A New Institution of Learning:

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS

The conceptual foundations of the institute process can be found in the Bahá’í teachings, particularly those related to the course and direction of history and the nature of social change. According to these teachings, humanity has entered a stage of unprecedented challenge and promise as it moves towards its maturity. While its physical evolution has followed the dictates of the laws of nature, there has also been a spiritual dimension to its long evolution, and the hallmark of the age of maturity will be the unification of the human race in a world civilization that pays due regard to both the material and spiritual dimensions of life. Thus, the processes and structures of this civilization must necessarily embody a host of spiritual and moral ideals. Among these are, for example, the elimination of all forms of prejudice, the promotion of the equality of men and women, the abolition of extremes of wealth and poverty—ideals in consonance with the principle of the oneness of humankind, the central teaching of the Bahá’í Faith.

The emergence of such a civilization, the Bahá’í writings further suggest, will not come about through attempts at bettering society alone, to the exclusion of the individual. Rather, its rise is understood in terms of a dual transformation—a complex set of interactions involving profound changes at the level of the individual and in the structure of society.

To be clear: In no way does the Bahá’í community expect the civilization envisaged in its writings to unfold as the exclusive result of its own actions. The convergence of human endeavor will occur as an inevitable outcome of the forces of history and as the result of the efforts of various groups. For its part, while confident in the direction of history, the Bahá’í community remains ever conscious of the imperative need for humanity to tread the path of change with highly sharpened spiritual perception. Failing this, the civilization emerging, no matter how well advanced materially, will not bring true happiness to the people of the world and will continue to perpetuate oppression. Indeed, it is difficult to escape the conclusion, given mounting evidence worldwide, that economic and political oppression is inherent in a purely materialistic view of existence.

With the above convictions in mind, Bahá’ís are trying to raise up communities built on strong spiritual foundations in localities throughout the globe, communities that reflect the ideals associated with the inherent oneness of humanity. They have no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge before them; there is no blueprint to follow, and they approach this task in a posture of learning. These few lines cannot describe in detail the various elements of the methodology being used to facilitate the requisite process of learning. Let it suffice to mention that they are broadly referred to as action, reflection on action, consultation, and study, all necessarily carried out—to maintain coherence and continuity of action—within an evolving conceptual framework. What is important to note here is that the insights gained from the kind of learning under discussion need to be both diffused and promoted through appropriate education and training.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The institute process has been unfolding in the Bahá’í community worldwide since the mid-1990s. It is overseen in every country, or region within a country, by an agency called the training institute. It is a process fundamentally concerned with capacity building. It seeks to open to great multitudes of people a path of service to humanity along which, through study and action, they gradually acquire insights and habits, skills and abilities, qualities and attitudes that enable them to become protagonists of their own spiritual and intellectual development.

The need for such a process of capacity building grew out of decades of earlier experience, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, following the rapid spread of the Bahá’í Faith across the globe. This experience had made clear that large numbers of people everywhere were attracted to the vision of individual and collective life found in the Bahá’í teachings. But translating that vision into reality did not prove to be simple. Profound questions arose, not only about how to set in motion the process of transformation envisioned, but also about how to sustain it and widen its scope. One question soon stood out as most crucial: How could the great numbers drawn to the teachings be assisted in meeting the challenge of building communities befitting humanity’s budding maturity?

At first, the answer seemed obvious. If opportunities were created for individuals to increase their knowledge of the basic tenets of the Faith, surely that knowledge would spur them to action. And so, different kinds of courses, usually of short duration, were established to help individuals deepen their understanding of Bahá’í fundamentals. These courses, however, while enriching the spiritual life of the individual, did not bring about the level of participation in the field of service that had been expected. It is true that there were some who arose to serve, but not in numbers sufficient to meet the needs of the fledgling communities emerging everywhere. What eventually became evident is that another kind of educational process was called for, one that was not merely concerned with exposing participants to a body of knowledge, however important. The path of service opened by the institute process was laid out with this in mind. It was conceived with the conviction that understanding the implications of the teachings

both in terms of individual growth and social progress, increases manifold when study and service are joined and carried out concurrently. There, in the field of service, knowledge is tested, questions arise out of practice, and new levels of understanding are achieved. In the system of distance education that has now been established in country after country—the principal elements of which include the study circle, the tutor and the curriculum of the Ruhi Institute—the worldwide Bahá’í community has acquired the capacity to enable thousands, nay millions, to study the writings in small groups with the explicit purpose of translating the Bahá’í teachings into reality.…¹

The system of distance education now in operation in nearly every country is administered by a network of national and regional training institutes. Before describing the system in further detail, a few words should be said about the educational process that it seeks to foster.

THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

Like any educational process, the one fostered by the curriculum of the Ruhi Institute, currently used by Bahá’í training institutes worldwide, has a particular vision of the individual that it hopes to raise up. This vision draws inspiration from the Bahá’í writings, which suggest that, in order to act effectively at this moment in history, individuals must be imbued with a strong sense of purpose that impels them to take charge of their own spiritual and intellectual growth and contribute to the progress of society. This can be seen as a twofold moral purpose.

Briefly, intellectual and spiritual growth is understood in terms of the development of those vast potentialities that distinguish humanity from the rest of creation. Some of these are related to the powers of the human mind, which enable it to discover the mysteries of nature, produce beautiful works of art, and express noble sentiments and thoughts. Others are what may be called spiritual qualities—attributes deeply rooted in the individual that have to do with his or her inner essence, such as trustworthiness, honesty, generosity, and loving-kindness. The image of the individual that begins to emerge in the Bahá’í writings, then, is not of a receptacle waiting to be filled with information, much less a machine in need of programming to perform certain skills.

On a social level, the twofold purpose finds expression through dedication to promoting the welfare of the entire human race. This requires that individuals lend their strength to processes that counteract the destructive forces that are undermining the foundations of human existence and align themselves with the forces of integration that are leading humanity towards a new social order.

In the Bahá’í writings, these two aspects of moral purpose are viewed as complementary and fundamentally inseparable. Further, it is in the field of service that such a purpose can best be realized, for service unites the fulfillment of individual potential with the advancement of society.

Not surprisingly, then, the organizing principle of the Ruhi Institute’s curriculum is related to service. Specifically, the content and order of the courses are not based on a list of subject matter, but on a series of interconnected acts of service; they build capacity in participants to serve in increasingly complex ways and strengthen those habits of the mind required to work with full and complex thoughts.

The term act of service does not, in itself, require much explanation. In this context, however, it has a specific meaning. It refers to those activities that every individual can undertake which, experience has borne out, respond to the spiritual needs of a population. The acts of service are not random, then, but are determined by the exigencies of community building.

This short presentation cannot provide a survey of the acts of service treated in the courses, which begin with the simple act of hosting a gathering for prayer and meditation and grow in complexity to include, for example, conducting educational activities for the younger generations of a community: classes for the spiritual education of children and a program for the spiritual empowerment of those aged 12 to 15. What should be mentioned, however, is that progress along the path traced out by the courses makes it possible for individuals to develop a number of capabilities. Here, the word is not used to refer to skills and abilities that one develops once and for all. To be capable of engaging in meaningful and uplifting conversation, for example, is far more than a simple skill. In the context of the educational process under discussion, capabilities are developed progressively as one sharpens a set of interrelated skills and abilities, acquires relevant information, advances in the understanding of essential concepts and profound truths, and strengthens certain attitudes, habits, and spiritual qualities. As participants study the courses and engage in the action to which they give rise, their capabilities for service are thus enhanced, opening the way for them to undertake more demanding activities.

Invariably, in walking this path of service, individuals find themselves able to draw increasingly on those powers needed to withstand the destructive forces assailing society: the power of prayer and meditation, the power of faith and certitude, the power of thought and expression, the power of unity and mutual support, the power of humble and sacrificial deeds, and, above all, the power of divine confirmations.

The approach described above does not expect participants to progress at the same pace or achieve a specific set of goals in order to move forward in the educational process; it is for participants themselves to consider to what extent they have advanced at any given moment. From the start, then, everyone is an engaged protagonist in a process of personal and social transformation, responsible for his or her own learning.

Ultimately, however, as more and more people proceed through the sequence of courses and carry out the acts of service suggested, it should be possible to witness a corresponding advance at the level of culture. What starts out as a few discrete activities in a locality develops into a pattern of action that affects the rhythm of community life, and a number of questions can gradually come to guide collective learning. To what extent, for example, has a sense of community emerged—this, whether in an urban neighborhood where the forces of alienation and estrangement can be strong or in a village where traditional ties have been weakened by the forces of moral decay? Has unity of thought and purpose, so essential for collective progress, been strengthened? Has an environment been created that is characterized by patience and forbearance toward mistakes—one free of excessive criticism, of backbiting, of conflict and contention? Are meaningful patterns of communication among people of various backgrounds beginning to evolve? Do people of all walks of life feel welcome to join the conversation in action unfolding in the locality about building a better world?

Earlier, the concept of a dual transformation, at the level of the individual and in the structure of society, was discussed in the context of the rise of a new civilization, one materially and spiritually prosperous. The educational process fostered by the institute courses can be seen as an attempt to generate the kind of dynamics needed to advance this dual transformation.

A SYSTEM OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

The rise in the number of programs and systems for remote learning, which aim to replicate the traditional classroom experience, is evidence of an increasing awareness worldwide that access to education must be extended more broadly. While such forms of remote learning have their merits, the system of distance education administered by a Bahá’í training institute—which seeks to build capacity through study and action, in a process likened to walking a path of service—takes a wholly different shape.

Foremost among the features of this system are mutual support and assistance. Wherever individuals find themselves on the path of service, they also accompany others earlier on the path in their efforts to carry out acts of service, helping them to progress. This is a requirement of capacity building. Someone with more experience accompanies those with less as they strive to walk the path on their own and learn, in time, to assist others. Along the way, one very particular act of service, crucial to the perpetuation and expansion of the system itself, opens up to participants. Having completed a sufficient number of courses in the sequence and undertaken the acts of service they encourage, individuals are able to act as tutors. Institute courses are generally studied in small groups with the assistance of such a tutor in the setting of a study circle—ten or so friends who meet regularly for a few hours in a home or other convenient space over an extended period. The relationship of the tutor to the group is not one of a teacher to his or her students. As a member of the group, the tutor is as engaged in the process of learning as the others, but, having gained more experience, helps to ensure that understanding is enhanced among the participants and that the purpose of the course is achieved. To this end, the tutor hopes to reinforce an environment in which all see themselves as active, responsible “owners” of their own learning, striving to fulfill the twofold moral purpose mentioned earlier, as they seek to apply the knowledge they are gaining to their own lives and the life of their community.

What is at stake, then, is a culture that promotes a way of thinking, studying, and acting in which all consider themselves as treading a common path of service—supporting one another and advancing together, respectful of the knowledge each possesses at any given moment and eschewing the inclination to divide people into categories such as “knowledgeable” and “uninformed.” These are the dynamics of a grassroots spiritual movement.

The learning process in which the Bahá’í community is engaged worldwide is still in its earliest stages. The training institute was created as an instrument for systematizing and prop­agating the learning that accumulates about how the Bahá’í teachings can be translated into reality and a new civilization brought into being, founded on the principle of the oneness of humanity. It represents a new kind of social institution, one concerned with the capacity of a population to become the protagonists of their own material and spiritual development.

Notes:

1. Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the world, Riḍván 2010, https://www.bahai.org/r/178319844.