seeker—since it appears to be such “bad news” to so many. The modifications or additions to Anna’s presentation, in the left column, are indicated in blue. You can view endnotes by hovering your cursor over the # or by jumping to the text by double-clicking on the #. HTML text can be viewed by hovering the cursor over the text, holding the cntrl key, and then clicking the left mouse button.]
Anna’s Presentation Amplified
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· The Bahá’í Faith is a spiritual springtime[2], after the wintertime and darkness of religion.[3] · Religion should be a civilizing force in the world.[4] [5] · All the religions teach goodness (Golden Rule, etc.) · The Founders of the world’s religions had the Divine mission and hope to teach us (humanity) how to live in harmony and peace with one another,[6] · …yet the followers and leaders of religion[7] have made it a cause of separation, hatred, bigotry, fear and war:[8] o e.g., Christians killing Christians over the trinity debate centuries ago, Jews & Palestinians fighting over land, Catholics & Protestants in N. Ireland still fighting, Sudan’s militant Muslim regime is slaughtering Christians today, and Christian Serbia slaughtered thousands and thousands in Bosnia about10 yrs ago, and the list goes on. · The Founders of the world’s religions never thought ill of one another.[9] It is the followers who corrupt the religions and their view of each other. · The Baha’í Faith is a world religion—the second most widespread religion in the world—whose purpose is to unite all races and peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith.[<< html] · “The Bahá’í Message is a call to religious unity and not an invitation to a new religion, not a new path to immortality, God forbid! It is the ancient path cleared of the debris of imaginations and superstitions of men, of the debris of strife and misunderstanding and is again made a clear path to the sincere seeker, that he may enter therein in assurance, and find that the Word of God is one Word, though the Speakers were many.” (Star of the West, Vol. 15, p. 28)[10] · Baha’ís are followers of Baha’u’llah, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages. · The traditions of almost every people include a promise of a future when peace and harmony will be established and humankind will live in prosperity. · We Bahá’ís believe that the promised hour has come and that Baha’u’llah is the great Personage Whose Teachings will enable humanity to build a new world. In one of His Writings, He says: o “That which God hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired Physician. By My life! This is the truth, and all else naught but error.[11] Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the world.” (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, 62) [The blue portion was omitted from Anna’s original, but here provides some greater context.] · Some of Baha’u’llah’s teachings about God and our relationship to Him are as follows:[12] o God is unknowable in His Essence. We should not, therefore, make images or concepts in our own mind, thinking of Him as a man, for example. In general, that which has been created cannot understand its creator. For instance, a table cannot understand the nature of the carpenter who made it. The carpenter’s existence is totally incomprehensible to the objects he makes. o God is the Creator of all things. He has made the sun, the moon, the stars, and the earth, with its mountains and valleys, its deserts and seas, its rivers and meadows and trees. God has created the animals and God has created the human being. The reason behind our creation, we are told by Baha’u’llah, is love. He says: o “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.” (HW #4) o So although God’s existence is beyond our understanding, His love touches our lives and our beings ceaselessly. The way this love and knowledge of Him flows to us is through His Eternal and ancient Covenant [expressed in every world religion]. According to this Eternal Covenant, God never leaves us alone and without guidance. Whenever humanity moves away from Him and forgets His teachings, a Manifestation of God appears and makes His Will and Purpose known to us. Here are some expressions of that promise, found in the world’s religious literature: o “. . . whenever there is a decline of righteousness, and unrighteousness is in the ascendant, then I body Myself forth. For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil amongst men (evil-doers), and for the establishing of Dharma (righteousness) on a firm footing (solid foundation), I am born from age to age.” (Gita: Ch.4, #s 7)[13] o “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (God speaking to Moses— Deuteronomy 18:18-22) · “…and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Bible: Genesis 26:5)
· As you know, the word “manifest” means to “reveal”, to bring forth something that was not known before. For Bahá’ís each religion is a further “revealing” from God—one continual revelation, progressively unfolding down through history. The Manifestations of God are those Special Beings Who reveal to humanity the Word and Will of God; thus when we listen to Them, we are responding to the Call of God. · There is an example from the physical world that helps us to understand the concept of “Manifestation”, as taught by Baha’u’llah. In this world the sun is the source of all warmth and light, without which life would not exist on this planet. Yet the sun does not descend to the earth to bestow its benefits, and if we tried to approach the sun, we would be totally consumed.[14] But suppose we take a well-polished mirror and point it towards the sun. In it we will see the image of the sun, and the more perfectly polished the mirror, the more perfect the image will be. The Manifestations of God are like perfect Mirrors[15] that reflect the light of God in all its Splendor. And all these Mirrors reflect the same Light. While God is beyond our reach, these perfect Beings come to us from time to time, live among us, give us guidance, and fill us with the energy we need to progress, materially and spiritually.[16] · You are fortunate to have been raised according to the Teachings sent by God to humanity some two thousand years ago through His Manifestation, Jesus, the Christ,[17]…. [18] Now you can receive the teachings of a new Manifestation, Baha’u’llah, Whose name, or title, means “The Glory of God” [in Persian/Arabic]. Baha’u’llah’s teachings, then, are in perfect harmony with the teachings of Christ, but they address the conditions of humanity today [even as Christ said, “I have more to tell you but you cannot bear it now”[19]]. · If you think for a moment about the plight of humanity I am sure that you will agree the time is right for another Manifestation of God to have appeared.[20] Let me recite a passage from the Writings of Baha’u’llah to you that speaks about the Day in which we live: o “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.” (Gleanings, 6) · Anna STOPS for questions. [21] <><><> Editorial note: There is another point that Abdu’l-Bahá’ makes, with regard to the mirror analogy, which might also be included as part of “Anna’s Presentation” if there is time—perhaps during a Questions and Answers period. It has to do with the intermediary power of the light that shines in the mirror: “Behold, ...an intermediary is necessary between the sun and the earth; the sun does not descend to the earth, neither does the earth ascend to the sun. This contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and warmth and heat. The Holy Spirit is the Light from the Sun of Truth bringing, by its infinite power, life and illumination to all mankind, flooding all souls with Divine Radiance, conveying the blessings of God's Mercy to the whole world. The earth, without the medium of the warmth and light of the rays of the sun, could receive no benefits from the sun… …Man, then, is in extreme need of the only Power by which he is able to receive help from the Divine Reality, that Power alone bringing him into contact with the Source of all life. An intermediary is needed to bring two extremes into relation with each other. Riches and poverty, plenty and need: without an intermediary power there could be no relation between these pairs of opposites. So we can say there must be a Mediator between God and Man, and this is none other than the Holy Spirit, which brings the created earth into relation with the 'Unthinkable One', the Divine Reality.” …The Holy Spirit it is which, through the mediation of the Prophets of God, teaches spiritual virtues to man and enables him to attain Eternal Life. . . . the Holy Spirit is the Intermediary between the Creator and the created. The light and heat of the sun cause the earth to be fruitful, and create life in all things that grow; ... the Holy Spirit quickens the souls of men.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 58-59)
Editorial note: This intermediary explanation helps the Christian understand Bible passages[22] that support the analogy, which in turn is supported in the Bible by the Christian concept of the “Mediator”, as illustrated in the quotes below: "For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human. . .” (1 Timothy 2:5) "Now a mediator involves more than one party; ..God is one." (Galatians 3:20) "But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted through better promises." (Hebrews 8:6) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
Editorial note: No one can go to the sun except through the intermediary power of its rays.
Bahá’u’lláh’s own words sum things up: “[God] hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. . . . 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.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 50
Anna’s presentation continues…. The next of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings that I would like to present to you is related to the aim of the Bahá’í Faith, which is to unify humanity.
In the Bahá’í Teachings we are told that we are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch. Although we differ from one another physically and emotionally, although we have different talents and capacities, we all spring from the same root; we all belong to the same human family.
Humanity can be likened to a vast garden in which grow side by side flowers of every form, color and perfume. The charm and beauty of the garden lie in this diversity. We should not allow the differences that exist among us — in our physical characteristics, our temperaments, our backgrounds, our thoughts and opinions —to give rise to conflict and strife. We should see the members of the human race as beautiful flowers growing in the garden of humanity and rejoice in belonging to this garden.
Although the oneness of humankind is an undeniable truth, the peoples of earth are so far from it that unifying them is no easy task. If you choose to join the Bahá’í community — and it would bring me so much happiness if you would do so — you will participate with the rest of us in our efforts to build and maintain unity. We are all striving to bring our thoughts and actions in line with our belief in the oneness of humankind.
We are told that, when a thought of war enters our minds, we should immediately replace it with a thought of peace. When a feeling of hate begins to take shape in our hearts, we should immediately replace it with a feeling of love.
We should do everything possible to overcome our prejudices. Prejudices of race, color, nationality, culture, religion, and sex, these are among the greatest obstacles to building a better world. So many passages in the Bahá’í writings teach us how to walk in the ways of unity and how to help others take the same path. There is a wonderful passage from one of the talks of `Abdu’l-Bahá, of Whom I will speak later, which I have memorized. He says:
“Bahá’u’lláh has drawn the circle of unity, He has made a design for the uniting of all the peoples, and for the gathering of them all under the shelter of the tent of universal unity. This is the work of the Divine Bounty, and we must all strive with heart and soul until we have the reality of unity in our midst as we work, so will strength be given unto us.” ––––– Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817 in Tihrán,
the capital of
There are two aspects of Bahá’u’lláh’s life which I would like to mention in particular.
These actually characterize the lives of all the Manifestations of God.
Bahá’u’lláh’s sufferings began the moment He arose to proclaim the Cause of God. His life was
one of exile, imprisonment and persecution. He was put in chains in a dark
and dismal dungeon in Tihrán. He was exiled four
times from land to land, finally being sent to the
“Remember My days during thy days, and My distress and banishment in this remote prison. And be thou so steadfast in My love that thy heart shall not waver, even if the swords of the enemies rain blows upon thee and all the heavens and the earth arise against thee.”
I always carry in my bag a small note book in which I write my favorite passages from the Bahá’í writings. Let me read for you what Bahá’u’lláh has said about His sufferings:
“The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage[24], and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities!”
Every effort was made by two powerful courts—those of the King
of
Bahá’u’lláh passed away in 1892. His Shrine, which we consider
the Holiest Spot on earth, is located near the city of ‘Akká.
Here are some postcards I have of the entrance to the Shrine
and the gardens surrounding it. You don’t know how much I would like
to go on pilgrimage to the –––––
Several years before Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed His Mission, God
sent a special messenger to announce His coming. This great messenger took
the title “The Báb” which means the gate. He was indeed a gate
to the knowledge of God and to a new era in human existence. For six years he
taught ceaselessly that the appearance of the new Manifestation of God was
near and prepared the way for His coming. He told the people that they
were witnessing the dawn of a new Age, the dawn of the Promised Day of
God. He called upon them to purify their hearts from earthly vanities
so that they could recognize Him Whom God would soon manifest. Thousands
upon thousands of people accepted the Message of the Báb and began to
follow His Teachings. But the government of
“Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!”
“Say: God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower, the Sustainer, the Omnipotent.”
Many Bahá’ís know especially the first prayer by heart and say it either aloud or mentally in times of difficulties. If you want, we can pause a little and you can memorize it. It is really easy to do so.
Following His martyrdom, the remains of the Báb were recovered
by His followers and taken from place to place, always hidden from the
enemies of the Faith. Finally they were transferred to Mount Carmel in the
Here, I have some postcards that I would like to show you
of His Shrine in –––––
The idea most central to our lives as Bahá’ís is that we have entered into a Covenant with Bahá’u’lláh. As you know, in all other religions, after the passing of the Manifestation, His followers had thousands of disputes among themselves and, as a result, split the religion into many sects. The cause of disunity was sometimes the desire for leadership of certain ambitious individuals. But, when differences of opinion arose between even sincere believers about what the Words of the Manifestation meant, no one had been authorized by the Manifestation Himself to settle the disagreements, and this contributed to conflict and dissension. Each set of interpretations led to the creation of a different sect. Bahá’u’lláh has protected His Faith against such division by endowing it with a unique power, the power of the Covenant. Before His passing, He stated in the clearest terms, in writing, that after Him, all Bahá’ís should turn to `Abdu’l-Bahá.
`Abdu’l-Bahá, His oldest Son, was thus
named the sole Interpreter of His Words and the
`Abdu’l-Bahá lived on this earth for
77 years. He was born on the same night the Báb declared His
By focusing on `Abdu’l-Bahá as the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, the Bahá’ís of the world remain united in their efforts to live a Bahá’í life and to create a new civilization. We remember that as part of our promise to Bahá’u’lláh, we are to love one another and, in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, we see the perfect example of one who loves. We remember that we must uphold justice, that we must be generous, that we must overlook the faults of others, and from the example of `Abdu’l-Bahá we learn justice, generosity and forgiveness. More than anything else, by keeping our focus on `Abdu’l-Bahá, we are always aware of our covenant with Bahá’u’lláh that we will not allow the unity of His followers to be broken and that, united as a worldwide community, we will labor until the oneness of humankind has been firmly established.
In His Will and Testament, `Abdu’l-Bahá named His grandson the Guardian of the Faith and after His passing, Shoghi Effendi became the authorized interpreter of the Teachings. For 36 years, he continued the work of His Grandfather, clarifying the Words of the Manifestation and firmly establishing His Faith in all parts of the planet. Five and a half years after his passing, the Bahá’ís of the world elected the Universal House of Justice, as envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh and clearly described by `Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian. The Universal House of Justice is the supreme institution of the Faith to which all the Bahá’ís of the world now turn. –––––
Many of the ideas I have explained on this last subject require a great deal of thought. If you agree, some other time we can discuss this in more depth.
For that discussion, I will bring a few passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s Book of the Covenant as well as the Will and Testament of `Abdu’l-Bahá so we can read them together.
But let me go on and present to you a few other ideas you will want to know about the Bahá’í Faith right from the beginning. A most important aspect of every religion is the laws that the Manifestation brings to humanity in order to guide it in the right path. Some of these laws and commandments are eternal, others change as humanity progresses and evolves.
In the Faith we are taught that we should not think of Bahá’í laws as a series of do’s and don’ts. Bahá’u’lláh tells us that His laws are “the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures.”
Nor should we obey these laws out of fear of punishment, for He clearly has stated in His Most Holy Book:
“Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.”
These ideas will become clearer if I give you a few examples of Bahá’í laws. In the physical world, human beings have to eat everyday. This is a requirement of the human body; if we don’t, we will get sick and quickly die. We can say, then, that eating daily is a law of physical existence which has to be obeyed. In the same way one of the commandments of Bahá’u’lláh is that we should pray every day. Like our body, our soul needs constant nourishment, and prayer provides the nourishment for our spiritual growth. There are many beautiful prayers revealed by the Báb, by Bahá’u’lláh and by `Abdu’l-Bahá which we can say when we are alone or recite in meetings. Some of these prayers are special, and some are obligatory. One obligatory prayer is recited by Bahá’ís everyday sometime between noon and sunset. It says:
“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”
It is a short and beautiful prayer and having seen how easy it is for you to memorize verses, I am sure you will know it by heart after repeating it a few times.
In another commandment, Bahá’u’lláh prohibits backbiting and calumny.[26] This is important because, if you think about it, one of the greatest enemies of unity is backbiting. And unfortunately, it has become an established practice among most of humanity to talk about other people’s faults in their absence.
Everybody seems to be concerned with everybody else’s shortcomings, which are made bigger and bigger as they are constantly mentioned. `Abdu’l-Bahá tells us to do just the opposite. If we see ten good qualities in someone and one fault, we should concentrate on the ten, and even if a person has ten faults and only one good quality we should focus on that one quality.
Emilia, who is listening with special interest to Anna’s last comments, remembers some recent incidents at school in which backbiting resulted in many people being hurt. The two friends talk for some time about how gossip can destroy a friendship and then Anna searches in her notebook and reads the following:
“O Companion of My Throne! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom forevermore.”
Although this does not affect us much at our age, you should also know that Bahá’u’lláh prohibits the drinking of alcohol and, of course, substance abuse. Drinking alcohol is really one of the greatest social ills that exists today in the world. It is one of the most common causes of violence and the ruin of healthy family life. To tell you the truth, I have never understood why people would take something that interferes with their minds and makes them lose their ability to think clearly. Drinking makes people capable of acting in shameful ways, when we have actually been created noble. I know a beautiful quote from Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings about nobility:
“O Son of Spirit! I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty,powerful and self-subsisting.”
Another commandment of Bahá’u’lláh, which is one of my favorites, is about the obligation of parents[27] and society to educate children. Here, I have in my notebook a short passage from `Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings that explains this well:
“Therefore, the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful must train their children with life and heart and teach them in the school of virtue and perfection. They must not be lax in this matter; they must not be inefficient. Truly, if a babe did not live at all it were better than to let it grow ignorant, for that innocent babe, in later life, would become afflicted with innumerable defects, responsible to and questioned by God, reproached and rejected by the people. What a sin this would be and what an omission!”
“The first duty of the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful is this: They must strive by all possible means to educate both sexes, male and female; girls like boys; there is no difference whatsoever between them. The ignorance of both is blameworthy, and negligence in both cases is reprovable. ‘Are they who know and they who do not know equal?’”
You know, after I reflected on this great commandment, I decided to do something about it. So I hold a Bahá’í children’s class with a friend once every week and we have seventeen students. I would love to invite you to come and help us with our class. Do you have time this Saturday afternoon? I am sure you are aware that I am inviting you to join a religion and not just accept a collection of nice ideals. In fact, the Bahá’í Faith is a very organized religion whose aim is nothing less than the unification of the entire human race. It will be helpful for you to think of the work of the Bahá’ís as the building of a world civilization. The Universal House of Justice tells us that there are three participants in this work, each with a very important role.
The first participant is the individual believer. It is the duty of this individual to remain firm in the Covenant, to strive daily to bring his or her life in line with Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings, and to serve humanity, always conscious of the fact that life does not end with death and that one’s relation with God is eternal. After death, our souls become free and continue to progress towards God for all eternity. Our lives here are very much like the life of an infant in the womb of the mother. For some nine months the child develops faculties — eyes, ears, hands and so on — to be used later in this world. In the same way, we are to develop here the spiritual faculties that we need to progress in the other worlds of God.[28] Of course, we do not achieve our purpose by just thinking about it. We have to work, serve our fellow human beings, and share the knowledge we gain with others.
The second participant is the community.[29] Human beings were not created to exist alone.[30] We live in communities and must work together to build the new civilization. The community closest to us is the local one which consists of the Bahá’ís of our village or town. It is in the local community where we learn to cooperate with one another, to grow together and become united. In addition to being members of the local community, we are also members of the national community and then the worldwide Bahá’í community which is constantly expanding and attracting people from every religious background, race, and nationality.
The institutions of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice tells us, represent the third participant in the building of the new civilization. This is a subject about which we will have to talk some more when we discuss the Covenant. For now, let me just mention that included in the commandments of Bahá’u’lláh are many related to the way society should be organized. In the past, the Manifestations of God have not said much about how their followers should organize themselves and people have had to discover how to do this by themselves. But, in the case of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh has brought His own Administrative Order, which means that He has told us what institutions we must create, how they should function, and how humanity should be governed.
We have already spoken about the supreme institution, which is the Universal House of Justice. In each country, Bahá’ís elect once a year the National Spiritual Assembly, and in each locality, the Local Spiritual Assembly. This is the institution that you will get to know the soonest. There are no priests or clergy in the Bahá’í Faith, and it is the Local Spiritual Assembly that guides the affairs of the community and watches over the well-being of the individual believers. A Local Spiritual Assembly consists of nine members elected in a prayerful atmosphere by secret ballot by all the adult believers in the community. Spiritual Assemblies are extremely important to Bahá’ís. Through them we learn how human affairs are to be administered and how a new order can be established in society, an order which is to be known as the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. –––––
Anna takes a small prayer book out of her bag and gives it to Emilia as a gift, suggesting they say a prayer together before they go their separate ways. Emilia opens the book and reads:
“O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.”
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This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the "Resurrection Day" and now is the great "Day of Judgment." Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand. (Bahá’í World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 352)
“Religion is, verily, the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world, and of tranquility amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion.” (ESW, 28)
“The Prophets and Manifestations of God bring always the same teaching; at first men cling to the Truth but after a time they disfigure it. The Truth is distorted by man-made outward forms and material laws. The veil of substance and worldliness is drawn across the reality of Truth”. (Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 56)
“The Jews await the Messiah, the Christians the return of
Christ, the Moslems the Mahdi [Mihdí–
and the promised Qá'im], the Buddhists the fifth
Buddha, the Zoroastrians Shah Bahram, the Hindus
the reincarnation of
" . . the Promised One of all the world's peoples hath now been made manifest. For each and every people, and every religion, await a Promised One, and Baha'u'llah is that One Who is awaited by all; and therefore the Cause of Baha'u'llah will bring about the oneness of mankind . . .” (Selection from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, 101)
“All the people have formed a god in the world of thought, and that form of their own imagination they worship; when the fact is that the imagined form is finite… Therefore consider: All the sects and peoples worship their own thought; they create a god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator of all things, when that form is a superstition -- thus people adore and worship imagination. That Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the unseen is holy above imagination and is beyond thought. Consciousness doth not reach It. Within the capacity of comprehension of a produced reality that Ancient Reality cannot be contained. It is a different world; from it there is no information; arrival thereat is impossible; attainment thereto is prohibited and inaccessible. This much is known: It exists and Its existence is certain and proven -- but the condition is unknown.” (BWF - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 381)
“To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. 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…” (Gleanings, 46) “…by a word of His command all that are in heaven and on earth have come to exist, and by His wish, which is the Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the realm of being, the world of the visible.” (Baha'u'llah, Iqan, p. 97) “Ere that hour cometh, the Ancient Being, Who is still unknown of men and hath not as yet given utterance to the Word of God, is Himself the All-Knower in a world devoid of any man that hath known Him.” (Gleanings from Writings of Baha'u'llah, p.150)
“He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation…” (Gleanings, 49 and Endnote 15)
“For a single purpose were the Prophets, each and all, sent down to earth; for this was Christ made manifest, for this did Bahá'u'lláh raise up the call of the Lord: that the world of man should become the world of God, this nether realm the Kingdom, this darkness light, this satanic wickedness all the virtues of heaven -- and unity, fellowship and love be won for the whole human race, that the organic unity should reappear and the bases of discord be destroyed and life everlasting and grace everlasting become the harvest of mankind.” (Selections Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, 30)
“The Perfect Man is as a polished mirror reflecting the Sun of Truth, manifesting the attributes of God. The Lord Christ said, 'He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father' -- God manifested in man. The sun does not leave his place in the heavens and descend into the mirror, for the actions of ascent and descent, coming and going, do not belong to the Infinite, they are the methods of finite beings. In the Manifestation of God, the perfectly polished mirror, appear the qualities of the Divine in a form that man is capable of comprehending. This is so simple that all can understand it, and that which we are able to understand we must perforce accept.” (Paris Talks, p. 25-26 --Also, Some Answered Questions, Pages: 205-207)
“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[32], these Day-springs 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.... These Tabernacles of Holiness, these Primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are made manifest.” (Gleanings…, p. 46)
“Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory. Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God's Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.” (Gleanings, p. 10)
“The time foreordained unto
the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in the
holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled. Out of
“The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been
acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most
cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will
of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto
men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the
sacred Scriptures. Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement,
mankind hath strayed from its path and shut out itself from its glory.
"O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow.” (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 11)
“Know verily that whenever this Youth turneth His eyes towards His own self, he findeth it the most insignificant of all creation.[33] When He contemplates, however, the bright effulgences He hath been empowered to manifest, lo, that self is transfigured before Him into a sovereign Potency permeating the essence of all things visible and invisible. Glory be to Him Who, through the power of truth, hath sent down the Manifestation of His own Self and entrusted Him with His message unto all mankind.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 102)
“The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.” (Gleanings…Baha'u'llah, 288)
“That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: 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.” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 167)
“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. Then will the effulgence of the world's great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. This wronged One hath, ever since the early days of His life, cherished none other desire but this, and will continue to entertain no wish except this wish. 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.” (GL, 217)
“The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world's religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes.” (GL, 215)
“This is the Day which the Pen of the Most High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make mention of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy Scriptures concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible dimensions. It is incumbent in this Day, upon every man to place his whole trust in the manifold bounties of God, and arise to disseminate, with the utmost wisdom, the verities of His Cause. Then, and only then, will the whole earth be enveloped with the morning light of His Revelation.” (Gleanings from…Baha'u'llah, 13)
For more on Bahá’u’lláh’s suffering, from His Own words, see: http://www.homestead.com/watsongregory/files/prison1.html and for more on its meaning, as a sacrifice, for our “redemption” and “salvation”, see http://watsongregory.homestead.com/files/AtonementRedemption.htm#Atonement
“…He may release, through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and fetters, and cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His face, Who is the Mighty, the Bounteous…. Such hath been God's method carried into effect in centuries and ages past.” (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, 133)
“Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him… Such is God's method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future.” (Gleanings…Baha'u'llah, 129)
“…for such is God's method carried into effect of old, and no change can ye find in God's method of dealing.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 224)
“…and have endured the galling of chains for Thy sake, to grant that all Thy people may be graciously aided to recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine own Self, Who, because He summoned mankind unto Thee, hath been exiled and cast into prison.” (Baha'u'llah: Prayers and Meditations, Pages: 136-138)
“It is Our wish and desire that every one of you may
become a source of all goodness unto men, and an example of uprightness to
mankind. Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors. Fix
your gaze upon Him Who is the
“Some of the kings received His words with disdain and
contempt. One of these was the sultan of the Ottoman kingdom. Napoleon
III of France did not reply. A second epistle was addressed to him. It
stated: ‘I have written you an epistle before this, summoning you to the
cause of God but you are of the heedless. You have proclaimed that you were
the defender of the oppressed; now it hath become evident that you are not.
Nor are you kind to your own suffering and oppressed people. Your actions are
contrary to your own interests and your kingly pride must fall.
Because of your arrogance God shortly will destroy your sovereignty. Read it and consider: One prisoner, single and solitary, without assistant or defender, a foreigner and stranger imprisoned in the fortress of 'Akká writing such letters to the emperor of France and sultan of Turkey. Reflect upon this how Bahá'u'lláh upraised the standard of His Cause in prison. Refer to history. It is without parallel. No such thing has happened before that time nor since; a prisoner and an exile advancing His Cause and spreading His teachings broadcast so that eventually He became powerful enough to conquer the very king who banished Him.” [34] (Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 223 – complete quote in endnote.)
“It would indeed be no exaggeration to say that nowhere in
the whole compass of the world's religious literature, except in the Gospels,
do we find any record relating to the death of any of the religion-founders
of the past comparable to the martyrdom suffered by the Prophet of
“Viewing these periods of Bahá'í history as the constituents of a single entity, we note the chain of events proclaiming successfully the rise of a Forerunner, the Mission of One Whose advent that Forerunner had promised, the establishment of a Covenant generated through the direct authority of the Promised One Himself, and lastly the birth of a System which is the child sprung from both the Author of the Covenant and its appointed Center. We observe how the Báb, the Forerunner, announced the impending inception of a divinely-conceived Order, how Bahá'u'lláh, the Promised One, formulated its laws and ordinances, how 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the appointed Center, delineated its features, and how the present generation of their followers have commenced to erect the framework of its institutions.” (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. xv)
“The Covenant which, despite the determined assaults launched against it, succeeded, unlike all previous Dispensations [religions], in preserving the integrity of the Faith of its Author, and in paving the way for the advent of the One Who was to be its Center and Object, had been firmly and irrevocably established.” (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 58)
"So firm and mighty is this Covenant," He Who is its appointed Center has affirmed, "that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath produced its like." "It is indubitably clear," He, furthermore, has stated, "that the pivot of the oneness of mankind is nothing else but the power of the Covenant." "Know thou," He has written, "that the 'Sure Handle' mentioned from the foundation of the world in the Books, the Tablets and the Scriptures of old is naught else but the Covenant and the Testament." And again: "The lamp of the Covenant is the light of the world, and the words traced by the Pen of the Most High a limitless ocean." "The Lord, the All-Glorified," He has moreover declared, "hath, beneath the shade of the Tree of Anisa (Tree of Life), made a new Covenant and established a great Testament... Hath such a Covenant been established in any previous Dispensation, age, period or century? Hath such a Testament, set down by the Pen of the Most High, ever been witnessed? No, by God!" And finally: "The power of the Covenant is as the heat of the sun which quickeneth and promoteth the development of all created things on earth. The light of the Covenant, in like manner, is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men." To this same Covenant He has in His writings referred as the "Conclusive Testimony," the "Universal Balance," the "Magnet of God's grace," the "Upraised Standard," the "Irrefutable Testament," "the all-mighty Covenant, the like of which the sacred Dispensations of the past have never witnessed" and "one of the distinctive features of this most mighty cycle." (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 238)
“That such a unique and sublime station should have been conferred upon 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not, and indeed could not, surprise those exiled companions who had for so long been privileged to observe His life and conduct, nor the pilgrims who had been brought, however fleetingly, into personal contact with Him, nor indeed the vast concourse of the faithful who, in distant lands, had grown to revere His name and to appreciate His labors, nor even the wide circle of His friends and acquaintances who, in the Holy Land and the adjoining countries, were already well familiar with the position He had occupied during the lifetime of His Father. He it was Whose auspicious birth occurred on that never-to-be-forgotten night when the Báb laid bare the transcendental character of His Mission to His first disciple Mulla Husayn. He it was Who, as a mere child, seated on the lap of Tahirih, had registered the thrilling significance of the stirring challenge which that indomitable heroine had addressed to her fellow-disciple, the erudite and far-famed Vahid. He it was Whose tender soul had been seared with the ineffaceable vision of a Father, haggard, dishevelled, freighted with chains, on the occasion of a visit, as a boy of nine, to the Siyah-Chal of Tihran. Against Him, in His early childhood, whilst His Father lay a prisoner in that dungeon, had been directed the malice of a mob of street urchins who pelted Him with stones, vilified Him and overwhelmed Him with ridicule. His had been the lot to share with His Father, soon after His release from imprisonment, the rigors and miseries of a cruel banishment from His native land, and the trials which culminated in His enforced withdrawal to the mountains of Kurdistan. He it was Who, in His inconsolable grief at His separation from an adored Father, had confided to Nabil, as attested by him in his narrative, that He felt Himself to have grown old though still but a child of tender years. His had been the unique distinction of recognizing, while still in His childhood, the full glory of His Father's as yet unrevealed station, a recognition which had impelled Him to throw Himself at His feet and to spontaneously implore the privilege of laying down His life for His sake.” (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 239)
“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!” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 332)
“Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him…” (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 77)
“…True liberty consisteth in man's submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will, that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the dominion of earth and heaven.” (Gleanings, 335 – more context in endnote.[35])
“…backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 265)
“Remember, above all, the teaching of Bahá'u'lláh concerning gossip and unseemly talk about others. Stories repeated about others are seldom good. A silent tongue is the safest. Even good may be harmful, if spoken at the wrong time, or to the wrong person.” (Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 125)
Purge your… tongues from calumny, and your limbs from whatsoever may withhold you from drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.” (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 76 – and Gleanings…, p. 54 )
“If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, a Baha'i student thinks and talks of the ten good qualities and forgets the one bad one. And if a man has ten bad qualities and only one good one, a true Bahá’í strives to bring into greater activity that one perfect quality.” (Star of the West, Vol. 16, p. 468)
Did not 'Abdu'l Baha teach that we must look at the good in man and that if we should find a man with nine good qualities and one bad one we must overlook the bad, and that if we found a man with nine bad qualities and one good, we must look only at the good? A man with nine good qualities out of ten leaves only one to defeat, and whatever that one may be, are we sure that a search of our own inner selves would not reveal a duplicate of it close at hand?” (Star of the West, Vol. 18, p. 387)
If a person has one thousand good qualities, he must pay no attention to them, nay, rather he must try to find his own faults. (SW, Vol. 19, p. 349)
“If man be imbued with all the good qualities, but be selfish, all the other virtues will fade or pass away, and eventually he will grow worse.” (SW, Vol. 7, p. 184)
Abdu'l-Bahá explains that the Aqdas prohibits "both light and strong drinks", and He states that the reason for prohibiting the use of alcoholic drinks is because "alcohol leadeth the mind astray and causeth the weakening of the body". Shoghi Effendi, in letters written on his behalf, states that this prohibition includes not only the consumption of wine but of "everything that deranges the mind", and he clarifies that the use of alcohol is permitted only when it constitutes part of a medical treatment which is implemented "under the advice of a competent and conscientious physician, who may have to prescribe it for the cure of some special ailment". (The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 227)
“Alcohol consumeth the mind and causeth man to commit acts of absurdity, but this opium, this foul fruit of the infernal tree, and this wicked hashish extinguish the mind, freeze the spirit, petrify the soul, waste the body and leave man frustrated and lost.” ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 239)
“Children are even as a branch that is fresh and green; they will grow up in whatever way ye train them. Take the utmost care to give them high ideals and goals, so that once they come of age, they will cast their beams like brilliant candles on the world, and will not be defiled by lusts and passions in the way of animals, heedless and unaware, but instead will set their hearts on achieving everlasting honour and acquiring all the excellences of humankind.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 135)
“As to thy question concerning training children: It is incumbent upon thee to nurture them from the breast of the love of God, to urge them towards spiritual matters, to turn unto God and to acquire good manners, best characteristics and praiseworthy virtues[36] and qualities in the world of humanity, and to study sciences with the utmost diligence; so that they may become spiritual, heavenly and attracted to the fragrances of sanctity from their childhood and be reared in a religious, spiritual and heavenly training. Verily, I beg of God to confirm them therein.” (Baha'i World Faith…, p. 383)
“…servants who dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the edification of its peoples.[37] They are, in truth, cup-bearers of the life-giving water of knowledge and guides unto the ideal way. They direct the peoples of the world to the straight path and acquaint them with that which is conducive to human upliftment and exaltation. The straight path is the one which guideth man to the dayspring of perception and to the dawning-place of true understanding and leadeth him to that which will redound to glory, honour and greatness.” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)
“The first Taraz and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty…” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)
“…they who are the people of God must, with fixed resolve and perfect confidence, keep their eyes directed towards the Day Spring of Glory, and be busied in whatever may be conducive to the betterment of the world and the education of its peoples.” (Gleaning…, p. 270)
“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Say: O friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that floweth through the heavenly grace of Him Who is the Lord of Names. Let others partake of its waters in My name, that the leaders of men in every land may fully recognize the purpose for which the Eternal Truth hath been revealed, and the reason for which they themselves have been created.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 214)
“Be ye not seated and silent! Diffuse the glad-tidings of the Kingdom far and wide to the ears, promulgate the Word of God, and put into practice the advices and covenants of God; that is, arise ye with such qualities and attributes that ye may continually bestow life to the body of the world…” (Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 353)
“If we but turn our gaze to the high qualifications of the members of Bahá'í Assemblies, as enumerated in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets, we are filled with feelings of unworthiness and dismay, and would feel truly disheartened but for the comforting thought that if we rise to play nobly our part every deficiency in our lives will be more than compensated by the all-conquering spirit of His grace and power. Hence it is incumbent upon the chosen delegates to consider without the least trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.” (Shoghi Effendi-- Principles of Bahá’i Administration, p. 64)
“…the elector who, unhampered and unconstrained by electoral necessities, is called upon to vote for none but those whom prayer and reflection have inspired him to uphold…. Should this simple system be provisionally adopted, it would safeguard the spiritual principle of the unfettered freedom of the voter, who will thus preserve intact the sanctity of the choice he first made.” (Principles of Bahá’i Administration, p. 66)
“The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System -- the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed. Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause -- a Cause through which the potentialities of the might of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it -- verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 136)
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ENDNOTES
[1] Bahá’ís sometimes refer to an introductory presentation and discussion on the Faith as a “fireside” talk.
[2] The
Cause of Bahá'u'lláh is the same as the Cause of Christ. It is the same
“…just as the solar cycle has its four seasons the cycle of the Sun of Reality has its distinct and successive periods. Each brings its vernal season or springtime. When the Sun of Reality returns to quicken the world of mankind a divine bounty descends from the heaven of generosity. The realm of thoughts and ideals is set in motion and blessed with new life. Minds are developed, hopes brighten, aspirations become spiritual, the virtues of the human world appear with freshened power of growth and the image and likeness of God become visible in man. It is the springtime of the inner world. After the spring, summer comes with its fullness and fruitage spiritual; autumn follows with its withering winds which chill the soul; the Sun seems to be going away until at last the mantle of winter overspreads and only faint traces of the effulgence of that divine Sun remain. Just as the surface of the material world becomes dark and dreary, the soil dormant, the trees naked and bare and no beauty or freshness remain to cheer the darkness and desolation, so the winter of the spiritual cycle witnesses the death and disappearance of divine growth and extinction of the light and love of God. But again the cycle begins and a new springtime appears. In it the former springtime has returned, the world is resuscitated, illumined and attains spirituality; religion is renewed and reorganized, hearts are turned to God, the summons of God is heard and life is again bestowed upon man. For a long time the religious world had been weakened and materialism had advanced; the spiritual forces of life were waning, moralities were becoming degraded, composure and peace had vanished from souls and satanic qualities were dominating hearts; strife and hatred overshadowed humanity, bloodshed and violence prevailed. God was neglected; the Sun of Reality seemed to have gone completely; deprivation of the bounties of heaven was a fact; and so the season of winter fell upon mankind. But in the generosity of God a new springtime dawned, the lights of God shone forth, the effulgent Sun of Reality returned and became manifest, the realm of thoughts and kingdom of hearts became exhilarated, a new spirit of life breathed into the body of the world and continuous advancement became apparent. (Bahá’í World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 255)
[3] From the seed of reality, religion has grown into a tree which has put forth leaves and branches, blossoms and fruit. After a time this tree has fallen into a condition of decay. The leaves and blossoms have withered and perished; the tree has become stricken and fruitless. It is not reasonable that man should hold to the old tree, claiming that its life forces are undiminished, its fruit unequalled, its existence eternal. The seed of reality must be sown again in human hearts in order that a new tree may grow therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world. By this means the nations and peoples now divergent in religion will be brought into unity, imitations will be forsaken and a universal brotherhood in the reality itself will be established. Warfare and strife will cease among mankind; all will be reconciled as servants of God. For all are sheltered beneath the tree of His providence and mercy. God is kind to all; He is the giver of bounty to all alike… (Bahá’í World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 226 and The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 141)
[4] The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated. (Gleanings, 287)
[5] “…the greater part of
organized religion stands paralyzed at the threshold of the future,
gripped in those very dogmas and claims of privileged access to truth that have
been responsible for creating some of the most bitter
conflicts dividing the earth's inhabitants. The consequences, in
terms of human well-being, have been ruinous. It is surely unnecessary
to cite in detail the horrors being visited upon hapless populations today
by outbursts of fanaticism that shame the name of religion. Nor is the
phenomenon a recent one. To take only one of many examples,
To this accounting must be added a betrayal of the life of the mind which, more than any other factor, has robbed religion of the capacity it inherently possesses to play a decisive role in the shaping of world affairs. Locked into preoccupation with agendas that disperse and vitiate human energies, religious institutions have too often been the chief agents in discouraging exploration of reality and the exercise of those intellectual faculties that distinguish humankind. Denunciations of materialism or terrorism are of no real assistance in coping with the contemporary moral crisis if they do not begin by addressing candidly the failure of responsibility that has left believing masses exposed and vulnerable to these influences.
Such reflections, however painful, are less an indictment of organized religion than a reminder of the unique power it represents. Religion, as we are all aware, reaches to the roots of motivation. When it has been faithful to the spirit and example of the transcendent Figures who gave the world its great belief systems, it has awakened in whole populations capacities to love, to forgive, to create, to dare greatly, to overcome prejudice, to sacrifice for the common good and to discipline the impulses of animal instinct. Unquestionably, the seminal force in the civilizing of human nature has been the influence of the succession of these Manifestations of the Divine that extends back to the dawn of recorded history.
This same force, that operated with such effect in ages past, remains an inextinguishable feature of human consciousness. Against all odds, and with little in the way of meaningful encouragement, it continues to sustain the struggle for survival of uncounted millions, and to raise up in all lands heroes and saints whose lives are the most persuasive vindication of the principles contained in the scriptures of their respective faiths. As the course of civilization demonstrates, religion is also capable of profoundly influencing the structure of social relationships. Indeed, it would be difficult to think of any fundamental advance in civilization that did not derive its moral thrust from this perennial source. Is it conceivable, then, that passage to the culminating stage in the millennia-long process of the organization of the planet can be accomplished in a spiritual vacuum? If the perverse ideologies let loose on our world during the century just past contributed nothing else, they demonstrated conclusively that the need cannot be met by alternatives that lie within the power of human invention.” (The Universal House of Justice, 2002 April, To the World's Religious Leaders, p. 3— paragraphs 11-15)
[6] For a single purpose were the Prophets, each and all, sent down to earth; for this was Christ made manifest, for this did Bahá'u'lláh raise up the call of the Lord: that the world of man should become the world of God, this nether realm the Kingdom, this darkness light, this satanic wickedness all the virtues of heaven -- and unity, fellowship and love be won for the whole human race, that the organic unity should reappear and the bases of discord be destroyed and life everlasting and grace everlasting become the harvest of mankind. (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 30)
[7] “Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people from attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they held the reins of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the lust of leadership, others through want of knowledge and understanding, have been the cause of the deprivation of the people. By their sanction and authority, every Prophet of God hath drunk from the chalice of sacrifice, and winged His flight unto the heights of glory. What unspeakable cruelties they that have occupied the seats of authority and learning have inflicted upon the true Monarchs of the world, those Gems of divine virtue! Content with a transitory dominion, they have deprived themselves of an everlasting sovereignty. Thus, their eyes beheld not the light of the countenance of the Well-Beloved, nor did their ears hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Bird of Desire. For this reason, in all sacred books mention hath been made of the divines of every age…. The denials and protestations of these leaders of religion have, in the main, been due to their lack of knowledge and understanding. Those words uttered by the Revealers of the beauty of the one true God, setting forth the signs that should herald the advent of the Manifestation to come, they never understood nor fathomed. Hence they raised the standard of revolt, and stirred up mischief and sedition. It is obvious and manifest that the true meaning of the utterances of the Birds of Eternity is revealed to none except those that manifest the Eternal Being, and the melodies of the Nightingale of Holiness can reach no ear save that of the denizens of the everlasting realm. The Copt of tyranny can never partake of the cup touched by the lips of the Sept of justice, and the Pharaoh of unbelief can never hope to recognize the hand of the Moses of truth.” (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 15. Also see Iqan pages 17, 37, 82, 214 & 228) [“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13, 16-19, 24, 26) “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.” (Matthew 23:29-31) “Let them [Pharisees] alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Matthew 15:14) “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
[8] The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world's religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requireth.... (Gleanings, 215)
[9] His Holiness Abraham, on Him be peace, made a covenant concerning His Holiness Moses and gave the glad-tidings of His coming. His Holiness Moses made a covenant concerning the Promised One, i.e. His Holiness Christ, and announced the good news of His Manifestation to the world. His Holiness Christ made a covenant concerning the Paraclete and gave the tidings of His coming. His Holiness the Prophet Muhammad made a covenant concerning His Holiness the Báb and the Báb was the One promised by Muhammad, for Muhammad gave the tidings of His coming. The Báb made a Covenant concerning the Blessed Beauty of Bahá'u'lláh and gave the glad-tidings of His coming for the Blessed Beauty was the One promised by His Holiness the Báb. Bahá'u'lláh made a covenant concerning a promised One who will become manifest after one thousand or thousands of years. (Bahá’í World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 358)
When His Holiness [Jesus
Christ] arose among the Jews, the first thing He did was to proclaim the
validity of the Manifestation of Moses. He declared that the Torah, the Old
Testament, was the Book of God and that all the prophets of
From another horizon we see Muhammad the prophet of
Today the enmity and rivalry existing between the religions are over mere words. It is an established fact that the followers of all the religions believe in a reality, the benefits of which are universal; which reality is a medium between God and man. The Jews call that reality Moses, the Christians Christ, the Mussulmans Mohammed, the Buddhists Buddha and the Zoroastrians Zoroaster. Now mark well that none of these religionists have ever seen the founders; they have only heard his name. Could they overlook these names they would at once realize that all believe in a perfect reality which is an intermediary between the Almighty and the creatures. (Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 155)
[10] “There is only one religion and all the Prophets [Manifestations] have taught it….” Abdu’l-Bahá
[NOTE: the word “Prophets” in this case, and often when capitalized, refers to the major Prophets. See Some Answered Questions, p. 164, for an explanation of the distinctions between the two classes of prophets—i.e., the major and minor prophets. See http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/ or
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/saq-43.html.iso8859-1?query=two|classes&action=highlight#
and there is a more in-depth discussion here (Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, pp. 41-46):
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/o/BNE/bne-40.html.iso8859-1?query=two|classes&action=highlight#gr1 ]
Again the theme is expressed in the Bahá’í Writings by Bahá’u’lláh Himself: “This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future..” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 136 ) The idea of one progressively unfolding religion was not invented by the Bahá’ís. This teaching exists throughout Christianity and other religions. Here are some examples from Christianity, beginning with Christ’s statement that He had other sheep, “not of this fold.” One of the founding fathers of the Christian Church expresses the theme of progressive revelation—one divine plan unfolding—as follows:
“This which we now call
the Christian Religion existed among the ancients
and was from the beginning of the human race until Christ
Himself came in the flesh, from which time the already
existing true religion began to be called Christianity
[Christian].” -- This statement made by
And again, below we find a more complete translation of Augustine, making the same point:
"The Christian religion, which to know and to follow is the most sure and certain health, called according to that name, but not according to the thing itself, of which it is the name, for the thing itself, which is now called the Christian religion, really was known to the ancients nor was wanting at any time from the beginning of the human race, until the time when Christ came in the flesh; from whence the true religion, which had previously existed, began to be called Christian; and this in our days is the Christian religion, not as having been wanting in former times, but as having in later times received this name." (Opera Augustini, vol. i. p. 12, quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 42).
The Bible explains the same principle in these
words: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though
thou be little among the thousands of
[11] In Gleanings this quote translates as “the Lord hath ordained”, whereas in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (p. 62) the citation I have made reference to here reads “which God hath ordained”—which is equivalent, for Bahá’ís. Given that some Christians believe that the term “Lord” is a specific reference to Jesus, I have chosen the later to avoid this confusion during an introductory talk. Moreover, the quote from ESW contains an additional two sentences, providing additional context, which Anna chose to leave out.
[12] For the purposes of posting on the web, I have left out the dialogic statement by Anna, which reads: “If it is all right with you, the first of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings I will describe for you is about God and our relationship with Him. Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God is unknowable in His Essence…”
[13]
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of
[14] “. . . the sun does not descend to the earth, neither does the earth ascend to the sun. This contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and warmth and heat… Man, then, is in extreme need of the only Power by which he is able to receive help from the Divine Reality, that Power alone bringing him into contact with the Source of all life. An intermediary is needed to bring two extremes into relation with each other. Riches and poverty, plenty and need: without an intermediary power there could be no relation between these pairs of opposites. So we can say there must be a Mediator between God and Man, and this is none other than the Holy Spirit, which brings the created earth into relation with the 'Unthinkable One', the Divine Reality.” …The Holy Spirit it is which, through the mediation of the Prophets of God, teaches spiritual virtues to man and enables him to attain Eternal Life.
. . . the Holy Spirit is the Intermediary between the Creator and the created. The light and heat of the sun cause the earth to be fruitful, and create life in all things that grow; ... the Holy Spirit quickens the souls of men.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 58-59)
[15] “The Spirit and the Word mean the divine perfections that appeared in the Reality of Christ, and these perfections were with God; so the sun manifests all its glory in the mirror. For the Word does not signify the body of Christ, no, but the divine perfections manifested in Him. For Christ was like a clear mirror which was facing the Sun of Reality; and the perfections of the Sun of Reality -- that is to say, its light and heat -- were visible and apparent in this mirror [which is why Christ could say “he who hath Me hath seen the Father” at the same time that He said the opposite; i.e., that no one has ever seen or heard God at any time (John 5:37)]. If we look into the mirror, we see the sun, and we say, "It is the sun." Therefore, the Word and the Holy Spirit, which signify the perfections of God, are the divine appearance. This is the meaning of the verse in the Gospel which says: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God“ (Abdu'l-Baha, SAQ, p. 206) [Editor’s note: the Word returns, not the body of Jesus. The insert in brackets are mine. The Sun does not descend into the mirror, but is fully visible in it.]
“And know that the proceeding of the Word and the Holy Spirit from God, which is the proceeding and appearance of manifestation, must not be understood to mean that the Reality of Divinity had been divided into parts, or multiplied, or that it had descended from the exaltation of holiness and purity. God forbid! If a pure, fine mirror faces the sun, the light and heat, the form and the image of the sun will be resplendent in it with such manifestation that if a beholder says of the sun, which is brilliant and visible in the mirror, "This is the sun," it is true. Nevertheless, the mirror is the mirror, and the sun is the sun. The One Sun, even if it appears in numerous mirrors, is one.” (`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Pages: 205-207)
“The Sun of Reality, as we have said, has always been in one condition; it has no change, no alteration, no transformation and no vicissitude. It is eternal and everlasting. But the Holy Reality of the Word of God is in the condition of the pure, fine and shining mirror; the heat, the light, the image and likeness -- that is to say, the perfections of the Sun of Reality -- appear in it. That is why Christ says in the Gospel, "The Father is in the Son" -- that is to say, the Sun of Reality appears in the mirror. Praise be to the One Who shone upon this Holy Reality, Who is sanctified among the beings!” (`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Pages: 205-207)
These sanctified Mirrors, these Day Springs 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.... These Tabernacles of Holiness, these Primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are made manifest.
These attributes of God are not, and have never been, vouchsafed specially unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of God, His well-favored, His holy and chosen Messengers are, without exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His attributes. They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the comparative potency of their light. Even as He hath revealed: "Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others."
It hath, therefore, become manifest and evident that within the tabernacles of
these Prophets and chosen Ones of God the light of His infinite names and
exalted attributes hath been reflected, even though the light of some of these
attributes may or may not be outwardly revealed from these luminous
[16] “[God] hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. . . . 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.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 50)
[17]
The term “manifestation” is in the Bible, the word “incarnation” is not.
“After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: . . .but that He
should be made manifest to
[18] The indicated omission is the only section of Anna’s presentation that has been left out by this editor. The Bahá’í teachings do affirm the title, or designation, of Jesus as the “Son of God” (WOB, 105, GPB, 248, et. al.). However, based on the following statements of the Guardian, the editor (Greg Kagira-Watson) has elected to leave out the reference because it is so easily misunderstood, and because it has long been a point of contention between Muslims and Christians, and even among various Christian sects:
“It is true that Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God, but this, as explained by Bahá'u'lláh in the 'Íqán, does not indicate any Physical relationship whatever. Its meaning is entirely spiritual and points to the close relationship existing between Him and the Almighty God. Nor does it necessarily indicate any inherent superiority in the station of Jesus over other Prophets and Messengers. As far as their spiritual nature is concerned all Prophets can be regarded as Sons of God, as they all reflect His light, though not in an equal measure, and this difference in reflection is due to the conditions and circumstances under which they appear." (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 29, 1937 -- Lights of Guidance, p. 491) [See Gospel of John 5:18-30, 9:35, and 10:37 for Biblical support of Jesus’ reference to Himself as “the Son of God.” Note: the use of the term Prophets in the above paragraph, and in the Bahá’í Writings in general, when capitalized, refers to the major Prophets. See Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching on “The Two Classes of Prophets”: http://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/English/SAQ/SAQ-43.html ]
“Regarding the passage you enclosed about the Qur'án: In reality there is no contradiction at all; when the Qur'án denies Christ is the Son of God it is not refuting His Words but the false interpretation of them made by the Christians who read into them a relationship of an almost corporeal nature, whereas Almighty God has no parents or offspring. What is meant by Christ, is His spirit's relation to the Infinite Spirit, and this the Qur'án does not deny. It is in a sense attributable -- this kind of Sonship -- to all the Prophets." (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, May 19, 1945-- Lights of Guidance, p. 492)
Notwithstanding: “In the light of what Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá have stated concerning this subject it is evident that Jesus came into this world through the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit, and that consequently His birth was quite miraculous. This is an established fact…” (From a letter dated December 31, 1937 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer-- Lights of Guidance, p. 489) “With regard to your question concerning the Virgin Birth of Jesus; on this point, as on several others, the Bahá'í Teachings are in full agreement with the doctrines of the Catholic Church.” (From a letter dated October 14, 1945 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer -- Lights of Guidance, p. 489)
[19] See http://www.homestead.com/watsongregory/files/baha.htm#Father and
http://www.homestead.com/watsongregory/files/Lawh-i-Aqdas.htm
[20] “The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 118)
“Witness how the world is being afflicted with a fresh calamity every day. Its tribulation is continually deepening. From the moment the Suriy-i-Ra'is (Tablet to Ra'is) was revealed until the present day, neither hath the world been tranquillized, nor have the hearts of its peoples been at rest. At one time it hath been agitated by contentions and disputes, at another it hath been convulsed by wars, and fallen a victim to inveterate diseases. Its sickness is approaching the stage of utter hopelessness, inasmuch as the true Physician is debarred from administering the remedy, whilst unskilled practitioners are regarded with favor, and are accorded full freedom to act. ...The dust of sedition hath clouded the hearts of men, and blinded their eyes. Erelong, they will perceive the consequences of what their hands have wrought in the Day of God. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Informed, as bidden by One Who is the Most Powerful, the Almighty.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 39)
“Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye who are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your power nor mine to set the time at which it should be made manifest. God's inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed its hour beforehand. Be content, O people, with that which God hath desired for you and predestined unto you....” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 103)
Though the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh has been delivered, the World Order which such a Revelation must needs beget is as yet unborn. Though the Heroic Age of His Faith is passed, the creative energies which that Age has released have not as yet crystallized into that world society which, in the fullness of time, is to mirror forth the brightness of His glory. Though the framework of His Administrative Order has been erected, and the Formative Period of the Bahá'í Era has begun, yet the promised Kingdom into which the seed of His institutions must ripen remains as yet uninaugurated. Though His Voice has been raised, and the ensigns of His Faith have been lifted up in no less than forty countries of both the East and the West, yet the wholeness of the human race is as yet unrecognized, its unity unproclaimed, and the standard of its Most Great Peace unhoisted. "The heights," Bahá'u'lláh Himself testifies, "which, through the most gracious favor of God, mortal man can attain in this Day are as yet unrevealed to his sight. The world of being hath never had, nor doth it yet possess, the capacity for such a revelation. The day, however, is approaching when the potentialities of so great a favor will, by virtue of His behest, be manifested unto men." (WOB, p. 167)
Beloved friends! Well nigh a hundred years have elapsed since the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh dawned upon the world -- a Revelation, the nature of which, as affirmed by Himself, "none among the Manifestations of old, except to a prescribed degree, hath ever completely apprehended." For a whole century God has respited mankind, that it might acknowledge the Founder of such a Revelation, espouse His Cause, proclaim His greatness, and establish His Order. In a hundred volumes, the repositories of priceless precepts, mighty laws, unique principles, impassioned exhortations, reiterated warnings, amazing prophecies, sublime invocations, and weighty commentaries, the Bearer of such a Message has proclaimed, as no Prophet before Him has done, the Mission with which God had entrusted Him. To emperors, kings, princes and potentates, to rulers, governments, clergy and peoples, whether of the East or of the West, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, or Zoroastrian, He addressed, for well-nigh fifty years, and in the most tragic circumstances, these priceless pearls of knowledge and wisdom that lay hid within the ocean of His matchless utterance. Forsaking fame and fortune, accepting imprisonment and exile, careless of ostracism and obloquy, submitting to physical indignities and cruel deprivations, He, the Vicegerent of God on earth, suffered Himself to be banished from place to place and from country to country, till at length He, in the Most Great Prison, offered up His martyred son as a ransom for the redemption and unification of all mankind. "We verily," He Himself has testified, "have not fallen short of Our duty to exhort men, and to deliver that whereunto I was bidden by God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Had they hearkened unto Me, they would have beheld the earth another earth." And again: "Is there any excuse left for anyone in this Revelation? No, by God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne! My signs have encompassed the earth, and My power enveloped all mankind, and yet the people are wrapped in a strange sleep!" (Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 6)
Bahá'u'lláh found the world in a "strange sleep". But what a disturbance His coming has unloosed! The peoples of the earth had been separated, many parts of the human race socially and spiritually isolated. But the world of humanity today bears little resemblance to that which Bahá'u'lláh left a century ago. Unbeknownst to the great majority, His influence permeates all living beings. Indeed, no domain of life remains unaffected. In the burgeoning energy, the magnified perspectives, the heightened global consciousness; in the social and political turbulence, the fall of kingdoms, the emancipation of nations, the intermixture of cultures, the clamour for development; in the agitation over the extremes of wealth and poverty, the acute concern over the abuse of the environment, the leap of consciousness regarding the rights of women; in the growing tendency towards ecumenism, the increasing call for a new world order; in the astounding advances in the realms of science, technology, literature and the arts -- in all this tumult, with its paradoxical manifestations of chaos and order, integration and disintegration, are the signs of His power as World Reformer, the proof of His claim as Divine Physician, the truth of His Word as the All-Knowing Counsellor.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote voluminously about the purpose of this mysterious force and its transformative effects, but the essence can be drawn from these few perspicuous words: "Through the movement of Our Pen of Glory We have, at the bidding of the Omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this worldwide regeneration." And again: "A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause or perceived its motive." And yet again: "He Who is the Unconditioned is come, in the clouds of light, that He may quicken all created things with the breezes of His Name, the Most Merciful, and unify the world, and gather all men around this Table which hath been sent down from heaven." (The Universal House of Justice, 1992 May 29, Centenary Tribute to Baha'u'llah, p. 2)
[21] Anna says: “Before going on, perhaps I should stop here so that we can discuss any questions you have. What do you think about what I have said up to now?”
[22] “Its [the Bahá’í Faith’s] declared, its primary purpose is to enable every adherent of these Faiths to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he stands identified, and to acquire a clearer apprehension of its purpose.” (Shoghi Effendi, WOB, p. 58) "He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show [it] unto you. ..." (Jesus, in John 16:12-15)
[23]
“Bahá'u'lláh could have avoided this suffering if He had only recanted His
claim. Instead He remained steadfast in His convictions and not only
accepted His persecution with dignity, but strove for peace and reconciliation
with those who persecuted Him… Bahá'u'lláh was not guilty of any crime.
He was imprisoned for his beliefs, which the Persian government and religious
authorities held as blasphemous. His first imprisonment was in a vermin
infested dungeon three flights of stairs underground. No light penetrated its
depths, and the worst criminals in
[24] “Briefly; the Blessed Perfection bore all these ordeals and calamities in order that our hearts might become enkindled and radiant, our spirits be glorified, our faults become virtues, our ignorance transformed into knowledge; in order that we might attain the real fruits of humanity and acquire heavenly graces; although pilgrims upon earth we should travel the road of the heavenly kingdom; although needy and poor we might receive the treasures of life eternal. For this has He borne these difficulties and sorrows.” (Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 224)
[26] [Similarly there is a] “…command prohibiting cursing and execration and making it obligatory upon all to abstain from uttering that which may offend men. For, as is evident in moral science, cursing, reviling and speaking harsh words and offensive phrases is one of the greatest causes of alienating hearts, filling minds with rancor, creating hatred and animosity among the peoples and igniting the fire of calamitous warfare among men. Thus it is said by wise men: "Verily, war begins in words;" and the poet Firdousi has said: "A mere word is the cause of warfare." Another verse illustrating this point at issue is "The wound inflicted by the tongue is deeper than that inflicted by the sword." Were one to ponder over the differences and schisms already spoken of which arose among the Christian peoples, creating different sects and schools, such as the Aryans, Nestorians, Gnostics, et al., kindling the fire of terrible battlefields and violent calamities, he would clearly find from the testimony of authentic history that the principal and initial cause of such divisions and disasters was the difference of opinion between two religious doctors, which would result in discussion and controversy. In order to overcome his opponent and demonstrate the correctness of his own view, or because of believing his own opinion correct, each would so persist in his attitude that it would finally lead to harshness towards the other. This harshness would gradually lead to insinuating remarks and annoying statements which in time would culminate in reviling, execration, fighting and even bloodshed.
Now the harmful outcome of these religious fights and their evil effect upon human society needs no mentioning here. For the calamities caused by these differences during the past ages are recorded in the historical books of every nation, and the hardships which have continued down to our time as the painful result of those dissensions are evident to the people of understanding.
Perhaps some one may advance an objection saying that ordinances prohibiting anathema and execration are found in the other Heavenly Books, as, for instance, the commands of His Holiness Christ, well-known as the Sermon on the Mount, wherein He most lucidly states, "Whoever calleth another a fool is in danger of hell-fire." In the Koran it is stated: "Curse not those who claim (spiritual mission) without the permission of God, thus without knowledge cursing God as an enemy." The answer to this objection is evident to the people of insight, for such ordinances and prohibitions are considered as educational commands in the estimation of the learned and not as laws and enactments of religion. Consider this command of the Sermon on the Mount, wherein He states: "Whosoever is angry with his brother falsely is subject to the law." Again He says: "Store not for yourselves treasures;" and again: "Be not concerned with the morrow." Also: "Whosoever smiteth thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also;" and "Whosoever desireth thy garment give him also thy cloak." Then later on He says: "Whosoever asks of thee, give unto him, and whosoever would borrow of thee, prevent him not."
It is fully evident that the learned and doctors of the Christian and Mohammedan religions have not considered these ordinances as imperative. Men of intelligence versed in the law and jurisprudence have not deemed those who disobeyed these laws deserving of punishment and trial. Nay, as already mentioned, they have unanimously accounted them as educational laws. Moreover some of those laws are such that the doctors have not considered those slighting them as transgressors or evil-doers before God. For instance, "If anyone smites you upon the one cheek, turn to him the other," "He who begs of you, give to him," "He who seeks to borrow from you, do not refuse him." The above statement will clearly show why such commands and ordinances are not considered by the leaders of the Christian peoples as imperative and obligatory and why they could not remove cursing and execration from among the community.
But in the Bahá'í religion the commands prohibiting cursing, reviling, swearing and blasphemy have been revealed as imperative and obligatory laws. The responsibility attaching to the violators has been revealed in various Tablets. Emphatic commands have been issued in regard to the purity of pen and tongue, prohibiting the writing or speaking of that which will offend men. For example, although in various Tablets such as the "Ishrakhat" and others, the law prohibiting cursing and execration has been explicitly laid down, nevertheless Bahá'u'lláh, during His latter days, in the Blessed "Book of the Covenant" fortified and emphasized the above law by addressing the following command to the people of the world:
"O ye people of the world! I exhort ye towards that which is the cause of the elevation of your station! Hold fast to the fear of God and adhere to the hem of kindliness! Verily I say unto you, the tongue is for the mention of good; defile it not with unseemly words. Verily God has forgiven the past. Hereafter all must utter that which is seemly. Shun anathema, execration and that whereby man is perturbed. The station of man is great. Some time ago this lofty word was revealed from the treasury of the Pen of Abha: 'Today is a great, blessed Day! That which was latent in man is today revealed and become manifest. The station of man is great, should he adhere to veracity and truth and remain firm and steadfast in the Cause.'"
Every intelligent soul who reflects upon this utterance: "Verily, God has forgiven the past; hereafter all must utter that which is seemly," "Shun anathema, execration and that whereby man is perturbed," will clearly see how emphatic an ordinance has been given forth ratifying the prohibition of anathema and execration. Because according to the law current among the people of knowledge the purport of this blessed utterance is an explicit prohibition concerning anathema and execration.
The intended purpose thereof is the unpardonable position of the one who violates this mighty command and decisive ordinance. In this case, to the people of insight it is evident, manifest and firmly established that the prohibition as regards anathema and execration is a specialized ordinance and one of the particular commandments of this greatest Dispensation. Thus, through the favor of God the Most High, from the traces of the Supreme Pen, this unseemly action and the ordeals resulting therefrom may disappear from among the people of the world and the glad-tidings recorded in the third verse of the 22nd chapter of the Revelation of St. John concerning the events of the day of the Manifestation--namely: "Hereafter there shall be no more cursing," shall be realized. (taken from "The Brilliant Proof", by Mirzá Abu'l-Fazl— a more complete copy of the text can be found here: http://www.homestead.com/watsongregory/files/brilpro4.html
[27] See http://www.homestead.com/watsongregory/files/parents.html for more quotes on the responsibility of parents.
[28] “Once he is born out of the uterine world and entereth this life, he findeth it, with relation to that of the womb, to be a place of perceptions and discoveries, and he observeth all things through his outer eye. In the same way, once he hath departed this life, he will behold, in that world whatsoever was hidden from him here: but there he will look upon and comprehend all things with his inner eye. There will he gaze on his fellows and his peers, and those in the ranks above him, and those below. As for what is meant by the equality of souls in the all-highest realm, it is this: the souls of the believers, at the time when they first become manifest in the world of the body, are equal, and each is sanctified and pure. In this world, however, they will begin to differ one from another, some achieving the highest station, some a middle one, others remaining at the lowest stage of being. Their equal status is at the beginning of their existence; the differentiation followeth their passing away.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 170)
“As the usefulness and powers of the life were not seen in that dark and narrow world [the womb], but when it is brought into this vast world, all the use of its growth and development becometh manifest and obvious in it, so likewise, reward and punishment, paradise and hell, and the requital of deeds and actions done by it in the present life become manifest and evident when it is transferred to the world to come -- which is far from this world! Had the life and growth of the child in the womb been confined to that condition, then the existence of the child in the womb would have proved utterly abortive and unintelligible; as would the life of this world, were its deeds, actions and their results not to appear in the world to come.” (Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 393)
[29] “The second attribute of perfection is justice and impartiality. This means to have no regard for one's own personal benefits and selfish advantages, and to carry out the laws of God without the slightest concern for anything else. It means to see one's self as only one of the servants of God, the All-Possessing, and except for aspiring to spiritual distinction, never attempting to be singled out from the others. It means to consider the welfare of the community as one's own. It means, in brief, to regard humanity as a single individual, and one's own self as a member of that corporeal form, and to know of a certainty that if pain or injury afflicts any member of that body, it must inevitably result in suffering for all the rest.” (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 38)
[30] “…all human beings [must] powerfully sustain one another…” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 1)
[31] To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the "Everlasting Father," the "Lord of Hosts" come down "with ten thousands of saints"; to Christendom Christ returned "in the glory of the Father," to Shí'ah Islam the return of the Imam Husayn; to Sunni Islam the descent of the "Spirit of God" (Jesus Christ); to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.” (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 93)
[32] Who [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. . . (Colossians 1:15)
Who [Jesus] . . . the express image of His person. (Hebrews 1:3)
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
[33] “How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the sacred depths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the magnitude of the power inherent in Thine handiwork -- the revelation of Thy creative power! How can mine eye, which hath no faculty to perceive itself, claim to have discerned Thine Essence, and how can mine heart, already powerless to apprehend the significance of its own potentialities, pretend to have comprehended Thy nature? How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation is bewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee, when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thy truth?” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 63)
[34]
The Iranian
government believed the banishment of the Blessed Perfection from
Finally they consulted together and said: "We have banished Bahá'u'lláh
from place to place but each time he is exiled his cause is more widely
extended, his proclamation increases in power and day by day his lamp is
becoming brighter. This is due to the fact that we have exiled him to large
cities and populous centers. Therefore we will send him to a penal colony as a
prisoner so that all may know he is the associate of murderers, robbers and
criminals; in a short time he and his followers will perish." The sultan
of
When Bahá'u'lláh arrived at 'Akká, through the power
of God He was able to hoist His banner. His light at first had been a star; now
it became a mighty sun and the illumination of His Cause expanded from the east
to the west. Inside prison walls He wrote epistles to all the kings and rulers
of nations summoning them to arbitration and Universal Peace. Some of the kings
received His words with disdain and contempt. One of these was the sultan of
the Ottoman kingdom. Napoleon III of France did not reply. A second epistle was
addressed to him. It stated: "I have written you an epistle before this,
summoning you to the cause of God but you are of the heedless. You have
proclaimed that you were the defender of the oppressed; now it hath become
evident that you are not. Nor are you kind to your own suffering and oppressed
people. Your actions are contrary to your own interests and your kingly pride
must fall. Because of your arrogance God shortly will destroy your sovereignty.
Read it and consider: One prisoner, single and solitary, without assistant or
defender, a foreigner and stranger imprisoned in the fortress of 'Akká writing such letters to the emperor of
His Cause spread more and
more. The Blessed Perfection was a prisoner twenty-five years. During all this
time He was subjected to the indignities and revilement of the people. He was
persecuted, mocked and put in chains. In
[35] Consider the pettiness of men's minds. They ask for that which injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth them. They are, indeed, of those that are far astray. We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.
Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a shepherd for their protection. This, verily, is the truth, the certain truth. We approve of liberty in certain circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others. We, verily, are the All-Knowing.
Say: True liberty consisteth in man's submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will, that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the dominion of earth and heaven.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 335)
[36] “Man acquires divine virtues, nature is denied them. Man can voluntarily discontinue vices, nature has no power to modify the influence of its instincts. Altogether it is evident that man is more noble and superior; that in him there is an ideal power surpassing nature. He has consciousness, volition, memory, intelligent power, divine attributes and virtues of which nature is completely deprived, bereft and minus; therefore man is higher and nobler by reason of the ideal and heavenly force latent and manifest in him.” (Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 236)
[37] “The third requirement of perfection is to arise with complete sincerity and purity of purpose to educate the masses: to exert the utmost effort to instruct them in the various branches of learning and useful sciences, to encourage the development of modern progress, to widen the scope of commerce, industry and the arts, to further such measures as will increase the people's wealth. For the mass of the population is uninformed as to these vital agencies which would constitute an immediate remedy for society's chronic ills.” (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 38)
EPILOGUE
These original source texts in the right hand column are offered in the spirit of the following quote from Abdu’l-Baha[37]: “People get together and talk, but its God’s Word alone that is Powerful in its results...” (Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 108), while also acknowledging this quote from the Guardian[37] and the Universal House of Justice[37] as well:
“‘To deepen in the Cause means to read the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master so thoroughly as to be able to give it to others in its pure form. They, therefore, present it together with all sorts of ideas that are their own. As the Cause is still in its early days we must be most careful lest we fall into this error and injure the Movement we so much adore. There is no limit to the study of the Cause. The more we read the Writings, the more truths we can find in Them, the more we will see that our previous notions were erroneous.’ So, although individual insights can be enlightening and helpful, they can also be misleading. The friends must therefore learn to listen to the views of others without being over-awed or allowing their faith to be shaken, and to express their own views without pressing them on their fellow Bahá'ís.” (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, May 27, 1966 -- Lights of Guidance, p. 312)
Greg Kagira-Watson