Reference-
Paris Talks, Pages 125-134
Available here: http://www.bahai-library.com/writings/a ... t.html#125
________________________________________________________
I.--The Search after Truth.
II.--The Unity of Mankind.
III.--Religion ought to be the Cause of Love and Affection.
IV.--The Unity of Religion and Science.
V.--Abolition of Prejudices.
VI.--Equalization of Means of Existence.
VII.--Equality of Men before the Law.
VIII.--Universal Peace.
IX.--Non-Interference of Religion and Politics.
X.--Equality of Sex--Education of Women.
XI.--The Power of the Holy Spirit.
Basic principles of the Bahai Faith
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
I.--The first principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
]The Search for Truth
Man must cut himself free from all prejudice and from the result of his own imagination, so that he may be able to search for truth unhindered. Truth is one in all religions, and by means of it the unity of the world can be realized.
All the peoples have a fundamental belief in common. Being one, truth cannot be divided, and the differences that appear to exist among the nations only result from their attachment to prejudice. If only men would search out truth, they would find themselves united.
]The Search for Truth
Man must cut himself free from all prejudice and from the result of his own imagination, so that he may be able to search for truth unhindered. Truth is one in all religions, and by means of it the unity of the world can be realized.
All the peoples have a fundamental belief in common. Being one, truth cannot be divided, and the differences that appear to exist among the nations only result from their attachment to prejudice. If only men would search out truth, they would find themselves united.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
II.--The second principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
The Unity of Mankind
The one all-loving God bestows His divine Grace and Favour on all mankind; one and all are servants of the Most High, and His Goodness, Mercy and loving Kindness are showered upon all His creatures. The glory of humanity is the heritage of each one.
All men are the leaves and fruit of one same tree, they are all branches of the tree of Adam, they all have the same origin. The same rain has fallen upon them all, the same warm sun makes them grow, they are all refreshed by the same breeze. The only differences that exist and that keep them apart are these: there are the children who need guidance, the ignorant to be instructed, the sick to be tended and healed; thus, I say that the whole of humanity is enveloped by the Mercy and Grace of God. As the Holy Writings tell us: All men are equal before God. He is no respecter of persons.
The Unity of Mankind
The one all-loving God bestows His divine Grace and Favour on all mankind; one and all are servants of the Most High, and His Goodness, Mercy and loving Kindness are showered upon all His creatures. The glory of humanity is the heritage of each one.
All men are the leaves and fruit of one same tree, they are all branches of the tree of Adam, they all have the same origin. The same rain has fallen upon them all, the same warm sun makes them grow, they are all refreshed by the same breeze. The only differences that exist and that keep them apart are these: there are the children who need guidance, the ignorant to be instructed, the sick to be tended and healed; thus, I say that the whole of humanity is enveloped by the Mercy and Grace of God. As the Holy Writings tell us: All men are equal before God. He is no respecter of persons.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
III.--The third principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
Religion should be the Cause of Love and Affection
Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth, give birth to spirituality, and bring life and light to each heart. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician.
____
i boldened and underlined the text myself - it is not like this in the book itself.
Religion should be the Cause of Love and Affection
Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth, give birth to spirituality, and bring life and light to each heart. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician.
____
i boldened and underlined the text myself - it is not like this in the book itself.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
IV.--The fourth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
The Unity of Religion and Science
We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight, one alone would be useless. Any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it, is only ignorance--for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge.
Religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth. Let us earnestly endeavour to be the means of uniting religion and science.
`Alí, the son-in-law of Muhammad, said: `That which is in conformity with science is also in conformity with religion'. Whatever the intelligence of man cannot understand, religion ought not to accept. Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth.
The Unity of Religion and Science
We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight, one alone would be useless. Any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it, is only ignorance--for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge.
Religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth. Let us earnestly endeavour to be the means of uniting religion and science.
`Alí, the son-in-law of Muhammad, said: `That which is in conformity with science is also in conformity with religion'. Whatever the intelligence of man cannot understand, religion ought not to accept. Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
V.--The fifth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
Prejudices of Religion, Race or Sect destroy the foundation of Humanity
All the divisions in the world, hatred, war and bloodshed, are caused by one or other of these prejudices.
The whole world must be looked upon as one single country, all the nations as one nation, all men as belonging to one race. Religions, races, and nations are all divisions of man's making only, and are necessary only in his thought; before God there are neither Persians, Arabs, French nor English; God is God for all, and to Him all creation is one. We must obey God, and strive to follow Him by leaving all our prejudices and bringing about peace on earth.
Prejudices of Religion, Race or Sect destroy the foundation of Humanity
All the divisions in the world, hatred, war and bloodshed, are caused by one or other of these prejudices.
The whole world must be looked upon as one single country, all the nations as one nation, all men as belonging to one race. Religions, races, and nations are all divisions of man's making only, and are necessary only in his thought; before God there are neither Persians, Arabs, French nor English; God is God for all, and to Him all creation is one. We must obey God, and strive to follow Him by leaving all our prejudices and bringing about peace on earth.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
VI.--The sixth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
Equal opportunity of the means of Existence
Every human being has the right to live; they have a right to rest, and to a certain amount of well-being. As a rich man is able to live in his palace surrounded by luxury and the greatest comfort, so should a poor man be able to have the necessaries of life. Nobody should die of hunger; everybody should have sufficient clothing; one man should not live in excess while another has no possible means of existence.
Let us try with all the strength we have to bring about happier conditions, so that no single soul may be destitute.
Equal opportunity of the means of Existence
Every human being has the right to live; they have a right to rest, and to a certain amount of well-being. As a rich man is able to live in his palace surrounded by luxury and the greatest comfort, so should a poor man be able to have the necessaries of life. Nobody should die of hunger; everybody should have sufficient clothing; one man should not live in excess while another has no possible means of existence.
Let us try with all the strength we have to bring about happier conditions, so that no single soul may be destitute.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
VIII.--The eighth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
Universal Peace
A Supreme Tribunal shall be elected by the peoples and governments of every nation, where members from each country and government shall assemble in unity. All disputes shall be brought before this Court, its mission being to prevent war.
Universal Peace
A Supreme Tribunal shall be elected by the peoples and governments of every nation, where members from each country and government shall assemble in unity. All disputes shall be brought before this Court, its mission being to prevent war.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
IX.--The ninth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
That Religion should not concern itself with Political Questions
Religion is concerned with things of the spirit, politics with things of the world. Religion has to work with the world of thought, whilst the field of politics lies with the world of external conditions.
It is the work of the clergy to educate the people, to instruct them, to give them good advice and teaching so that they may progress spiritually. With political questions they have nothing to do.
That Religion should not concern itself with Political Questions
Religion is concerned with things of the spirit, politics with things of the world. Religion has to work with the world of thought, whilst the field of politics lies with the world of external conditions.
It is the work of the clergy to educate the people, to instruct them, to give them good advice and teaching so that they may progress spiritually. With political questions they have nothing to do.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
X.--The tenth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
Education and Instruction of Women
Women have equal rights with men upon earth; in religion and society they are a very important element. As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs.
Education and Instruction of Women
Women have equal rights with men upon earth; in religion and society they are a very important element. As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
XI.--The eleventh principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
The Power of the Holy Spirit, by which alone Spiritual Development is achieved
It is only by the breath of the Holy Spirit that spiritual development can come about. No matter how the material world may progress, no matter how splendidly it may adorn itself, it can never be anything but a lifeless body unless the soul is within, for it is the soul that animates the body; the body alone has no real significance. Deprived of the blessings of the Holy Spirit the material body would be inert.
Here are, very briefly explained, some of the principles of Bahá'u'lláh.
In short, it behoves us all to be lovers of truth. Let us seek her in every season and in every country, being careful never to attach ourselves to personalities. Let us see the light wherever it shines, and may we be enabled to recognize the light of truth no matter where it may arise. Let us inhale the perfume of the rose from the midst of thorns which surround it; let us drink the running water from every pure spring.
Since I arrived in Paris, it has given me much pleasure to meet such Parisians as you are, for praise be to God, you are intelligent, unprejudiced, and you long to know the truth. You have in your hearts the love of humanity, and as far as you are able, you exert yourselves in the cause of charitable work and in the bringing about of unity; this is especially what Bahá'u'lláh desired.
It is for this reason that I am so happy to be among you, and I pray for you, that you may be receptacles for the Blessings of God, and that you may be the means of spreading spirituality throughout this country.
You already have a wonderful material civilization and in like manner shall spiritual civilization be yours.
Monsieur Bleck thanked `Abdu'l-Bahá, and he replied:
`I am very grateful to you for the kind sentiments which you have just uttered. I hope that these two movements will ere long be spread all over the earth. Then will the unity of humanity have pitched its tent in the centre of the world.'
______________________________________
references for all the above posts-
Paris Talks (by AbdulBaha) pages 125-134
available here - http://www.bahai-library.com/writings/abdulbaha/pt/
(Paris Talks are a collection of talks given by AbdulBaha when he visited Paris, hence the name). This explains the text at the bottom of the eleventh principle, which seems a bit out of place, if you are reading this online without knowing the source of this text.
The Power of the Holy Spirit, by which alone Spiritual Development is achieved
It is only by the breath of the Holy Spirit that spiritual development can come about. No matter how the material world may progress, no matter how splendidly it may adorn itself, it can never be anything but a lifeless body unless the soul is within, for it is the soul that animates the body; the body alone has no real significance. Deprived of the blessings of the Holy Spirit the material body would be inert.
Here are, very briefly explained, some of the principles of Bahá'u'lláh.
In short, it behoves us all to be lovers of truth. Let us seek her in every season and in every country, being careful never to attach ourselves to personalities. Let us see the light wherever it shines, and may we be enabled to recognize the light of truth no matter where it may arise. Let us inhale the perfume of the rose from the midst of thorns which surround it; let us drink the running water from every pure spring.
Since I arrived in Paris, it has given me much pleasure to meet such Parisians as you are, for praise be to God, you are intelligent, unprejudiced, and you long to know the truth. You have in your hearts the love of humanity, and as far as you are able, you exert yourselves in the cause of charitable work and in the bringing about of unity; this is especially what Bahá'u'lláh desired.
It is for this reason that I am so happy to be among you, and I pray for you, that you may be receptacles for the Blessings of God, and that you may be the means of spreading spirituality throughout this country.
You already have a wonderful material civilization and in like manner shall spiritual civilization be yours.
Monsieur Bleck thanked `Abdu'l-Bahá, and he replied:
`I am very grateful to you for the kind sentiments which you have just uttered. I hope that these two movements will ere long be spread all over the earth. Then will the unity of humanity have pitched its tent in the centre of the world.'
______________________________________
references for all the above posts-
Paris Talks (by AbdulBaha) pages 125-134
available here - http://www.bahai-library.com/writings/abdulbaha/pt/
(Paris Talks are a collection of talks given by AbdulBaha when he visited Paris, hence the name). This explains the text at the bottom of the eleventh principle, which seems a bit out of place, if you are reading this online without knowing the source of this text.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
british_bahai wrote:IV.--The fourth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
The Unity of Religion and Science
We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight, one alone would be useless. Any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it, is only ignorance--for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge.
Religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth. Let us earnestly endeavour to be the means of uniting religion and science.
`Alí, the son-in-law of Muhammad, said: `That which is in conformity with science is also in conformity with religion'. Whatever the intelligence of man cannot understand, religion ought not to accept. Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth.
this reminds me of the famous quote,
"Science without religion is lame,
religion without science is blind".
- Albert Einstein
"Science, Philosophy and Religion: a Symposium", 1941
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)
reference: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/24949.html, webpage last accessed: 21st July 2007.
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
Re: 11 principles of the Bahai Faith
exactly, thats the whole point of religion.richard wrote:Outstanding, BB... And i must believe that the accomplishments of all eleven principles are rooted in the spiritual truth of the love that we eventually learn from the Holy Spirit in each of us that helps us become sincerely motivated to grow and progress in our relationships with God and each other, and thus, increasingly live together with others with mutual love, goodness, faithfulness, humility, patience, peacefulness, kindness, and self-control that can even result in times of joy.
i love this quote, see below
british_bahai wrote:III.--The third principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
Religion should be the Cause of Love and Affection
Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth, give birth to spirituality, and bring life and light to each heart. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician.
____
i boldened and underlined the text myself - it is not like this in the book itself.
moderation is needed in everything, including religion. people forget the real reason why God sends us messengers - to unite us. Whats the point of being a devout believer in your religion but becoming too attached to it? It kind of defeats the whole purpose! anyways
-
British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
This is another good quote which i just came across -
Religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism
Reference:
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PT/pt-45.html#pg143
AbdulBaha, Paris Talks (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1969), p. 143.
Religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism
Reference:
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PT/pt-45.html#pg143
AbdulBaha, Paris Talks (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1969), p. 143.
british_bahai wrote:IV.--The fourth principle of Bahá'u'lláh is:
The Unity of Religion and Science
We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight, one alone would be useless. Any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it, is only ignorance--for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge.
Religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth. Let us earnestly endeavour to be the means of uniting religion and science.
`Alí, the son-in-law of Muhammad, said: `That which is in conformity with science is also in conformity with religion'. Whatever the intelligence of man cannot understand, religion ought not to accept. Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth.