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Abstract: A philosophical theology based on the Bahá'í writings.
Notes: Also available as a PDF (2MB). |
Eternal Quest for God:
An Introduction to the Divine Philosophy of Abdu'l-Baha
Oxford: George Ronald, 1989
All chapters |
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Savi, Julio
The eternal quest for God: an introduction to the divine philosophy of
`Abdu'l-Bahá.
I. Bahá'ísm. Abd al Bahá ibn Bahá All ah, 1844-1921.
I. Title II. Nell'universo sulle tracce di Dio. English 297'.8963
ISBN 0-85398-295-3
Printed in Great Britain by Billing and Sons Ltd, Worcester
By the same author
Nell'universo sulle tracce di Dio
(EDITRICE NÚR, ROME, 1988)
Bahíyyih Khánum, Ancella di Bahá
(CASA EDITRICE BAHÁ'Í, ROME, 1983)
To my father
Umberto Savi
with love and gratitude
I am especially grateful to Continental Counselor
Dr. Leo Niederreiter
without whose loving encouragement
this book would have not been written
Contents
Notes and Acknowledgements Introduction
1. THE WAYS OF THE SEARCH: TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF REALITY
The criteria of knowledge
Sense perception
Intellect
Insight
The Holy Writings
The research method
Which truth?
Thought and action
Natural philosophy and divine philosophy
The unity of religion and science
Towards a philosophy of reality
A conclusion and a preamble
2. THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS
God is unknowable
Differentiation of stages
God's all-inclusiveness
Human limitations
Human incapacity to know the essence of things
Limitations of human understanding
Rational proofs of Divinity
Cosmological proofs
On the grounds of movement and principle of efficient cause
On the grounds of the different degrees of perfection
Teleological proofs
The perception of the indwelling Spirit
3. THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE IN SEARCH OF GOD
Creation
The world of God
The world of the Kingdom
God's transcendence and pre-existence
God and His creatures
Different degrees in the world of existence
The world of the Kingdom
Pre-existence of the world of the Kingdom
The world of the Kingdom and spirit
Degrees of the spirit
The world of creation
Relation between the world of the Kingdom and the world of creation
Nature and the Will of God
Distinctive features of the world of creation
The atom
Evolution
The creative plan of God
General features of the creative plan of God
Evolution in the world of creation
Evolution in the four kingdoms of the world of creation
Evolution according to Plotinus, in the Bahá'í texts
Evolution as an educative process
Evolution in the different planes of the world of existence
Limitations of some modern concepts of evolution
4. THE WONDERS OF EVOLUTION
The origin of the universe
Evolution in the mineral kingdom
Living systems
Animals
Qualities of the animals
Sense perception
Memory
Learning
Voluntary movements
Natural emotions
Animal's limitations
5. MAN: THE FRUIT OF PHYSICAL EVOLUTION
His animal nature
His human nature
His divine nature
Human greatness and limitations
His evolution and his divine nature
6. THE PERFECT MAN: THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD
The Manifestations of God in the history of mankind
Their threefold reality
Material
Human
Divine
The Essence of God and the Manifestations of God
Their names
Relations between the Manifestations of God
The station of unity
The station of distinction
Their purposes
Their proofs
Denial
7. STRIVING TOWARDS PERFECTION: DYNAMICS OF HUMAN TRANSFORMATION
The method
Prerequisites of human transformation
Voluntary submission to the will of God
Purity
Endeavour
Directions of human endeavour
The special meaning of the Revealed Word
Serving mankind
Means of entrance into the Kingdom
Qualifications of the enlightened souls
Obstacles to human transformation
Self or self-centredness
Estrangement
Malice
Envy
Backbiting
Exceeding in words
Meanings of sorrow and sacrifice
Meanings of sorrow
An instrument of human perfection
An instrument of self-knowledge
An instrument of detachment from the world of creation
Meanings of sacrifice
Conquering the natal self
Self-sacrifice for a universal cause
Attaining the qualities of the world of the Kingdom
Human transformation as spiritual progress
Spirituality as love in action
The second birth
8. THE SOUL: THE REALITY OF MAN
Rational proofs of its existence and immortality
Proofs of its existence
Human rational faculty
Inner perception
Human inner reality
Metaphysical proofs of its immortality
On the grounds of movement
On the grounds of the soul defined as substance
On the grounds of the soul being simple as substance
On the grounds of the presence of truth within the soul
On the grounds of its natural aspiration for immortality
On the grounds of the idea of mortality
Moral proofs of its immortality
As a requirement of human moral life
On the grounds of consensus gentium
What is the soul?
Its individuality
Its dual nature
The oneness of the spirit
Soul and body
Its bounties or powers
The soul as coordinator and motor of the body
Knowledge
Sense perception
`Reasonable perception' or `intellection '
`Inner perception or insight' or `intuitive knowledge
Self-consciousness
Love
The capacity of feeling joy and pain
The power of love
Love and knowledge
Love and courage
The growth of love
Will
Action
The dynamics of the choice
The soul as the mirror of human choices
Spiritual knowledge
Spiritual feelings
Spiritual deeds
Spiritual words
The journey of the soul
9. HUMAN EVOLUTION
Individual evolution
Material evolution
Intellectual evolution
Spiritual evolution
Human education
Material education
Intellectual education
Spiritual education
Evolution of mankind
Material evolution
Intellectual evolution
Spiritual evolution
Contemporaneousness of material, intellectual and spiritual evolutionary processes
Discontinuity of evolutionary processes
Social evolution
10. THE WORLD OF THE KINGDOM
The world of the Kingdom within the creatures
The world of the Kingdom within man
The world of the Kingdom within society
The world of the Kingdom as the world beyond
It transcends time and space
Metaphors of the world of the Kingdom in the Bahá'í texts
Qualities of the world of the Kingdom
Human souls in the world of the Kingdom
Relations between this world and the other
Relations between human souls in the world of the Kingdom
Relationship between human souls in this world and in the other
11. GOD: THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF ALL THINGS
The knowledge of God
God within human hearts
God within the universe
God in His Manifestations
A CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
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Notes and Acknowledgements
Italics are used for all quotations from the Bahá'í Sacred
Scriptures, namely `any part of the writings of the Báb,
Bahá'u'lláh and the Master'. (Letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
in Seeking the Light of the Kingdom (comp.), p.17.) Italics are not used
for recorded utterances by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Although very important for the
concepts and the explanations they convey, when they have `in one form or the
other obtained His sanction' (Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Principles of
Bahá'í Administration, p.34) - as is the case, for example,
with Some Answered Questions or The Promulgation of Universal
Peace - they cannot `be considered Scripture'. (Shoghi Effendi,
Unfolding Destiny, p.208.)
Quotations from Italian publications are translated by the author, unless
otherwise indicated.
This book was, in a way, written twice: first in Italian, and then again in
English. For the English version I am particularly grateful to Ghitty Payman
Galeotti, who encouraged me to accomplish this task, which I thought out of my
reach. I wish to express my gratitude also to May Hofman Ballerio for her
precious help in revising and editing the manuscript. Last but not least, I
gratefully remember the patience of my wife Paola, who accepted my absence
during the long hours I dedicated to this work.
Introduction
The Bahá'í Faith presents itself to modern man as a solution to
the manifold problems which afflict him on the social and individual level. It
does not claim to be a sort of magic wand, which could suddenly transform our
imperfect world into an improbable utopia, but it presents itself as a cause
entitled to indicate goals and methods and to furnish ideas and energies
necessary for a transformation to take place. This transformation will
certainly be difficult and slow and will proceed according to the unchangeable
laws of social development, until it brings man to a higher stage of
civilization. 1
The Bahá'í Faith offers a particular vision of man and the
universe; on the one hand, it suggests a specific code of ethics whose
application raises man to a higher level of maturity than hitherto; on the
other, it suggests principles, structures and methods in the social and
political sphere which would enable man -- as, by increasingly applying this
ethic, he grows in his feelings and behaviours -- to build a world of peace
and cooperation between the peoples of the earth. This kind of world is the
only cradle in which an infant human intellect (infant in relation to the
millions of years of man's existence on the planet) can develop and prosper,
and gradually manifest the infinite potentialities with which man has been
endowed.
Modern readers have been undoubtedly disappointed and wearied by the different
ideas for the improvement of man and society, expounded down the centuries by
philosophers, politicians, sociologists, and others. Their trust in religion
has been seriously shaken by many unfortunate events. It is hoped, however,
that despite these obstacles they may be induced to a preliminary
investigation of the Bahá'í teachings and their proposed
reforms.
To appreciate, let alone accept, an idea at its inception, is undoubtedly more
difficult than appreciating an idea that is already producing concrete and
visible results. 2 It could be, in fact, considered the undertaking
of a pioneer. But it is the pioneers who move the world and mark the paths of
history: Columbus with his trust in the world being round; Galileo with his
determination to follow the as yet unexplored paths of the scientific method in
the study of nature and its phenomena; Pasteur and Koch with their diligent
studies of the world of microorganisms, then unknown and almost inaccessible;
the Bahá'ís of today, with their faith in a human nature moving
towards perfection, in the attainability of peace and justice -- not utopia,
but concrete goals to live and struggle for.
***
In 1912 during His historic travels in North America,
`Abdu'l-Bahá said: `We must also render service to the world of
intellectuality in order that the minds of men may increase in power and become
keener in perception, assisting the intellect of man to attain its supremacy so
that the ideal virtues may appear. Before a step is taken in this direction [1]
we must be able to prove Divinity from the standpoint of reason so that no
doubt or objection may remain for the rationalist. Afterward, [2] we must be
able to prove the existence of the bounty of God -- that the divine bounty
encompasses humanity and that it is transcendental. Furthermore, [3] we must
demonstrate that the spirit of man is immortal, that it is not subject to
disintegration and that it comprises the virtues of humanity.' 3
This book is an attempt to respond to `Abdu'l-Bahá's exhortations. To
this end, Bahá'í texts available in English have been perused in
order to find passages which provide:
- rational proofs of the existence of God;
- explanations of the concept of `the bounty of God';
- guidance for tracing the spirit in the phenomenal world;
- rational proofs of the existence and immortality of human soul;
- explanations of the nature of man and the meaning of his individual
and collective existence.
In collecting these passages it became evident that the Bahá'í
texts describe criteria and methods we should conform to, if we want to obtain
useful results in our intellectual endeavours. An introductory chapter was
therefore written, dealing with research criteria and methods.
Though the concepts presented in these introductory pages may seem abstract and
even difficult to understand, it is hoped that they will be useful for a fuller
comprehension of subjects which are dealt with further on, subjects which --
since they concern man, his nature, his soul and his faculties -- are,
perhaps, not only easier to understand but also of more immediate interest to
the reader. Through the entire research and writing runs a common thread --
the consciousness that, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, `no
Bahá'í at this early stage in Bahá'í history can
rightly claim to have more than a partial and imperfect understanding', of 'a
Revelation of such staggering magnitude'. 4
It is hoped that these concepts, which have been expounded by
'Abdu'l-Bahá, will assist the reader to understand, appreciate, and put
into practice the practical and concrete suggestions which the
Bahá'í Faith offers to individuals and societies for achieving a
world of justice and peace.
Julio Savi
Bologna, 23 May 1987
to 12 August 1988
Chapter 1
1
The Ways of the Search: Towards a Philosophy of Reality
A Bahá'í scholar ... will not make the
mistake of regarding the sayings and beliefs of certain Bahá'ís
at any one time as being the Bahá'í Faith. The
Bahá'í Faith is the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh: His
Own Words as interpreted by `Abdu'l-Bahá and the Guardian. It is a
Revelation of such staggering magnitude that no Bahá'í at this
early stage in Bahá'í history can rightly claim to have more than
a partial and imperfect understanding of it.
The Universal House of Justice
Whenever `Abdu'l-Bahá [1] set forth,
whether in His Writings or in His talks, a concise exposition of the principles
taught by Bahá'u'lláh, [2]
consistently among the first to be mentioned was the exhortation to free and
independent search after truth. [3] This search,
according to the Bahá'í teachings, is the beginning of man's true
life and the key to all his attainments. Bahá'u'lláh exhorts man
to make an independent search after truth, so that he may fulfil his purpose of
knowing truth, and He informs him of the criteria and methods he should follow
in order that the results of his search may be reliable.
The criteria and methods recommended for the investigation of physical (or
material) and metaphysical (or spiritual) reality are the same, for, as
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` reality is one and cannot admit of
multiplicity'. [4] The process of
investigation is knowledge; its fruit is science, which is defined by
`Abdu'l-Bahá, in this context, as `the outcome of this intellectual
endowment'; [5] the process of investigation and
its fruits can be together defined as philosophy, according to the following
definition given by `Abdu'l-Bahá: `Philosophy consists in comprehending
the reality of things as they exist, according to the capacity and power of
man.' [6]
From this concise definition we can infer four fundamental elements:
- the purpose of philosophy: to understand reality;
- its subject: the reality of things;
- its risks: things as they exist, and not (it seems implicit) as they
appear or are supposed to be;
- its limits: according to the capacity and power of
man.
Nevertheless, this definition of philosophy could be misleading in the context
of modern Western civilization; we could be brought to believe that a
philosophy (and with it the search for truth), whose aim is `comprehending the
reality of things', is, and should be, a merely theoretical activity; that as
such it serves its own purposes and is therefore doomed to remain in the sphere
of thoughts and words. Bahá'ís, therefore, who strive to achieve
`all the perfections of man in activity' [7] and
to emulate `Abdu'l-Bahá in treading `the mystical way with practical
feet', [8] could be easily tempted to relegate
philosophy to those useless sciences which, beginning and ending in words, have
been peremptorily banished by Bahá'u'lláh. [9]
Bahá'u'lláh, on the contrary, praised great philosophers,
stating that they ` stand out as leaders of the people and are prominent
among them'; [10] whereas
`Abdu'l-Bahá, referring to Bahá'u'lláh, writes: ` In
His Tablets He has encouraged and rather urged [people] to study philosophy.
Therefore, in the religion of Bahá'u'lláh philosophy is highly
esteemed; 11 moreover He says that `the philosophers have founded
material civilization'; [12] whereas Shoghi
Effendi [13] wrote through his secretary:
`Philosophy ... is certainly not one of the sciences that begins and ends in
words. Fruitless excursions into metaphysical hair-splitting is meant, not a
sound branch of learning like philosophy ... he would advise you not to devote
too much of your time to the abstract side of philosophy, but rather to
approach it from a more historical angle.' [14]
All these statements encourage us, therefore, to search the
Bahá'í texts for references to philosophy which will give us a
clearer understanding of the reasons why it is so highly regarded, so that we
may be guided along its path, strictly adhering to the advice with which the
Bahá'í texts will certainly equip us.
The criteria of knowledge
When the aim of philosophy is understood as `comprehending the reality of
things', it is of paramount importance to know which criteria of knowledge man
has been endowed with.
`Abdu'l-Bahá specifies four criteria of human knowledge: sense
perception, intellect, insight or inspiration and Holy Writings or tradition. [15] Examining these four criteria, He concludes
that -- each one of them being limited -- any single one can lead to fallacious
results. Thus any object of human investigation should be studied in the light
of all these four criteria: only after such a thorough process, can one be
assured that reliable knowledge is gained. The effort exerted in this process
is man's task; the results depend on the way this effort is exerted, on the
ardour with which it is made, and on the divine gift of knowledge.
Sense perception. The senses are the most immediate instrument through
which man keeps in touch with physical reality. Shared by men and animals --
which in this respect are often more generously endowed than men -- the senses
are the instruments of sense perception, which, in the words of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, is `the lowest degree of perception'. [16] That senses can be deceived, producing a distorted
perception of reality, is a well-known fact. (Think, for instance, of the
phenomena of optical illusions.) Sense perception alone is not, therefore,
totally reliable. [17]
Intellect. Intellect is the instrument through which man can know
abstract reality. This distinctive human faculty differentiates men from
animals. `Abdu'l-Bahá asserts that intellect is assumed by Eastern
philosophy [18] as the only criterion for
truth. It is an important agent of knowledge, because it allows man to
transcend some of the limitations of sense perception which can, as we have
seen, involve a fallacious perception of reality. Nevertheless, intellect has
its own limits and can likewise be misleading. If this were not the case, why
have so many hypotheses supported by eminent scientists been proven false by
subsequent studies? Why is it that not even the greatest scholars agree among
themselves on many of the most important issues?
Intellect is particularly limited when spiritual reality is ignored i.e. when
intellect is confined to a mere analysis of those cognitive data which are
produced through sense perception, however vital these may be. Intellect
should, on the contrary, be used to analyze spiritual reality also, [19] which it can know through the guidance
provided by the Holy Writings.
This is one of the most important limitations of the modern Western world: it
does not avail itself of a methodical use of insight; it overlooks the data
provided by the Holy Writings; it disregards transcendency; it claims that an
unbridgeable gap exists between `natural science and the reflections of man on
the meaning of life'; [20] it suggests that
within creation there are two spheres -- seen as opposed to each other --
requiring different means and methods for their analysis. What a cleft in human
life and society! What dire consequences in human history!
Insight. 21 There is in man a power which directly `discerns
the reality of things', independent of deductive or inductive mental processes:
this is insight or, as `Abdu'l-Bahá sometimes calls it, inspiration or
the `meditative faculty'. In explaining the nature of insight,
`Abdu'l-Bahá mentions the school of `the Illuminati or followers of the
inner light ... Meditating and turning their faces to the Source of Light, from
that central Light the mysteries of the Kingdom were reflected in the hearts of
those people'. [22] Most people think that such
a power can only be used in the mystic field; yet it is well known that several
great scientists have discovered physical laws through intuition rather than
reasoning and deduction: Newton, with his famous apple; Galileo, with the
well-known episode of the swinging chandelier in the Cathedral of Pisa; and
more recently Einstein, with his dream in which he conceived the theory of
relativity. The Bahá'í writings urge us to train ourselves in the
intuitive process by daily practice of meditation and to use this faculty in
our endeavours to understand both physical and spiritual reality, for insight
-- like a mirror -- faithfully reflects whatever is placed in front of it. [23]
However, insight can be misleading too: how can we distinguish between idle
fantasies or fanciful dreams and reality? Certainly, testing intuitive data
through the senses and the intellect and checking them against facts will help
us to distinguish tinsel from gold. [24]
The Holy Writings. Even though the Holy Scriptures are infallible, it is
sometimes difficult to understand their meaning, since they are often written
in metaphorical language: the limits of this criterion are therefore the limits
of human intellect. Mistakes in the interpretation of the Holy Writings have
been the cause of endless wars and conflicts. One finds even today, in certain
circles, a desire to have the Holy Scriptures literally read, even against
reason itself -- almost as if the measure of one's faith were the capacity to
believe in the unbelievable. Tertullian's credo quia absurdum[25] is still a source of perplexity and grief.
Some creationists for example will have us believe that God has purposely
placed fossils in the bowels of the earth to test man's faith in the literal
interpretation of the first book of Genesis. We could consider this
attitude simply ridiculous, were it not for the personal and social tragedies
which this mentality has caused and continues to cause in the world today. [26]
Bahá'í texts explain that the Holy Scriptures should not,
generally speaking, be taken literally, [27]
and that these literal interpretations have been the primary cause of conflicts
and divisions in past centuries; even today, followers of the major revealed
religions engage in strife despite the fact that their religions are all
revelations from the same God. The Bahá'í Faith invites man to
read the Holy Scriptures through his senses, intellect and insight, and
especially to put them into practice: only then will the purity and ardour of
the intellectual and practical efforts be rewarded by an ever deeper
understanding of the truths the Scriptures offer.
The research method
Knowledge is a process which requires endeavour, at times a long and laborious
endeavour. The reason why man is ready to make this effort is that God has
endowed him with a `love of reality' [28] which
urges him on in his research; the greater the effort, the better the results.
However, the intensity and ardour of the effort are not enough to ensure the
results, if the effort is expended in the wrong way. The Bahá'í
texts are rich in counsels for anyone who wants to follow the path of search,
counsels which are valuable no matter what the object of research may be. For
evidently -- as has been already said -- it is always reality that man is
investigating, whether his researches are carried out on the physical or on the
spiritual level.
A long passage in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, the Book of
Certitude, one of the most important of Bahá'u'lláh's
Writings, is dedicated to the conduct which the ` true seeker' must
maintain if he wants to reap the longed-for harvest of knowledge. [29]
Above all, the greatest obstacle to overcome in the search for truth is
prejudice; Bahá'u'lláh calls prejudice ` the obscuring dust of
all acquired knowledge.' 29 He defines it as ` imitation, which
is following the traces of ... forefathers and sires'. [30] `Abdu'l-Bahá affirms that prejudice's
` rootcause ... is blind imitation of the past', and that it springs from
` selfish motives'; [31] in
Bahá'u'lláh's words, from ` shadowy and ephemeral
attachments' or from attachment to people [32] and, more often, ideas -- a ` remnant of either love or
hate'. [33] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes
moreover that ` the imitator saith that such a man hath seen, such a man hath
heard and such a conscience hath discovered; in other words he dependeth upon
the sight, the hearing and the conscience of others and has no will of his
own'. [34] And Bahá'u'lláh
warns us in His Hidden Words: ` The best beloved of all things in My
sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it
not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes
and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and
not through the knowledge of thy neighbour.' 35
Other powerful obstacles in the path of search are, on the one hand, the
desire for human approval and, on the other, pride and vainglory; a true man of
science does not descend to compromise, but acts in full freedom from inner and
outer pressures; however, he should not imagine himself better than others,
for, as `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `As soon as one feels a little better than, a
little superior to, the rest, he is in a dangerous position.' [36]
Of great assistance to the searcher are, moreover, the following spiritual
qualities: patience, eagerness, detachment, resignation, moderation, compassion
towards man and animals, honesty and trustworthiness, the capacity to forgive,
to avoid empty discourse and finally to choose good company. [37]
A more detailed analysis of this important theme is beyond the scope of this
book. However, it seems that these texts -- written as they are in the
metaphorical language of Revelation -- suggest a scientific research method:
there is a deliberate, conscious, repeated, organized and systematic use of the
cognitive powers; certain standards of inner integrity of thought and behaviour
are observed. It is in this perspective that Shoghi Effendi describes the
Bahá'í Faith as `scientific in its method'. [38]
When this method is followed and these standards are observed, then,
`Abdu'l-Bahá says, `By the breaths and promptings of the Holy Spirit,
which is light and knowledge itself ... the human mind is quickened and
fortified into true conclusions and perfect knowledge': [39] in fact, man's cognitive powers are like eyes and the
Holy Spirit like light, in whose absence eyes cannot see. [40]
This Bahá'í concept of `knowledge as enlightenment' will be
further clarified in the light of the concepts of creation, spirit, evolution
and human development enshrined in the Bahá'í texts, which we
have attempted to study, recording in the following pages our preliminary,
incomplete results.
Which truth?
Even if this method is followed and these standards are observed, will man's
claim to know truth be justified? `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that `our
knowledge of things ... is knowledge of their qualities and not of their
essence' and He adds that `the essential reality underlying any given
phenomenon is unknown'. In fact, `the realities of material phenomena are
impenetrable and unknowable and are only apprehended through their properties
and qualities'. Knowledge, He explains, whether an outcome `gained by
reflection or by evidence', [41] or a fruit of
insight gained through meditation and spiritual growth, depends mostly on our
efforts. Therefore it is achieved by degrees, as the efforts proceed and bring
results, and as experience -- by similarity or by contrast [42] (` the limited is known through the
unlimited' 43) -- enables us to bring it to the stage of
judgment. Truth, therefore, is a goal toward which we strive: moreover it is
only one, because -- as `Abdu'l-Bahá writes -- ` reality is one and
does not admit of multiplicity'. [44]
Man is guided, individually and collectively, however, in his efforts toward
truth, by Revelation. In the various stages of his individual and collective
growth he is thus directly or indirectly guided to an ever wider and deeper
understanding of reality, and enabled to correct previous positions and adjust
old and partial understandings. Though his yearning for truth spurs him on in
his efforts towards this ultimate goal, his finite nature prevents him from
ever grasping it in its essence or entirety. His truth is always relative and
his science only `a mirror wherein the images of the mysteries of outer
phenomena are reflected', [45] and not Reality
or Truth itself.
It seems after all that knowledge is a kind of faith: what man knows is what
he has understood through the instrumentality of his cognitive powers and
criteria. The certitude of his knowledge is dependent on the harmonization of
his newly acquired information with his previously acquired data, in which
context new information acquires meaning and value. In this perspective, it is
not difficult to understand how faith is described in a Bahá'í
text as ` conscious knowledge'. Having faith in something means accepting
it as truth in the light of a series of considerations of which we are
certain. [46]
However, the world of creation, being a dynamic reality, presents us with
innumerable facets which defy man's often too strict schemes and definitions. [47] It is precisely because of the manifold
facets and changeability of reality that a confrontation of understanding is
useful. Different intellects identify different facets of the same reality, and
thus, in the exchange of ideas which Bahá'í often call
consultation they can help each other in a joint intellectual effort. In fact,
the manifold facets of reality require us to be tolerant (i.e. to understand
others' points of views) and to shun fanaticism, that stubborn assertion of
personal truth as though it were absolute -- whereas, in fact, every human
truth is always partial.
Thought and action
In the Bahá'í texts, truth is reality; thus the
coincidence between what is (reality) and what man understands (knowledge) is
the guarantee of every human truth. Such coincidence becomes evident when
knowledge is put on trial in daily living. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` Many
ideas spring out from the mind of man; some concern the truth and some
falsehood. Of these ideas those which owe their origin to the Light of Truth
are realized in the external world, while the others from different origins
vanish, they come and they go like the waves of the sea of fantasy and do not
find fulfillment in the world of existence.' [48] This concept reminds us of Karl Popper's principle of
refutability or the method of falsification, proposing that only what can be
refuted through experience is scientific. [49]
In the Bahá'í view, for an idea to be accepted as true, it must
produce results of unity and peace before the tribunal of life and history,
whereas prejudices -- erroneous interpretations of reality [50] -- have always been `the foundation of distention, the
cause of obstinacy, the means of war and struggle'. [51]
In the Bahá'í texts, `the thought which belongs only to the
world of thought' is disapproved, because, as `Abdu'l-Bahá states, `if
these thoughts never reach the plane of action they remain useless'. [52] Even more severely admonished is he who does
not live up to his own words. Bahá'u'lláh sternly warns: ` he
whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his
life'. [53] And `Abdu'l-Bahá has
little esteem for those philosophers who `are unable or unwilling to show forth
their grand ideas in their own lives'. [54]
Philosophy, therefore, is only meaningful if -- having brought man to an
understanding of `the reality of things as they exist, according to the
capacity and power of man', [55] it can be
translated into beneficial actions in the world of existence. This translation
into action is both the necessary prerequisite of every philosophy which is
more than mere talk, and the proof and demonstration of its validity: `Whatever
is conducive to the unity of the world of mankind is acceptable and
praiseworthy; whatever is the cause of discord and disunion is saddening and
deplorable.' [56] The tribunal of life and
history is undoubtedly most just and implacable. Knowledge of reality, its
practical application, and its consequences of co-operation and unity among
men: these are the fundamental prerequisites of a philosophy worthy of man.
Natural philosophy and divine philosophy
Philosophy, aiming at `comprehending the reality of things', should not limit
the sphere of its investigation. It is clear that it cannot and should not
exclude the investigation of physical reality, which is also called material,
objective, contingent, outer, visible, earthly, sensible, or phenomenal. The
branch of philosophy that concerns itself with physical reality,
`Abdu'l-Bahá calls `natural philosophy': this is `the investigation of
natural phenomena' and `the discovery of the realities of things'; it `seeks
knowledge of physical verities and explains material phenomena'; it examines
and understands created objects and their laws: `it discovers the occult and
mysterious secrets of the material universe': [57] this is what is today called science. `Abdu'l-Bahá
says that science, being `the outcome of this intellectual endowment' which is
characteristic of man, is his `most noble virtue' and `highest attainment' and
is what distinguishes him from animals; He describes it as `a mirror wherein
the images of the mysteries of outer phenomena are reflected' and `the one
agency by which man explores the institutions of material creation'. Science
is, at the same time, a gift from God -- in `Abdu'l-Bahá's words, `an
effulgence of the Sun of reality' -- and `the most noble and praiseworthy
accomplishment of man'. [58] It is a gift
because all knowledge is a gift from God, and it is an accomplishment because
only through his own efforts is man accorded this divine gift.
The power which man acquires through natural philosophy or science is great:
`science is the discoverer of the past' and `from its premises of the past and
present' man can `deduce conclusions as to the future'. [59] In fact, says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `he can frequently,
through his scientific knowledge, reach out with prophetic vision'. [60] Science permits man to `penetrate the
mysteries of the future and anticipate its happenings' and to `modify, change
and control nature according to his own wishes and uses'. Through science, man
`is informed of all that appertains to humanity, its status, conditions and
happenings'. It is because of science that man is `the most noble product of
creation, the governor of nature'. [61]
The fruit of progress in the sphere of natural science is a civilization which
`Abdu'l-Bahá calls ` material', [62] a civilization which is typical of the modern age. The
Bahá'í teachings appreciate this material progress, which in its
best aspects results in control over the environment and the production of
things which are useful, often enhancing the quality of human life.
`Abdu'l-Bahá therefore praises the scientist in these terms: `The man of
science is perceiving and endowed with vision ... attentive, alive ... a true
index and representative of humanity'. He considers science `the very
foundation of all individual and national development', `the means by which man
finds a pathway to God', an instrument in whose absence `development is
impossible'. [63]
The Bahá'í teachings condemn, however, the abuse of this
progress in the production of things which do not benefit humanity but on the
contrary destroy it: directly, as in the case of armaments, or indirectly, as
in the case of waste of the earth's resources and the devastation and pollution
of the environment; or in its more subtle, though not less dangerous,
perversion of pride and prejudice: pride in that tiny bit of knowledge man may
have acquired; prejudice, in his pretension of being immune from mistakes. [64]
`Divine philosophy', also called `divine science' or `spiritual science', [65] is concerned with spiritual reality, which
can also be called metaphysical, subjective, transcendent, inner, invisible,
celestial or ideal. This is the study of what `Abdu'l-Bahá calls `ideal
verities and phenomena of the spirit'. Its aims are: `the discovery and
realization of spiritual verities', `the discoveries of the mysteries of God,
the comprehension of spiritual realities, the wisdom of God, inner significance
of the heavenly religion and foundation of law'. `Abdu'l-Bahá states
that, since the teachings of all revealed religions `constitute the science of
reality', [66] divine philosophy cannot ignore
revealed religion, which -- in His words -- is `the truest philosophy'. [67]
However, `the philosophers ... are educators along the lines of intellectual
training' and according to `Abdu'l-Bahá, `they have been incapable of
universal education', because philosophy, as such, is limited to the
development of the mind, [68] and has no effect
on spiritual development. It is not, therefore, capable of exerting an
influence equal to that of divine teachings. `What philosophy has ever elevated
a whole nation and influenced humanity? Philosophy of necessity is restricted
to a small school and cannot have an essentially moral influence.' [69] Moreover, whereas intellectual knowledge,
becoming sometimes a cause of pride and prejudice, may, like a veil, shut men
out from God, religion assists them in approaching ` the highest and last end
of all learning', that is ` the recognition of Him Who is the Object of
all knowledge'. [70]
`Abdu'l-Bahá enumerates some fundamental themes and principles of
divine philosophy: `the unity of mankind ... the tie of love which blends human
hearts' which He defines as `the most important principle of divine
philosophy'; the concept of existence being `composition' and non-existence
`decomposition'; `the intrinsic oneness of all phenomena', which is explained
by the atomic concept of the universe; the assertion that `the world of nature
is incomplete ... nature seems complete, it is, nevertheless, imperfect because
it has need of intelligence and education'. [71] Other themes of divine philosophy which He cites are:
`the problem of the reality of the spirit of man; of the birth of the spirit;
of its birth from this world into the world of God; the question of the inner
life of the spirit and of its fate after its ascension from the body ... the
essential nature of Divinity, of the Divine revelation, of the manifestation of
Deity in this world'. [72]
Divine philosophy sets high moral goals which `Abdu'l-Bahá thus
enumerates: `the training of human realities so that they may become clear and
pure as mirrors and reflect the light and love of the Sun of Reality ... the
true evolution and progress of humanity'; and furthermore, `the sublimation of
human nature, spiritual advancement, heavenly guidance for the development of
the human race, attainment to the breaths of the Holy Spirit and knowledge of
the verities of God'. [73]
Mankind's progress in this field leads to the flourishing -- thanks to the
impulse of Revelation -- of a spiritual ` divine civilization'. [74] This is the highest aim of the world order
proclaimed by the Bahá'í Faith, and in general of all revealed
religions. [75]
We should therefore not be surprised to find that in the Bahá'í
texts the philosophers of ancient Greece are praised. Commenting on His
` contemporary men of learning' Bahá'u'lláh wrote that
` most of [their] learning hath been acquired from the sages of the
past, for it is they who have laid the foundation of philosophy, reared its
structure and reinforced its pillars'. He writes moreover that ` the
sages aforetime acquired their knowledge from the Prophets ... The essence and
the fundamentals of philosophy have emanated from the Prophets'. [76] These are affirmations, accepted by Islamic
culture, which can and should be verified through an attentive study of history
and of the history of philosophy. [77] The
philosophers of Greece, `Abdu'l-Bahá said, `were devoted to the
investigation of both natural and spiritual phenomena. In their schools of
teaching they discoursed upon the natural as well as the supernatural world.
Today the philosophy and logic of Aristotle are known throughout the world.
Because they were interested in both natural and divine philosophy, furthering
the development of the physical world of mankind as well as the intellectual,
they rendered praiseworthy service to humanity ... Man should continue both
these lines of research and investigation so that all human virtues, outer and
inner, may become possible.' [78] This is an
exhortation which present every would-be Bahá'í philosopher with
clear and specific indications for the goals of his or her study.
On the other hand, `Abdu'l-Bahá disapproves of ` that group of
materialists of narrow vision who worship that which is sensed, who depend upon
the five senses only, and whose criterion of knowledge is limited to that which
can be perceived by sense', for whom ` all that can be sensed is real,
whilst whatever falleth not under the power of the sense is either unreal or
doubtful. The existence of the Deity they regard as wholly doubtful'. [79] In speaking of these philosophers,
`Abdu'l-Bahá, known for His charitable indulgence, His deep love for
every human being, and His great tolerance of others' ideas, expresses Himself
with a subtle irony, witty and pungent, but at the same time also loving and
good-natured: `Strange indeed that after twenty years training in colleges and
universities man should reach such a station wherein he will deny the existence
of the ideal or that which is not perceptible to the senses. Have you ever
stopped to think that the animal has graduated from such a university? Have you
ever realized that the cow is already a professor emeritus of that university?
For the cow without hard labour and study is already a philosopher of the
superlative degree in the school of nature. The cow denies everything that is
not tangible, saying, "I can see! I can eat! Therefore I believe only in that
which is tangible!" Then why should we go to the colleges? Let us go to the
cow.' [80]
Naturally this praise of divine philosophy and ironic view of materialistic
philosophy should be seen in the context of the Bahá'í
Revelation, in which ancient concepts have been overturned and words have often
assumed new meanings. Regarding this point, it is important to remember a
corollary of the principle of the independent search after truth, i.e. the
abandonment of all prejudices. This principle -- apparently obvious to the
point of banality -- put into action with determination, will result in
enormously important consequences. Above all, it requires that any would-be
philosopher make an unbiased examination of reality, an examination which holds
high neither the standards of current thought nor those of ancient traditions.
Everything must thus be analyzed through a rigorous cognitive inquiry,
retaining only what can hold up under this close examination and yield fruits
of unity and progress. How many of the concepts modern philosophers and
scientists condemn in those self-styled divine or religious philosophies would
remain after such an upsetting revision?
Next, the researcher must disregard even his own self, so that he may be as
objective as possible: what counts is reality and the knowledge of that
reality; in its light every particularity or selfishness must melt like snow
under the sun. [81] The Bahá'í
principle of balance between science and religion and all statements similar to
that of `Abdu'l-Bahá on materialistic philosophers should be read in
such a context.
Ultimately, the Bahá'í philosopher resembles the ancient sage or
man of learning, rather than any modern philosopher who is more interested in
intellectual games than in the results of his research. `Abdu'l-Bahá has
thus described the Bahá'í philosopher, in His political treatise,
The Secret of Divine Civilization: ` Again, there are those famed and
accomplished men of learning, possessed of praiseworthy qualities and vast
erudition, who lay hold on the strong handle of the fear of God and keep to the
ways of salvation. In the mirror of their minds, the forms of transcendent
realities are reflected, and the lamp of their inner vision derives its light
from the sun of universal knowledge. They are busy by night and by day with
meticulous research into such sciences as are profitable to mankind, and they
devote themselves to the training of students of capacity. It is certain that
to their discerning taste, the proffered treasures of kings would not compare
with a single drop of the waters of knowledge, and mountains of gold and silver
could not outweigh the successful solution of a difficult problem. To them, the
delights that lie outside their work are only toys for children, and the
cumbersome load of unnecessary possessions is only good for the ignorant and
the base. Content, like birds, they give thanks for a handful of seeds, and the
song of their wisdom dazzles the minds of the world's most
wise.' 82
The unity of religion and science
Science being, in the Bahá'í view, `the discovery of the reality
of things', philosophy is science. Science and philosophy cannot ignore the
teachings of religion, for -- as `Abdu'l-Bahá says -- `science and
reason are realities, and religion itself is the Divine Reality unto which true
science and reason must conform'. Furthermore, He says: `true science is reason
and reality, and religion is essentially reality and pure reason; therefore the
two must correspond. Religious teaching which is at variance with science and
reason is human invention and imagination unworthy of acceptance, for the
antithesis and opposite of knowledge is superstition born of the ignorance of
man. If we say that religion is opposed to science, we lack knowledge of either
true science or true religion, for both are founded on the premises and
conclusions of reason, and both must bear its test.' [83]
It is here that we have the reconciliation of a painful division, which has
afflicted our society for centuries: spirit-matter, religion-science,
faith-reason. In fact ` reality is one and cannot admit of
multiplicity': [84] man is one, even though
the instruments and criteria he uses for obtaining knowledge are many; the
method for investigating that single reality is one, the scientific method; the
result of his intellectual effort is one, science; the test of the validity of
science is one, its outcome of unity and peace in human life.
This single ` reality' which is the object of science, philosophy and
religion, is also described by `Abdu'l-Bahá as `the love of God ... the
knowledge of God ... justice ... the oneness or solidarity of mankind ...
international peace ... the knowledge of verities. Reality unifies mankind.' [85] In another passage we find: `reality is the
divine standard and the bestowal of God. Reality is reasonableness, and
reasonableness is ever conducive to the honourable station of man. Reality is
the guidance of God. Reality is the cause of illumination of mankind. Reality
is love, ever working for the welfare of humanity. Reality is the bond which
conjoins hearts. This ever uplifts man toward higher stages of progress and
attainment. Reality is the unity of mankind, conferring everlasting life.
Reality is perfect equality, the foundation of agreement between the nations,
the first step towards international peace.' [86]
Such is the reality [87] which man is invited
to investigate and such are the fruits of his investigation.
Towards a philosophy of reality
In philosophy, so it appears from this initial study of some
Bahá'í texts, three fundamental aspects can be discerned:
- man's efforts, which consist in the use of cognitive criteria,
following a set of norms and a method that is, after all, scientific;
- the divine gift of enlightenment/knowledge which God confers on
those who exert the effort required and behave in the proper way;
- the results of human effort, not only in terms of theoretical
knowledge, but also in terms of the material and spiritual progress of
individuals and society -- in other words, civilization. Such civilization will
be balanced, whenever man equally investigates physical reality, producing
material philosophy or science, as we call it today, and spiritual reality,
producing divine philosophy.
In all this effort, man should apply the data provided by Revelation, that
God-given guidance enabling him to accomplish his difficult but fascinating
allotted task -- a task which is both ethical and theoretical, practical and
cognitive.
This global knowledge is indispensable for the creation of a true civilization
worthy of man. For `the attainment of any object is conditioned upon knowledge,
volition and action. Unless these three conditions are forthcoming, there is no
execution or accomplishment.' [88] We could
compare the search for material and spiritual knowledge to the process of
assimilation through which an embryo in the womb acquires the substances
necessary for its development. If that poor embryo did not take the necessary
atoms and molecules from its mother's blood, it would never become a foetus,
let alone an infant and much less an adult. What will happen, then, to that man
who cannot or will not use his cognitive instruments and criteria to draw from
daily living those ideas he needs in order to be able to understand the reality
by which he is surrounded? or to him who assimilates them in an incomplete or
distorted way?
This search is indispensable, for -- like the mythical Ulysses -- man can find
no peace in his unending search for distant goals; his life is naught but a
journey, a quest for the far-away Pillars of Hercules, the seemingly ever more
distant and mysterious frontier of his possibilities of experience and
knowledge. [89]
A conclusion and a preamble
The task of would-be Bahá'í philosophers today is thus an
important one:
- first of all, to undertake the formidable task of studying and
learning the Bahá'í texts. Bahá'u'lláh revealed
texts that fill over a hundred volumes; there are innumerable Writings of His
Herald and Forerunner, the Báb;[90] His
authoritative Interpreter, `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote copiously and many of His
talks are recorded; there is moreover an abundance of comments and explanations
given by the Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi. All of these texts must be
examined and studied in depth;
- secondly, philosophical and religious traditions ought to be given
proper appreciation,[91] and modern scientific
discoveries ought to be evaluated in the light of the Bahá'í
texts;
- last, but not least, it is necessary to compile and present those
texts which are relevant to the most urgent problems of modern man, in such a
way that they can be understood and gradually put into practice throughout the
world for the wellbeing of mankind.
These tasks seem quite similar to those which the Universal House of Justice [92] has indicated for the `Bahá'í
scholar'. [93] Should we, in fact, prefer the
word scholar to philosopher? -- philosophy today being considered a science of
words and not of actions, what A.J. Ayer calls `a talk about talk'. [94] However, when we choose to use the word
philosophy in this book, we do it from the Bahá'í standpoint,
where philosophy belongs not only to the realm of thought but also to the realm
of action.
In the following pages a presentation will be made of quotations from
Bahá'í texts found on the themes which are fundamental to the
understanding of `the reality of things as they exist'. [95]
It is offered with an awareness of its limitations, especially in this early
stage of the development of the Bahá'í Faith, in the hope of not
disturbing any heart and the desire to awaken in the reader's heart -- as
others did in ours -- the urge of `this love of reality' [96] with which God has endowed every man.
End notes:
[1] `Abbás Effendi, known as
`Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921); son of Bahá'u'lláh, (see
below p.1, no. 2) Who appointed Him Centre of His Covenant and authorized
Interpreter of His Words; after Bahá'u'lláh's passing He was the
Head of the Bahá'í Community. For a study of His life, mission
and writings see Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, chapters XIV-XXI;
H.M. Balyuzi, `Abdu'l-Bahá.
[2] Mírzá Husayn-`Alí,
known as Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), Founder of the
Bahá'í Faith. For His life, mission and writings, see
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, chapters V- VIII; H. M. Balyuzi,
Bahá'u'lláh, the King of Glory; A. Taherzadeh, The
Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vols. I-IV.
[3] See `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections, pp.107, 248, 298; Promulgation, pp.62, 105, 127, 169,
180, 314, 372, 433, 440, 454; Paris Talks, pp. 129, 135; Divine
Philosophy, p.77; `Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 27.
[4] Selections, p. 298. See also
Promulgation, pp. 63, 126, 287, 297, 313, 344, 364, 373; `Talks by
Abdul-Baha in the Holy Land', in Star of the West, IX, p. 135.
[5] Promulgation, p. 29.
[6] Some Answered Questions, p. 221.
[7] Quoted in Esslemont, New Era, p.
71.
[8] This statement on `Abdu'l-Bahá was
uttered by Dr. David Starr Jordan, President of the Leland Stanford Junior
University of Palo Alto, California, while he was commenting upon a talk
deliver by `Abdu'l-Bahá in that University, during His visit of 18
October 1912. Quoted in Bahá'í World, VI, p. 480.
[9] Bahá'u'lláh writes: `The
knowledge of such sciences... should be acquired as can profit the peoples of
the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words.'
(Tablets, p.169) And moreover: `The learned of the day must direct
the people to acquire those branches of knowledge which are of use, that both
the learned themselves and the generality of mankind may derive benefits
therefrom. Such academic pursuits as begin in words alone have never been and
will never be of any worth'.(ibid. p. 169.)
[10] Tablets, p. 147.
11 `It is the time His Holiness Christ calls the "Days of
Marriage"', in Star of the West, XIII, p. 194.
[12] Promulgation, p.375.
[13] Shoghi Rabbani, known as Shoghi Effendi
(1898-1957), grand-grandson of Bahá'u'lláh, appointed by
`Abdu'l-Bahá Guardian of the Cause of God and His successor, led the
Bahá'í community from 1921 to 1957. For his life, mission and
writings see R. Rabbani, The Priceless Pearl; and U. Giachery,
Shoghi Effendi: Recollections.
[14] Unfolding Destiny, p. 445.
[15] See Some Answered Questions,
pp.297-9; Promulgation, pp.20-2, 253-5; Divine Philosophy,
pp.88-90.
[16] Some Answered Questions, p.
217.
[17] At the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá
materialistic trends of opinion (for example positivism) were in great favour;
they maintained sense perception as their main criterion of knowledge. `The
basis of all their conclusions' -- says `Abdu'l-Bahá -- `is that the
acquisition of knowledge of phenomena is according to a fixed, invariable law
-- a law mathematically exact in its operation through the senses.'
(Promulgation, p.20) He criticizes this kind of philosophy (see
below pp.15-16) whose narrowness is today mostly recognized not only from a
theoretical standpoint, but also for its nefarious consequences on human
life.
[18] He includes among Eastern philosophers
also the philosophers of Ancient Greece. See Promulgation,
pp.356-7, and below, p.16, n.80.
[19] For the concept of spiritual reality
see below pp.41-2.
[20] I. Prigogine and A. Danzin, `Quale
scienza per domani' (Which Science for Tomorrow?) in Corriere Unesco,
no.2, 1982. Ilya Prigogine writes: `Nothing must be left out of account, if we
are to be successful in reconciling the natural sciences with man's reflections
about why he is alive.'
21 For the concept of insight, see `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections p.44; Some Answered Questions, p.157; Paris
Talks, pp.86-7, 173-6; Divine Philosophy, p.122 and below pp. 135-6,
139-40, 157-8, 172.
[22] Paris Talks, pp.175, 176, 173.
[23] Regarding the concept of meditation,
see below pp.120, 158. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The meditative faculty
is akin to the mirror: if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect
them. Therefore if the spirit of man is contemplating earthly subjects he will
be informed of these.
`But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards, the heavenly
constellations and the rays of the Sun of Reality will be reflected in your
hearts, and the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.' (Paris Talks
p.176.)
[24] Regarding this issue, Shoghi Effendi's
secretary wrote on his behalf: `The inspiration received through meditation is
of a nature that one cannot measure or determine ... We cannot clearly
distinguish between personal desire and guidance, but if the way opens, when we
have sought guidance, then we may presume God is helping us.' (quoted in
Bahá'í Institutions (comp.), p.111.) See also ibid.
pp. 109, 111-2.
[25] Tertullian, De Carne Christi,
V.
[26] Regarding this concept F. Facchini
writes: `Advocates of scientific creationism, keeping to literal
interpretations of the first chapters of the Genesis, claim the scientific
nature of its account of creation ... Though the scientific nature of the
`creationistic theory' is upheld by its advocates, nevertheless they adopt an
unscientific approach, in the strict meaning of the word, and in their
eagerness to give at least a scientific semblance to their claims, they advance
opinions on the theory of evolution, denouncing paleontological gaps and not
yet explained issues of biological theory. Their statements are amazing, even
ridiculous: for instance they maintain that fossils were created by God in
order to test believers' faith.' (Il Cammino dell'Evoluzione Umana,
p.224.)
[27] See Bahá'u'lláh,
Kitáb-i-Iqán, pp.53-69; `Abdu'l- Bahá, Some
Answered Questions, pp.83-6. Moreover Saint Paul says: `The letter killeth,
but the spirit giveth life.' (II Corinthians 3:6.)
[28] Promulgation, p.49.
[29] The interested reader would do well to
read this passage for himself. (Kitáb-i-Íqán,
pp.192-8.) See ibid. pp.192. Another important quotation on this subject
can be found in Bahá'u'lláh's Seven Valleys, The Valley of
Search (Seven Valleys, pp.5-8.)
[30] Seven Valleys, p.5.
[31] Selections, pp.234, 300.
[32] Regarding this issue, Shoghi Effendi's
secretary wrote on his behalf: `... we must reach a spiritual plane where God
comes first and great human passions are unable to turn us away from him. All
the time we see people who either through the force of hate or the passionate
attachment they have to another person, sacrifice principle and bar themselves
from the Path of God ...'.(quoted in Living the Life (comp.), p.10.)
This idea of detachment, though it is here intended in the way of living,
nevertheless can be referred also to the path of search, where Truth or Reality
must come before any other thing.
[33] Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p.192.
[34] Selections, p.29.
35 Hidden Words, Arabic, no. 2.
[36] quoted in Esslemont, New Era,
p.84. See below pp.126-7.
[37] How will these qualities assist a man in
his search? The concept will be more fully examined further on. It is here
enough to say that these qualities are an outcome of spiritual progress and
that this spiritual progress quickens intuitive faculties which are a powerful
means and criterion of knowledge. See below pp.172-3.
[38] World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, p.ix. W.S. Hatcher writes: `... scientific
method is the systematic, organized, directed and conscious use of our various
mental faculties in an effort to arrive at a coherent model of whatever
phenomenon is being investigated.' (W.S. Hatcher, `Science and the
Bahá'í Faith', in Bahá'í Studies II, 32.)
[39] Promulgation, p.22.
[40] In the 4th century AD St Augustine set
forth a very similar concept in his well-known doctrine of enlightenment: God
is Light that enables man to know.
[41] Some Answered Questions, pp.220,
157.
[42] See Promulgation, pp.295, 82-3.
43 `Abdu'l-Bahá, `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in
Bahá'í World XV, p.37.
[44] Selections, p.298.
[45] Promulgation, p.29.
[46] W.S. Hatcher writes: `We can define an
individual's faith to be his total emotional and psychological orientation
resulting from the body of assumptions about reality which he has made
(consciously or unconsciously) ... However, the quality of men's faiths differs
considerably depending on the degree to which the basic assumptions on which a
given faith is based are justified.' (W.S. Hatcher, `Science and Religion', in
World Order, III, no.3, p.14.)
Regarding the definitions of faith recorded in the Bahá'í texts
three aspects are considered: knowledge, love and will or action.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `By faith is meant, first, conscious knowledge,
and, second, the practice of good deeds.' (Tablets, p.549.)
Elsewhere He writes: `Know that faith is of two kinds. The first is
objective faith that is expressed by the outer man, obedience of the limbs and
senses. The other faith is subjective, and unconscious obedience to the will of
God ... This condition of unconscious obedience constitutes subjective faith.
But the discerning faith ... consists of true knowledge of God and the
comprehension of divine words ...' (quoted in Bahá'í World
Faith, p.364.) Moreover `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the love that flows
from man to God ... is faith, attraction to the Divine, enkindlement, progress,
entrance into the Kingdom of God, receiving the Bounties of God, illumination
with the lights of the Kingdom. This love is the origin of all philanthropy;
this love causes the hearts of men to reflect the rays of the Sun of
Reality.'(Paris Talks, p.180.)
[47] Regarding the concept of dynamism of the
world of existence see below p.59.
[48] Tablets, p.301.
[49] See Karl Popper, The Logic of
Scientific Discovery.
[50] In one of His writings,
`Abdu'l-Bahá mentions five main types of prejudices: `religious,
racial, political, economic and patriotic'. (Selections, p.299.) In
the same passage He writes that these prejudices `result from human
ignorance and selfish motives'. (ibid. p.300.)
[51] `Abdu'l-Bahá, `Talks by Abdul-Baha
in the Holy Land', in Star of the West IX, p.135. `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `Wars -- religious, racial or political -- have arisen from human
ignorance, misunderstanding and luck of education.' (Promulgation,
p.116.)
[52] Paris Talks, p.18.
[53] Tablets, p.156. See below
pp.126-30.
[54] Paris Talks, p.18.
`Abdu'l-Bahá however says also that `A philosophers' thought may ... in
the world of progress and evolution, translate itself into the actions of other
people ...' (ibid. p.18.)
[55] Some Answered Questions, p.221.
[56] Promulgation, p. 56.
[57] Promulgation, pp. 326, 138, 348,
326, 29.
[58] Promulgation, pp. 29, 49, 138, 49,
29, 49, 29.
[59] ibid. p.29.
[60] Paris Talks, p.41.
[61] Promulgation, pp. 49, 30, 50,
30.
[62] Selections, p.132. See
ibid. pp.132-3, 303-4; Promulgation, pp.2, 101, 130, 375; Paris
Talks, pp.72-3.
[63] Promulgation, pp.50, 49, 50.
[64] Bahá'u'lláh writes:
`Know verily that knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one
welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a
reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is God
Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire ...
The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true
understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance,
vainglory and conceit ...' (Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p.87.)
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `If a person be unlettered, and yet clothed
with Divine excellence, and alive in the breaths of the Spirit, that individual
will contribute to the welfare of society, and his inability to read and write
will do him no harm. And if a person be versed in the arts and every branch of
knowledge, and not live a religious life, and not take on the characteristics
of God, and be directed by a pure intent, and be engrossed in the life of the
flesh -- then he is harm personified, and nothing will come of all his learning
and intellectual, accomplishments but scandal and torment.'(quoted in
Bahá'í Education (comp.), p.42.)
These concepts are commented upon by J. McLean in his `The Knowledge of God:
An Essay on Bahá'í Epistemology' (in World Order
XII, no.3, p.38.) He writes: `Bahá'u'lláh, however, is not
suggesting that one stop learning, reading, or working because it involves
being caught up in acquired knowledge. Such antiwordliness would constitute
obvious contradictions to other explicit teachings of
Bahá'u'lláh. [Universal compulsory education, higher learning,
and the sacred character of work are all to be found in
Bahá'u'lláh's Teachings.] It simply means that one does not apply
these forms of knowledge in the search after the knowledge of the
Manifestation.' (J. McLean, ibid. p.49.)
In the writer's opinion, this means also recognizing the paramount importance
of deeds productive of peace, unity and co-operation among men and the
importance of making any human activity, even knowledge, conditional upon this
fundamental practical outcome.
[65] Promulgation, pp.326, 138.
See also Promulgation, pp.31, 87, 253, 284, 329, 349.
[66] Promulgation, pp.326, 138, 297.
See also below p.104.
[67] Paris Talks, p.31.
[68] Promulgation, pp.85, 213.
[69] Divine Philosophy, pp.84-5.
[70] . Bahá'u'lláh, in
Synopsis, p.23.
[71] Promulgation, pp.31, 87, 329.
[72] Paris Talks, p.174.
[73] Promulgation, pp.59, 326-7.
[74] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections,
p.132.
[75] Shoghi Effendi wrote through his
secretary: `In the Bayán, the Báb says that every religion
of the past was fit to become universal. The only reason why they failed to
attain that mark was the incompetence of their followers.' (quoted in Living
the Life (comp.), p.4.)
[76] Tablets, p.144.
[77] Shoghi Effendi wrote through his
secretary: `We have no historical proof of the truth of the Master's statement
regarding the Greek philosophers visiting the Holy Land, etc. but such proof
may come to light through research in the future.' (Unfolding Destiny,
p.445.) And elsewhere: `Historians cannot be sure Socrates did not visit the
Holy Land. But believing as we do that `Abdu'l-Bahá had an intuitive
knowledge quite different from our own, we accept His authority on this matter
...' (on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in Arohanui, p.88.)
For a comment on relations between Israel and Greece in the ancient times
see J.R. Cole, `Problems of Chronology in Bahá'u'lláh's
Tablet of Wisdom', in World Order, XIII, no. 3, p.14.
[78] Promulgation, p.327.
[79] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.37.
[80] Promulgation, p.361. See
also ibid. pp.263, 311-12. The words with which He describes in another of His
recorded talks the materialistic philosophers, defining them as `bats'
(Promulgation, p.179), should be viewed in the same perspective.
See. below p. 110.
As to the idea advanced by some Westerners that all Western philosophers are
considered materialistic by `Abdu'l-Bahá, He Himself wrote the following
words to Dr. Auguste Forel: `It is as thou hast written, not philosophers in
general but narrow-minded materialists that are meant. As to deistic
philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, they are indeed worthy of
esteem and of the highest praise, for they have rendered distinguished service
to mankind. In like manner we regard the materialistic, accomplished, moderate
philosophers, who have been of service (to mankind.)' (in
Bahá'í World XV, p.37.)
Shoghi Effendi wrote the following words, through his secretary, on the same
topic: `We must not take many of `Abdu'l-Bahá's statements as dogmatic
finalities, for there are other points which when added to them round out the
picture. For instance, when He calls Aristotle and Plato Philosophers of the
East., He is obviously placing them in that category because He believes they
belong more correctly to Eastern culture than to Central European and the New
World cultures of the West. When He calls the philosophers of the West
materialistic [See Promulgation, pp.355-6] this does not for a
moment mean He includes all Western philosophers for, as you truly point out,
many of them have been very spiritual in their concepts ...' (quoted in
Arohanui, p.88.)
[81] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes:'...
universality is of God and all limitations earthly.' (Will and
Testament, p.13.)
82 Secret of Divine Civilization, pp.21-2.
[83] Promulgation, pp.348, 373-4, 107.
It could be interesting to examine some of the definitions of religion given by
`Abdu'l-Bahá. `By the word religion I do not mean the present dogmatic
and theological superstitions which are in the hands of people. By religion I
mean the world of celestial attributes.' (Divine Philosophy, p.171.)
`Religion is the outer expression of divine reality.' (Promulgation,
p.140.) `Religion is the essential connection which proceeds from the realities
of things.' (Some Answered Questions, p.158.) `... by religion is
meant that which is ascertained by investigation and not that which is based on
mere imitation, the foundations of Divine Religions and not human
imitations.' (Selections, p.303.) `Religion ... is not a series
of beliefs, a set of customs; religion is the teachings of the Lord God,
teachings which constitute the very life of humankind which urge high thoughts
upon the mind, refine the character, and lay the groundwork for man's
everlasting honour.' (ibid. pp.52-3.) `By religion is meant those
necessary connections which unite the world of mankind. This has always been
the essence of the Divine Religions. This is the object of the Divine laws and
doctrines. This is the light of Eternal Life.' (quoted in A. Bausani,
Unità delle Religioni.) (Cf. Divine Philosophy,
pp.157-8.)
Harmony between science and religion is one of the principles brought by
Bahá'u'lláh. See Selections, pp.107, 280;
Promulgation, pp.62, 105, 127, 169, 180, 314, 372, 433, 440, 454;
Paris Talks, pp.130-1, 141; Divine Philosophy, p.77;
`Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p.27.
[84] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections,
p.298.
[85] Promulgation, p.372.
[86] Promulgation, p.376.
[87] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `truth or
reality'. (Promulgation, p.62.) In the Bahá'í texts the
word `reality' is used also in its meaning of substance, called also essence or
identity.
N. Abbagnano gives the following definitions of the word `reality':
`1. The way of being of things, as they exists outside of, and independently
from, human mind. 2. Being, in anyone of its existential meanings. 3. That
which ... is de facto in existence.' (Dizionario di Filosofia,
pp.733-5.)
[88] Promulgation, p.157.
[89] We are reminded of Ulysses' words as
imagined in Dante's Commedia: `for brutish ignorance your mettle was not
made; you were made men, to follow after knowledge and excellence.'
(Hell, XXVI, 119-120. Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers.)
[90] Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad, known as the
Báb (1819-1851), founder of the Bábí Faith and Forerunner
of Bahá'u'lláh. For a study of His life, mission and Writings
see `Abdu'l-Bahá, A Traveller's Narrative, Shoghi Effendi,
God Passes By, chapters I-V, Nabíl-i-A`zam, The Dawn
Breakers; H.M. Balyuzi, The Báb.
[91] Shoghi Effendi wrote through his
secretary: `As to correlating philosophy with the Bahá'í
teachings; this is a tremendous work which scholars in the future can
undertake. We must remember that not only are all the teachings not yet
translated into English, but they are not even all collected yet. Many
important Tablets may still come to light which are at present owned
privately.' (quoted in Unfolding Destiny, p.455.)
The Universal House of Justice (see below, n.92) has since 1964
encouraged the collection and collation of all the Writings of the Central
Figures of the Faith, Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi. By 1983, 60.000 documents had already been collated. At the same time
the Supreme Bahá'í body guides and encourages the
Bahá'í world community in its studies of these vital
documents.
[92] `The Universal House of Justice, the
supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, was created by
Bahá'u'lláh, the Founder of that Faith in his written text.
`There are no clergy in the Bahá'í Faith. The Community is
administered by institutions which function at local, national and
international levels. These councils have each nine members elected by the free
choice of the voters ...
`The chief duty of the Universal House of Justice is to promote the
transformation of human society from its present chaos and conflict into a
world order of peace and justice ...' (from a statement issued by the Universal
House of Justice, 9 October 1985.)
[93] `The Challenge and promise of
Bahá'í Scholarship', Bahá'í World, XVII, pp.
195-6.
[94] The Concept of Person and Other
Essays, p.3.
[95] Some Answered Questions, p.221.
[96] Promulgation, p.49.
Chapter 2
2
The Beginning of All Things
` The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God ...': [1] with this epigrammatic statement Bahá'u'lláh
indicates in God the centre of human life. In ` the knowledge of God' is
` the beginning of all things', such as knowing, being aware, acting,
working, educating, governing, making art. Therefore Bahá'í
scholars or would-be philosophers must necessarily move from this
` beginning' in their efforts to relate the pregnant concepts of `divine
philosophy' enshrined in the Bahá'í texts with the great
discoveries made by human intellect during this century described by
`Abdu'l-Bahá as `a century of the revelation of reality', `the century
of science, inventions, discoveries and universal laws'. [2]
God is unknowable
` ... man cannot grasp the Essence of Divinity ...': this is the first
statement Bahá'í scholars or would-be philosophers are bound to
utter. Similar statements are numerous in the Bahá'í texts.
Herein follow some of the explanations set forth in the Bahá'í
texts to justify such human incapacity:
Differentiation of stages. Bahá'u'lláh writes:
` Whatsoever in the contingent world can either be expressed or apprehended
can never transgress the limits which, by its inherent nature, have been
imposed upon it'; [3] and
moreover: ` Every attempt which, from the beginning that has no beginning,
hath been made to visualize and know God is limited by the exigencies of His
own creation ...' 4 And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that ` ...
differentiation of stages in the contingent world is an obstacle to
understanding. Every superior stage comprehendeth that which is inferior and
discovereth the reality thereof, but the inferior one is unaware of that which
is superior and cannot comprehend it. Thus man cannot grasp the Essence of
Divinity ...' 5
God's all-inclusiveness. `... the Divine Essence surrounds all things.
Verily, that which surrounds is greater than the surrounded, and the surrounded
cannot contain that by which it is surrounded, nor comprehend its reality'. [6]
Human limitations. ` ... whatsoever can be conceived by man is a
reality that hath limitations and is not unlimited; it is circumscribed, not
all-embracing. It can be comprehended by man, and is controlled by him.' [7]
Human incapacity to know the essence of things. `As our knowledge of
things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge of their qualities and
not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in its essence the
Divine Reality, which is unlimited?' [8]
Limitations of human understanding. `It is evident that the human
understanding is a quality of the existence of man, and that man is a sign of
God: how can the quality of the sign surround the creator of the sign? that is
to say, how can the understanding, which is a quality of the existence of man,
comprehend God?' [9]
The same idea is set forth also in other words: ` These people, all of them,
have pictured a God in the realm of the mind, and worship that image which they
have made for themselves. And yet the image is comprehended, the human mind
being the comprehender thereof, and certainly the comprehender is greater than
that which lieth within its grasp; for imagination is but the branch, while
mind is the root; and certainly the root is greater than the branch.' [10]
* * *
To the question `How shall we know God?', `Abdu'l-Bahá answers:
`We know Him by His attributes. We know Him by His signs. We know Him by His
names'. [11] Man can know God ` ... by his
reasoning power, by observation, by his intuitive faculties and the revealing
power of his faith': he will be thus enabled to ` believe in God,
discover the bounty of His Grace ... become[th] certain that ...
conclusive spiritual proofs assert the existence of that unseen reality'. [12] This is the true `science of
Divinity', a set of `intellectual proofs ... based upon observation and
evidence', `logically proving the reality of Divinity, the effulgence of mercy,
the certainty of inspiration and immortality of the spirit'. [13]
Therefore, though God is inaccessible in His Essence, man is able nevertheless
to understand that He exists. He can achieve this understanding by treading a
threefold path:
- the path of his reasoning power, through which he can formulate
theoretical, rational proofs of His existence;
- the path of observation, through which he can discover His traces
throughout the universe and in human history;
- the path of his insight and faith, through which he can obtain a
spiritual perception of His existence and confirm the results achieved through
reason and observation.
Rational proofs of Divinity
Rational or `intellectual proofs of Divinity' [14] abundantly set forth in `Abdu'l-Bahá's Writings
and recorded talks [15] can be divided into two
groups: cosmological and teleological.
Cosmological proofs[16]
On the grounds of movement and the principle of efficient cause.
Bahá'u'lláh writes : `All that is created , however, is
preceded by a cause. This fact, in itself, establisheth, beyond the shadow of a
doubt the unity of the Creator';[17]
and `Abdu'l-Bahá explains : `... we observe that motion without
a motive force, and an effect without a cause are both impossible: that every
being hath come to exist under numerous influences and continually undergoeth
reaction. These influences, too, are formed under the action of still other
influences ... Such process of causation goes on, and to maintain that this
process goes on indefinitely is manifestly absurd. Thus such a chain of
causation must of necessity lead eventually to Him Who is the Ever-Living, the
All-Powerful, Who is Self-Dependent and the Ultimate Cause.'[18]
On the grounds of the different degrees of perfection. `... limitation
itself proves the existence of the unlimited, for the unlimited is known
through the limited, just as weakness itself proveth the existence of power,
ignorance the existence of knowledge, poverty the existence of
wealth'; 19 `... our need is an indication of supply and wealth.
Were it not for wealth, this need would not exist ... In other words, demand
and supply is the law and undoubtedly all virtues have a centre and a source.
That source is God, from Whom all these bounties
emanate' .20
Teleological proofs[21]
- `... every arrangement and formation that is
not perfect in its order we designate as accidental, and that which is orderly,
regular, perfect in its relations and every part of which is in its proper
place and is an essential requisite of the other constituent parts, this we
call a composition formed through will and knowledge
...'22
- The universe is a `Great Workshop'; `though (its)
infinite realities are diverse in their character, yet they are in the
utmost harmony and closely connected together'. `Thus to connect and
harmonize these diverse and infinite realities an all-unifying Power is
necessary ...' In other words, `... interaction, co-operation and
interrelation amongst beings are under the direction and will of a motive Power
which is the origin, the motive force and the pivot of all interactions in the
universe'.[23]
- `... when you look at nature itself, you see that it has no
intelligence, no will ...';[24]
`Inasmuch as we find all phenomena subject to an exact order and under control
of universal law, the question is whether this is due to nature or to divine
and omnipotent rule.'[25]
`... from the premises advanced by naturalists,[26]
the conclusions are drawn that nature is the ruler and governor of existence
and that all virtues and perfections are natural exigencies and outcome'.
`... man is but a part or member of that whereof nature is the whole'.
`Man possesses certain virtues of which nature is deprived.'
`Man, the creature, has volition and certain virtues. Is it possible that his
Creator is deprived of these?'
`... the Creator of man must be endowed with superlative intelligence and power
in all points that creation involves and implies'.25
- `... formation is of three kinds and of three kinds only:
accidental, necessary and voluntary. The coming together of the various
constituent elements of being cannot be compulsory, for then the formation must
be an inherent property of the constituent parts and the inherent property of a
thing can in no wise be dissociated from it, such as light that is the revealer
of things, heat that causes the expansion of elements, and the solar rays which
are the essential property of the sun. Thus under such circumstances the
decomposition of any formation is impossible, for the inherent properties of a
thing cannot be separated from it. The third formation remaineth and that is
the voluntary one, that is, an unseen force described as the Ancient Power,
causeth these elements to come together, every formation giving rise to a
distinct being.'[27]
The rational proofs of God's existence set forth by `Abdu'l-Bahá are
not, evidently, new in the context of Western and Islamic philosophy. In this
respect, it should be noted that `Abdu'l-Bahá's authoritative exposition
of the Bahá'í teachings -- set forth in His Writings and recorded
talks -- is often worded in a Western, mostly Aristotelian and Plotinian,
philosophical language. He uses this language -- as Bahá'u'lláh
said addressing a Sufi audience in a Sufi philosophical language -- `out of
deference to the wont of men and after the manners of the friends': [28] in other words He is willing to adapt
His language to the understanding and culture of the audience He is
addressing. 29
The perception of the indwelling Spirit
Though `Abdu'l-Bahá says that these rational proofs are `a
decisive argument', [30] nevertheless He does
not present them as an irreplaceable demonstration of God's existence, nor does
He say that they may alone inspire an atheist with faith in God. `These obvious
arguments', He states, `are adduced for the weak souls; but if the inner
perception is open, a hundred thousand clear proof become visible. Thus, when
man feels the indwelling spirit, he is in no need of arguments for its
existence; but for those who are deprived of the bounty of the spirit, it is
necessary to establish external arguments.' [31]
He wrote however: `... apply thyself to rational and authoritative arguments.
For arguments are a guide to the path and by this the heart will be turned unto
the Sun of Truth. And when the heart is turned unto the Sun, then the eye will
be opened and will recognize the Sun through the Sun itself. Then (man) will be
in no need of arguments (or proofs) for the Sun is altogether independent
...' [32]
In other words, these rational proofs, as promoters of faith in God, are only
relatively effective. Inasmuch as `... the reality of Divinity is evidenced by
virtue of its outpourings and bestowals', [33]
rational proofs should be confirmed through the other two above mentioned paths
(i.e. observation, and insight and faith) which -- because they can lead to the
recognition of God's traces throughout the universe -- open `the inner
perception' [34] to His existence and are
therefore a more effective path towards a strong faith in Him.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Every created thing in the whole universe is
but a door leading unto His knowledge, a sign of His sovereignty, a revelation
of His names, a symbol of His majesty, a token of His power, a means of
admittance into His straight path ...' [35]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá says: 'If we wish to come in touch with the reality of
Divinity, we do so by recognizing its phenomena, its attributes and traces,
which are widespread in the universe. All things in the world of phenomena are
expressive of that one reality'; because God `... has bestowed (His) bounties
upon all kingdoms of the phenomenal world, and evidences of spiritual
manifestation are witnessed throughout the realms of contingent existence
...' [36]
`And whensoever -- He writes moreover -- thou dost gaze upon creation
all entire, and dost observe the very atoms thereof, thou wilt note that the
rays of the Sun of Truth are shed upon all things and shining within them, and
telling of that Day Star's splendours, Its mysteries and the spreading of Its
light.' [37]
The perception of the `indwelling spirit', [38]
bestowing the inner assurance of God's existence, is mostly unknown to modern
man, who very often treads the materialistic path, assuming sense perception to
be the measure of all things and denying anything sense perception cannot
grasp: `We are not captive of superstitions', are the words `Abdu'l-Bahá
properly ascribes to His contemporary materialistic philosophers, `we have
implicit faith in the impressions of senses and know nothing beyond the realm
of nature, which contains and covers everything.' [39]
But, `Abdu'l-Bahá declares, `The bestowals of God which are manifest in
all phenomenal life are sometimes hidden by intervening veils of mental and
mortal vision which render man spiritually blind and incapable; but when those
scales are removed and the veils are rent asunder, then the great signs of God
will become visible, and he will witness the eternal light fillin the world.
The bestowals of God are all and always manifest.' [40]
This is a clear invitation to seek throughout the universe God's traces,
adopting the criteria of a free and independent search after truth; as man
discovers those traces, `... he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new
ear, a new heart and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the
universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul ... he will
perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the station of absolute
certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation
and the evidence of an everlasting manifestation': [41] he will be thus enabled to acquire that `knowledge of
God' in which Bahá'u'lláh indicates ` the beginning of all
things'. [42]
This might well be the second stage on the path trodden by
Bahá'í scholars or would-be philosophers: pursuing God's traces
throughout the Universe or, in other words, searching out `the indwelling
spirit'. 43
End notes:
[1] Gleanings, p.5.
[2] Promulgation, pp.326, 29, 188.
[3] Gleanings, p.151.
4 ibid. p.318.
5 `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in Bahá'í World, XV,
p.37.
[6] Some Answered Questions, p.146.
[7] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.37.
[8] Some Answered Questions, p.220.
[9] ibid. pp.146-7.
[10] Selections, p.53.
[11] Promulgation, p.422.
[12] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.40.
[13] Promulgation, p.326. The `science
of Divinity' is usually called theology. See above, p.xvi and no. 3.
[14] Promulgation, p.326.
[15] See Selections, pp.48-9;
Tablet to Dr. A. Forel in Bahá'í World XV,
pp.40-42; Some Answered Questions, p.5; Promulgation, pp.17-8,
79-83, 423-5; Divine Philosophy, pp.98-103.
[16] By cosmology philosophers mean an
investigation `of the origin, the formation, the order and the aims of the
cosmic world'. (S. Battaglia, Grande Dizionario, III, p.888). The proofs
we have mentioned here are called cosmological because they demonstrate God's
existence on the grounds of the observation of the cosmos: movement, the
principle of efficient cause, the different degrees of perfection. These proofs
were set forth by Aristotle in his Physics and Metaphysics and
revised by St Thomas Aquinas and Avicenna in their writings.
[17] Gleanings, p.162.
[18] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.41.
19 ibid.
20 promulgation, p.83.
[21] Teleology is that part of natural
philosophy which aims at explaining the object of things; teleological proofs,
called also physical-teleological, study the universe, discover its order and
design and from this order infer an Intelligent Being which is its Ordainer.
22 `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in Bahá'í World,
XV, p.42.
[23] ibid. pp.40, 42.
[24] Some Answered Questions, p.3.
[25] Promulgation, pp.80, 82.
[26] By naturalists, materialistic
philosophers are meant.
[27] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, pp.40-41.
[28] Seven Valleys, p.26.
29 Thus J. R. Cole explains the reasons why a certain philosophical
language is sometimes used in the Bahá'í texts: `The
Bahá'í Manifestation of God, Bahá'u'lláh, wrote in
Arabic and Persian, and his immediate audience consisted for the most part of
nineteenth-century Middle Eastern Muslims. The theological and philosophical
ideas familiar to His audience owed a great deal, not only to the
Judeo-Christian and Islamic religious traditions, but also to the Greek and
Hellenistic philosophical heritage. For this reason, much of the psychology and
the cosmogony of the Bahá'í writings is framed in broadly
Aristotelian terms. Their image of the prophet bear a likeness in certain
respects to the philosopher-king of Plato and al-Farabi. The mystical theology
of Plotinus (203-269/70 AD), the founder of Neo-platonism, particularly
influenced the cultural context of the Bahá'í writings. Plotinus
taught God's unknowability, the emanation doctrine of creation, and the
coeternity of the universe with God. He also asserted the existence of a
Universal Intellect as a metaphysical principle between God and the physical
universe. In their own particular manner, the Bahá'í writings
affirm many of these ideas, as well.' (`The Concept of the Manifestation in the
Bahá'í Writings' in Bahá'í Studies IX,
pp.2-3.) The same concept can be applied also to the Writings and the recorded
talks of `Abdu'l-Bahá, which were addressed not only to Eastern, but
also to Western audiences.
[30] Promulgation, p.326.
[31] Some Answered Questions, p.6.
[32] Tablets, p.168.
[33] Promulgation, p.313.
[34] Some Answered Questions, p.6.
[35] Gleanings, p.160.
[36] Promulgation, pp.422, 173.
[37] Selections, p.41.
[38] Some Answered Questions, p.6.
[39] Promulgation, p.312.
[40] ibid. p.90.
[41] Bahá'u'lláh,
Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.196.
[42] Gleanings, p.5.
Chapter 3
3
Throughout the Universe in Search of God
It was Galileo Galilei (1564-1643) -- the founder of the modern scientific
method -- who said that, since both nature and the Holy Writings arise from the
same divine truth and reason, no conflict can exist between what the former
shows and the latter states. Nevertheless, in Galileo's opinion, students of
nature and of the Holy Writings aim at two quite different goals: the former
investigate natural reality, the latter the purposes of men. Therefore he
advocated a complete mutual autonomy between scientific and religious truth,
and at the same time he maintained that though science and religion pursue two
different goals, it is possible for their results not to disagree.
Galileo lived in times when religious dogmatism was grievously interfering with
the progress of science. The vicissitudes of his life and the humiliation he
was exposed to, when he was forced by the religious authorities to recant his
theories on `the two greatest world systems' [1]
in the name of dogmatic truth, are well known. Therefore his assertion is amply
justified by the conditions prevailing in his time.
During the last three centuries, science has become emancipated from the
fetters of a primitive knowledge founded on theological and philosophical
assumptions set forth by human minds, minds which were often very acute, but --
being human -- were also limited and therefore liable to error. And yet it
cannot be said that such separation between religion and scientific truth has
produced good results only, for the cause of peace and unity of mankind. Even
science has made mistakes: many of its theories, though elaborated through the
scientific method, were proved later to be false in the light of subsequent
discoveries and more accurate observations. And grievous consequences have come
from an implicit faith in science which, on the one hand, has resulted in a
prevailing and deprecated crisis of spiritual values and, on the other, created
a technology, bearer of abundant gifts, but also of such destruction, death and
injustice as have brought mankind to the verge of the apocalypse. Obviously it
is unfair to criticize the fundamentals of modern science on these grounds; but
the urgency is felt to reconcile that ancient separation, so that modern
culture may deepen its roots in a knowledge capable both of describing nature
and of comprehending spiritual values.
It is in this perspective that the Bahá'í teachings urge
Bahá'í scholars to give due consideration, while they pursue
their studies, to Revelation. [2] In conformity
with the Bahá'í principle of harmony between science and
religion, scholars are invited to stay away from the two extremes: the one of
creating man-made dogmas about the Words of the Revelation, while ignoring the
results of science (superstition), and the other of working out self-styled
scientific theories on the basis of intellectual and empirical observations,
while ignoring the Revealed Truth (materialism). [3] Therefore, if a conflict is found in the results of any
scientific research it might be useful not only to try to understand better the
revealed Words, but also to make a deeper analysis of the results of that
empirical and intellectual re-search.
In the Bahá'í view, whoever thinks he should investigate reality
from the standpoint only of the natural sciences, which rationally examine
physical reality and all its measurable phenomena, is behaving like those blind
men who in the famous apologue [4] meet an
elephant and have the nerve to believe they can describe it without seeing it.
Studying the Holy Scriptures, which explain the origin and the purpose of
reality, can be viewed as a healing balm having the power of curing blindness;
in fact in the Holy Scriptures can be traced an organic vision of created
things, in whose context any scientific discovery achieved through experimental
means is not denied, but integrated. Another example may be suggested to
describe that modern scholar or scientist who follows the path of intellectual
search, and rejects the guidance of Revelation: a man persuaded that he can
examine the contents of a completely dark room (reality) by means of a single
ray of light. Such a man will be able to see in that room only single details,
and can therefore hardly have an organic vision of that room or an
understanding of the meaning of each detail, though he may have carefully
studied them one by one. But if he illuminates the room by means of a lamp --
and this is the purpose of Revealed Truth -- he will undoubtedly be more
successful in availing himself of his cognitive instruments and will more
easily understand the meaning of those details. Finally, paraphrasing the
famous myth of the cave proposed by `the divine Plato', [5] Revelation bestows upon man such knowledge as enables him
to come out of the cave where he was confined, and to behold reality itself,
not its shadow.
This is a very good starting point for Bahá'í scholars or
would-be philosophers: on the one hand, they observe nature through modern and
reliable scientific writings (in fact, in `Abdu'l-Bahá's words, science
is both `...the one agency by which man explores the institutions of material
creation' and `...the means by which man finds a pathway to God'; on the other,
they peruse the Holy Writings (where `the science of reality' is enshrined); [6] on the one hand, they analyze the details of
physical reality, on the other, they look into the Writings for an Ariadne's
thread which might enable them to escape from the labyrinth of details; on the
one hand they care-fully study each detail of reality, on the other, they try
to make a philosophical synthesis, so that they may not lose sight of the
forest while struggling to study a single tree.
Creation
God is the Creator: if we want to find His traces in the universe, the
first issue we should try to clarify is the creational relation between Him and
the universe.
A full understanding of the great mystery of creation is undoubtedly beyond the
reach of any creature: it is a question which will for ever disappoint all
human effort. And yet the Bahá'í texts set forth many
explanations on this issue: we will try to summarize some of them. Undoubtedly
others will peruse these texts with greater skill, the more so in the future
when those numerous texts will become available which cannot be studied today
by most Western readers because they are as yet unpublished in Western
languages or even in the original text.
The world of God
God in His Essence is unknowable, inaccessible to man: we can only say
that He exists, but we cannot know anything else about Him, not even what `to
exist' means for Him.
And yet, we are used to ascribe to Him names and attributes: Creator,
All-Knowing, Provider, or Word, Will, Love, and so on. The meaning of this
ascription of names and attributes is explained in the Bahá'í
texts in two ways:
- The names and attributes we ascribe to God refer to what we
understand of them in the world of creation. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Their
[the attribute's] existence is proved and necessitated by the appearance of
phenomena':[7] we see that the universe follows
a harmonious and ordered way, and we say that God is its Ordainer; we see
creatures, and we say that God is their Creator. But our understanding of these
attributes is only what we have under-stood, in the plane of the world
of creation, of these spiritual truths, which are far beyond our minds. This is
what Western philosophers call via eminentiae.
- The names and attributes we ascribe to God `are only in order to
deny imperfections, rather than to assert the perfections that the human mind
can conceive'.[8] For example, we say that
He is the Almighty, meaning that He is not powerless, as His creatures are.
This is what Western philosophy calls via negationis or
remotionis.
From both these explanations, we understand that man comprehends the attributes
of God in his own degree of existence -- the world of creation -- and not in
God's degree of existence -- the world of God. Bahá'u'lláh
writes: ` ...the highest praise which human tongue or pen can render are all
the product of man's finite mind and are conditioned by its
limitations' 9 and `Abdu'l-Bahá declares: `However far
mind may progress, though it may reach to the final degree of comprehension,
the limit of under-standing, it beholds the divine signs and attributes in the
world of creation and not in the world of God.' [10]
The attributes we ascribe to God fall in the Bahá'í texts (as
well as in the Islamic tradition) into two categories: essential and active
attributes. [11] But, whereas in the Islamic
tradition, the two categories of attributes are clearly distinguished from each
other, i.e. a Divine attribute is either essential or active, in the
Bahá'í texts the same attribute can be viewed as essential (i.e.
in its own reality) or as active (i.e. as ex-pressed in action), depending on
the plane in which it is seen. [12]
The Bahá'í texts state moreover that we understand but a faint
reflection of God's active attributes in the world, and that we cannot
understand anything at all of His essential at-tributes. In fact,
`Abdu'l-Bahá says that `the essential names and attributes of God are
identical with His Essence...' and sets forth a concise, rational explanation
of His statement:
- God is absolutely preexistent, i.e. He `is not
preceded by a Cause', and therefore His is `essential pre-existence'; moreover
He `is without beginning', and therefore He has also `preexistence of
time'..13
- `If the attributes are not identical with the Essence, there must
also be a multiplicity of preexistences';[13]
- `...as Preexistence is necessary (essential), therefore the sequence
of preexistence would become infinite. This is an evident error.'
Inasmuch as Divine Essence and divine essential names and attributes are one
and the same thing, it follows that:
- God's essential names and attributes are
incomprehensible as well as His Essence.[14]
- `As the divine entity is eternal, the divine attributes are
coexistent, coeternal'[15] and `co-equal'[16] with and to Him.
- `...His attributes are infinite.'
- `...the names of God are actually and forever existent and not
potential',[17] otherwise God would be
imperfect.
It is therefore possible to conceive a station where only God, Who is
essentially preexistent and preexistent of time, exists, with His
incomprehensible, `coexistent, coeternal', `co-equal', `infinite', `actually...
existing' essential Names and Attributes.
Bahá'u'lláh alludes thus to such station: `He was a hidden
treasure... This is a station that can never be described, not even alluded
to'. [18]
The world of the Kingdom
If God is inaccessible in His Essence, if He transcends His creatures
and is sanctified from any other reality, what is the relation binding His
creatures to Him?
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The dependence of the creatures upon God is a
dependence of emanation -- that is to say, creatures emanate from God; they do
not manifest Him.' [19]
Creation as emanation -- as the Bahá'í texts explain it --
implies the following fundamental points:
- God is absolutely transcendental and preexistent;
- creatures do not manifest God's Essence, from which they emanate;
but they mirror forth its active attributes;
- creatures have their existence in different degrees.
God's transcendence and pre-existence. This concept was previously
discussed:
- God is unknowable in His Essence and in His essential attributes;
- God has absolute preexistence:
- He is not preceded by a cause (essential preexistence)
- He is not preceded in time by other realities (preexistence of
time)
- the attributes we ascribe to Him are intended to deny His
imperfection (via negationis or remotionis).
God and His creatures. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains: `...creatures
emanate from God; they do not manifest Him.' He says moreover that if creatures
would appear `through manifestation', 19 then it would follow that
the Essence of Divinity had descended in them, transforming Itself into them;
but this is impossible, otherwise God -- taking on phenomenal attributes --
would reduce Himself to imperfection. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains the meaning
of such a concept of manifestation, through the metaphor of a seed and a
tree. [20] The tree manifests the seed because
the essence of the seed has gone into branches, leaves, roots and flowers
forming the tree. This concept cannot apply to creation. He explains the
meaning of the concept of emanation through other metaphors: the sun and its
rays, an actor and his action, a writer and his writings, a speaker and his
speech. Under those circumstances, the essence of the creator does not go into
the created objects, but his active attributes appear in them. The relation
between God and His creatures is similar: this relation is not through the
Essence of the Creator, nor through His essential attributes, but through His
active attributes. These active attributes, while expressing themselves,
emanate or radiate from the Creator and appear in His creatures as symbols of
His perfections. The whole creation can be therefore viewed as ` evidences
that proclaim the excellence and perfection of their author'.. [21]
Different degrees in the world of existence. The process of creation as
emanation implies the existence of many different realities which, though all
emanating from God -- `Supreme Centre' [22] --
differ from each other because of their different degrees.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Furthermore, consider the signs of the
revelation of God in their relation to one another. Can the sun, which is but
one of these signs, be regarded as equal in rank to darkness... Consider your
own selves. Your nails and eyes are both parts of your bodies. Do ye regard
them of equal rank and value?... every created thing should be viewed in the
light of the station it hath been ordained to occupy.' He writes moreover that
God `...hath entrusted every created thing with a sign of His knowledge, so
that none of His creatures may be deprived of its share in expressing, each
according its capacity and rank, this knowledge. This sign is a mirror of His
beauty in the world of creation.' [23]
There are still long studies to be done in order to better understand this
concept, the more so as many Bahá'í texts -- as has already been
mentioned -- are as yet unpublished, both in translation into Western languages
and in their original version. Nevertheless, a concept appears even now very
clear: three fundamental levels may be perceived in the world of being: (1) the
world of creation; (2) an intermediary world which has been called the world of
the Kingdom (or First Mind, First Will or Primal Will, Word of God, Logos,
Identity or Self or Soul of God); [24] 3) the
world of God. These three levels seem to be the same as the three conditions of
existence mentioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá: `...servitude... prophethood...
and... Deity'. [25] While the world of God is a
world of Absolute Unity, wholly unknowable for man, many degrees of reality can
be discerned both in the world of the Kingdom and in the world of creation.
The world of the Kingdom. `The first emanation from God is the bounty of
the Kingdom', says `Abdu'l-Bahá; and elsewhere He explains in Plotinian
terms: [26] `The first thing which emanated
from God is that universal reality, which the ancient philosophers termed the
"First Mind", and which the people of Bah call the "First Will"... '. [27] The station of this first emanation, where
the whole process of existence has its beginning, is alluded to by
Bahá'u'lláh in one of His famous aphorisms: ` Veiled in My
immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence I knew My love for
thee; therefore I created thee... ': [28]
God, unattainable in His unfathomable Essence, is conscious (He is, indeed, the
All-Knowing) of Himself and of His own essential names and attributes, one of
which is Love. This Love, on the one hand, implies -- just as any other of
God's attributes and names which are `actually... existing and not potential' [29] -- the existence of a recipient upon which
it may be bestowed; on the other -- being perfect -- it implies also that God
is willing to bestow it. Bahá'u'lláh alludes to such spiritual
reality with His words `" I did wish to make Myself known"'.. [30]
In these words Bahá'u'lláh is, apparently, alluding to a station
of existence, more than describing a reality in time and space. Next to the
station of Absolute Divine Unity, a station is described in which the essential
attributes of God express them-selves as active attributes: Love, as the act of
loving; Knowledge, as the act of knowing; Will, as the act of willing. In this
station the primal unity splits into a couple, a subject and an object, which
in reality are identical: it is God Who knows and loves Himself. In fact, His
essential attributes are identical with His Essence and His active attributes
are but His essential attributes in their active expression.
Whereas the ancient philosophers called this station `First Mind', thus
emphasizing the attribute of Knowledge, the Bahá'í texts prefer
the term `Primal Will or First Will': [31] God
is Love (essential attribute), He loves Himself (active attribute), therefore
He wants to bestow His Love (First Will). In this regard,
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` The Cause of creation of all contingent
beings has been love, as it is mentioned in the famous tradition: "I was a
hidden treasure, and I loved to be known. Therefore I created the creation in
order to be known"', [32] and
`Abdu'l-Bahá says that every love existing in the whole universe comes
from `the love of God towards the Self or Identity of God', a love He describes
as `the reality of Love, the Ancient Love, the Eternal Love'.. [33] Elsewhere He says that love is `the source of all the
bestowals of God', `the cause of the creation of the phenomenal world', `the
axis round which life revolves', `the eternal sovereignty... the divine power',
`the first effulgence of divinity and the greatest splendour of God', `the
greatest bestowal of God' and `the conscious bestowal of God', [34] `...the transfiguration of His beauty, the reflection of
Himself in the mirror of His creation'.. [35]
Pre-existence of the world of the Kingdom. Explaining the station of the
world of the Kingdom, `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `This emanation, in that which
concerns its action in the world of God, is not limited by time or place; it is
without beginning or end -- beginning and end in relation to God are one.' Then
He adds: `Though the "First Mind" is without beginning, it does not become a
sharer in the preexistence of God, for the preexistence of the universal
reality in relation to the existence of God is nothing-ness, and it has not the
power to become an associate of God and like unto Him in preexistence... '.. [36]
He describes the world of the Kingdom as an intermediate spiritual reality,
which, on the one hand, cannot be identified with God, Who is unfathomable in
His Essence, and, on the other, is eternal and infinite, because it emanates
directly from Him. This reality is not essential preexistence, because it is
preceded by a Cause that is God Himself; but it is temporal preexistence,
because it has no beginning. For even as the essential attributes of God are
`coexistent, coeternal' with God, so also the world of the Kingdom -- which is
the expression of these essential attributes as active attributes -- is
coeternal with God. In fact the divine attributes are `actually and forever
existent and not potential', [37] or
else God would be imperfect. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` His name,
the Creator, presupposes a creation'; and moreover: ` The one true God
hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly continue to exist. His
creation, likewise, has no beginning, and will have no end.' 38
And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains: `...just as the reality of Divinity
never had a beginning -- that is, God hath ever been a Creator... -- so there
hath never been a time when the attributes of God have not had an
expression'.. [39] Therefore God is both
preexistent and uncreated, whereas the world of the Kingdom is preexistent, but
created.
The world of the Kingdom and spirit. The world of the Kingdom is often
likened by `Abdu'l-Bahá to the sun: [40]
`The outer sun is a sign or symbol of the inner and ideal Sun of Truth, the
Word of God'; and moreover: `In our solar system the centre of illumination is
the sun itself. Through the Will of God, this central luminary is the one
source of the existence and development of all phenomenal things... But if we
reflect deeply, we will perceive that the great bestower and giver of life is
God; the sun is the intermediary of His will and plan... Likewise, in the
spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must be a center of
illumination, and that center is the ever-lasting, ever-shining Sun, the Word
of God.' [41] As the sun radiates light and
heat bestowing life upon the phenomenal world, so spiritual reality pours out
its divine bounties (spirit), bringing into existence all created things.
This metaphor, frequently used in the Bahá'í texts, enables us to
understand other concepts about the world of the Kingdom: the process of
creation as emanation is a continuous, gradual and descending process. From the
`Supreme Centre', [42] -- the Essence of
Divinity, Absolute Preexistence, uncreated, unattainable in its essential
attributes (and this is not -- it should be noted once again -- a place or a
time, but a station), emanates the world of the Kingdom, preexistent in time
but created, which is the manifestation as emanation of God's active qualities
and attributes. The world of the Kingdom has, likewise, its essential
attributes, which are beyond human reach. They are emanations of God's active
attributes and in the Bahá'í texts they are sometimes termed, as
a whole, Soul, or Self, or Identity of God. [43] These essential attributes of the world of the Kingdom
express themselves, in their turn, as active attributes.
Bahá'u'lláh seems to refer to this emanation of attributes from
God to the world of the Kingdom, and from the world of the Kingdom to the world
of creation, in the following passage: ` A drop of the billowing ocean of His
endless mercy hath adorned all creation with the ornament of existence...
' 44 `Abdu'l-Bahá describes it with such locutions as `the
bestowals of God', `the bounty of God', `the divine bounties of the Sun of
Realities', `the bestowal and grace of God', [45] `Divine Mercy'. [46] He
says moreover: `The world of existence is an emanation of the merciful
attribute of God' and `the bestowal and grace of God have quickened the realm
of existence with life and being.' [47]
This metaphysical reality emanating from the world of the Kingdom and
enlightening the inferior degrees of existence is often termed, in the
Bahá'í texts, spirit: a power conveying the divine gifts to the
world of creation. `Abdu'l-Bahá says that the bestowal of God, or
spirit, is a `divine breath which animates and pervades all things', `one power
animating and dominating all things, and all things are but manifestations of
its energy and bounty. The virtue of being and existence is through no other
agency.' [48] He writes moreover that spirit is
` the power of life', [49] the
eternal `radiation of the light and heat of the Sun of Reality'.. [50]
Degrees of the spirit Spirit is one, if it is viewed in the station of
the world of the Kingdom; but it specifies itself in different degrees in the
inferior planes of existence, assuming different features, just as the light of
the sun shines in different ways depending on the object by which it is
mirrored; or as electric power appears in different ways depending on the
different instruments it works. In the mineral kingdom, spirit appears as
`power of attraction'; [51] in the vegetable
kingdom it appears as `power of growth'; [52]
in the animal kingdom it appears as `power of sense perception'. [53] In the human kingdom, says `Abdu'l-Bahá, it `is
given different names, according to the different conditions wherein it is
manifested. Because of its relation to matter and the phenomenal world, when it
governs the physical functions of the body it is called the human soul; when it
manifests itself as the thinker, the comprehender, it is called the mind. And
when it soars into the atmosphere of God and travels in the spiritual world, it
becomes designated as spirit.' [54] In the
world of the Kingdom it appears as the Most Great Spirit, 55
the creative agency of the universe, which manifests itself in such universal
Manifestations of God [56] as
Bahá'u'lláh; as the Holy Spirit, which manifests itself in such
great Manifestations of God as Moses, Christ, or Muhammad; as the spirit of
faith, which manifests itself in such extraordinary men as Elijah or John the
Baptist. [57]
The world of creation
The world of the Kingdom is that station where all the essential names
and attributes of Divinity appear s active attributes. Since they are active
attributes, they imply the existence of objects or creatures upon which they
have been bestowed. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `all the names and attributes of
God require the existence of objects or creatures upon which they have been
bestowed and in which they have become manifest'; `otherwise, they would be
empty and impossible names': [58] this
object-receptacle of the bestowals of the world of the Kingdom is the world of
creation.
The world of the Kingdom involves, therefore, the specification of two planes
of reality: on the one hand, a sensible reality, i.e. matter; on the other
hand, a metaphysical reality, i.e. spirit, which moves and directs that
sensible reality. The former is a passive reality, a receptive pole; the latter
is an active reality, an active pole. Therefore the world of the Kingdom is
also the station where God is the creator both of the visible material world
and of the invisible, metaphysical world, i.e. of spirit and matter, which in
this station find their unity.
Relation between the world of the Kingdom and the world of creation
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains the relation between the world of the Kingdom and
the world of creation through the metaphor of the sun and the earth. He writes:
` The Lord of the Kingdom and the Sun of Truth hath set forth a splendour and
effulgence upon the world and the universe. All the contingent things found
life and existence from the rays of that effulgence, entered and became
manifest in the arena of being. Therefore all the objective phenomena are as
surfaces of mirrors upon which the Sun of Truth hath cast the rays of the
outpouring of bounty. All these surfaces (different stages of life) are mirrors
reflecting the rays of the Sun of Truth. The outpouring and diversified mirrors
are different from one another. Some of them are in a state of the utmost
purity and clearness, reflecting the rays of the Sun of Truth, and the
effulgence of the Luminary is manifested and visible in them. On the other
hand, there are mirrors full of dust and therefore dark; consequently, they are
deprived and bereft of any radiation.' [59]
In one of His talks, He said moreover: `...the bounty of the Kingdom... is
reflected in the reality of the creatures, like the light which emanates from
the sun and is resplendent in creatures; and this bounty, which is the light,
is reflected in infinite forms in the reality of all things, and specifies and
individualizes itself according to the capacity, the worthiness and the
intrinsic values of things.' [60] In one of His
writings, He explains this concept through the metaphor of rain: ` Although
the reality of Divinity is sanctified and bound-less, the aims and needs of the
creatures are restricted. God's grace is like the rain that cometh down from
heaven: the water is not bounded by the limitations of form, yet on whatever
place it poureth down, it taketh on limitations -- dimensions, appearance,
shape -- according to the characteristics of that place... '.. [61] `...[T]he bestowals of God -- He says
elsewhere -- are moving and circulating throughout all created things. This
illimitable divine bounty has no beginning and will have no ending. It is
moving, circulating and becomes effective wherever capacity is developed to
receive it.' [62] And He says also: `...all
creatures are favoured by the bounty of resplendency through emanation, and
receive the lights, the perfection and the beauty of Its Kingdom, in the same
way as all earthly creatures obtain the bounty of the light of the rays of the
sun, but the sun does not descend and does not base itself to the favoured
realities of earthly beings.' [63]
From these words we understand that from the world of the Kingdom two realities
do emanate: on the one hand, His bestowals, i.e. spirit, and on the other, the
recipients of these bestowals, i.e. material or sensible reality. Spirit
emanating from the world of the Kingdom has neither beginning nor end, because
it belongs to that world. It pervades all sensible reality, but is distinct
from it, even as the sun which enlightens the world by its rays, but does not
descend into the world in its essence.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says that `spirit in itself is progressive', [64] a characteristic which is mirrored forth in the sensible
world. In fact spirit moves and guides sensible reality, which -- in its moving
according to the guidance of the spirit -- grows in its capacity to receive the
gifts of that same spirit. Thus, sensible reality manifests in different
degrees on its own sensible level the attributes of spirit, i.e. of the world
of the Kingdom. Such a manifestation becomes more and more refined and perfect,
as the creatures of the sensible world grow, by virtue of their
transformations, in their capacity to receive those same gifts. Here we find
in nuce the meaning and the direction of evolution.
The world of the Kingdom and the world of creation are, therefore, strictly
interrelated. They belong to the same creation, inasmuch as their origin is one
and the same. Nevertheless, the world of the Kingdom -- which is the cause of
the existence of the world of creation -- is totally different from that world:
a world of unity, the former; a world of multiplicity, the latter. Both the
world of the Kingdom and the world of creation do exist, nevertheless, they
differ from each other in degree, whereas there is no dualistic opposition
between spirit and matter.
Since the spiritual world belongs to a superior level, it is higher in degree
than the physical world; the physical world does really exist, though on an
inferior level than the spiritual world. In this sense
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` The world is but a show, vain and empty,
a mere nothing, bearing the semblance of reality...'; [65] and `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` Reality is pure
spirit, it is not physical', [66] and He
says moreover: `Only the spirit is real; everything else is as shadow.' [67]
Nature and the Will of God The relation between the world of the
Kingdom and the world of creation is still more precisely explained in the
Bahá'í texts. Alluding to the Word of God -- which, as has
already been mentioned, is the same as the world of the Kingdom --
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `...[it] is none but the Command of God
which pervadeth all created things', and further on He states that it is
not only ` the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world', i.e. the
creative impulse which brings into existence physical reality, but also the
universal law pervading the entire creation. Therefore the Word of God is
termed ` Nature', meaning ` God's Will and its expression in and
through the contingent world... a dispensation of providence ordained by the
Ordainer, the All-Wise' 68 or else -- in `Abdu'l-Bahá's
words -- ` ...those inherent properties and necessary relations derived from
the realities of things', [69] and at last
` the manifestation of the divine laws and disciplines which are essential to
the realities of beings... '. [70]
In other words, the world of the Kingdom creates, moves and guides the world of
creation: it brings it into existence; it imparts to it the necessary impulse,
so that it may move and proceed in its motion and transformations; it gives a
meaning to any existing thing; it provides that logic of motion we can trace in
natural laws, which are those same ` necessary relations derived from the
realities of things' which science calls natural laws and
`Abdu'l-Bahá terms nature, as the will of God.
Distinctive features of the world of creation From these premises some
general distinctive features of the world of creation may be inferred:
- creation `is infinite in its range and deathless in its
duration... The process of His creation hath had no beginning and can have no
end',[71] writes
Bahá'u'lláh. Creation is out of time and continuous: otherwise,
the attribute Creator would be an empty name and God would be imperfect.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes in this regard: `As to life... it has had no
beginning nor will it have end. The eternal grace of God has always been the
cause of life. It has had no starting and it will not approach any
end.'72
- `...the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite
in their range. None can reckon or comprehend them, except God, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise'; `...the creation of God embraceth worlds
beside this world; and creatures apart from these creatures',[73] writes Bahá'u'lláh. And
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The universe hath neither beginning nor ending';
`Consider the endless phenomena of His creation. They are infinite; the
universe is infinite';[74] `this
universe contains many worlds of which we know nothing', and moreover: `...how
is it possible to conceive that these stupendous stellar bodies are not
inhabited? Verily, they are peopled, but let it be known that the dwellers
accord with the elements of their respective spheres' and also: `The forms of
life are infinite.'[75] And finally He writes:
`Know then that the Lord God possesseth invisible realms which the human
intellect can never hope to fathom nor the mind of man
conceive.'76
That the universe is infinite in time, in space and in the variety of its
phenomena, is a corollary of its Creator's perfection. It is impossible to
conceive a time when creation was not existing as a whole: it would be
tantamount to say that God is not Creator. It is also impossible to maintain
that the universe is limited: if such was the case, what does exist beyond its
borders? Finally, this universe cannot but contain an infinite number of
phenomena, otherwise it would be finite. Therefore, the `original matter' is
eternal and infinite, nevertheless it is subordinated to God Who is its
Creator, and to the world of the Kingdom which moves and guides it.
`Abdu'l-Bahá expounds these same concepts through a different logical
argument: `absolute nonexistence cannot become existence' or else `absolute
nothingness cannot find existence, as it has not the capacity of existence.'[77] Therefore that which exists has always been
in existence, though in a different shape.[78]
In other words we could say: `nothing is created, nothing is destroyed,
everything changes', which is a well known scientific principle.[79]
- Bahá'u'lláh writes: `...each and every created
thing hath, according to a fixed degree, been endowed with the capacity to
exercise a particular influence, and been made to possess a distinct
virtue.'[80] Thence, `Abdu'l-Bahá
explains that the universe is a world of `absolute order and perfection';[81] `in the possible world there is nothing more
wonderful than that which already exists... the universe has no
imperfection.'[82]
The perfection of the Creator is reflected in the perfection of the universe:
in Bahá'u'lláh's words, His `image is reflected in the mirror
of the entire creation'. In its own degree and as a whole, the universe is
perfect and perfect is also each created thing, as long as it is `viewed in
the light of the station it has been ordained to occupy'.[83] Therefore, nothing whatsoever in existence is evil,[84] since every created thing has its own place
and meaning in the `creative plan of God'.[85]
Nevertheless, `Abdu'l-Bahá explains, `this material world of ours is a
world of contrast... It is all the time changing... ',[86] therefore the universe is also a realm of imperfection,
an imperfection which becomes manifest when the various degrees of existence
are compared with one another: this is the reason why we find throughout the
universe `...contradictions... opposites'.[87]
Though its qualities are good and perfect in themselves and in view of their
intended purpose, nevertheless they are not perfect, when they are compared to
other qualities. `Consider the effect of poison,' writes
Bahá'u'lláh, `Deadly though it is, it possesseth the power of
exerting, under certain conditions, a beneficial influence.'[88] A further example: the law of the struggle for existence
is good in the world of nature, but it is blameworthy in human society.
Therefore `Abdu'l-Bahá pronounces an apparently contradictory statement:
`nature seems perfect, it is nevertheless imperfect, because it has need of
intelligence and education.'[89] This
imperfection of nature is in comparison to a relatively greater perfection of
human beings.
- `...the divine and the contingent perfections are unlimited', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá; therefore you cannot find a being so perfect that you
cannot imagine a superior one.' In fact, `if it were possible to reach a limit
of perfection, then one of the realities of the beings might reach the
condition of being independent from God, and the contingent might attain to the
condition of the absolute. But for every being there is a point which it cannot
overpass... '.[90]
- `All parts of the creational world are part of one whole',[91] a `vast machinery of omnipresent power',[92] `one laboratory of might', `The organization
of God is one; the evolution of existence is one; the divine system is one.'[93]
The Creator is the Unifier of the infinite universe He Himself has created. He
established in His universe one Law -- His Command acting through the agency of
the spirit -- therefore the universe can be viewed as a great laboratory, whose
working criteria are everywhere the same.
The concept of the unity of the laws of the universe is upheld also by many
modern scientists and has found a scientific formulation in the cosmological
principle, which says: There is in nature a fundamental unity or uniformity,
wherefore (with the exception of certain peculiar situations, which are limited
in time and space) the universe is everywhere the same; indeed the natural laws
governing the fundamental phenomena appearing throughout the universe, as well
as the atomic and sub-atomic structure of matter, are uniform.[94]
- `all things are involved in all things',[95] says `Abdu'l-Bahá. This concept will be better
understood in the light of the atomic conception expounded by
`Abdu'l-Bahá, which will be de-scribed in the following pages. Suffice
to say here that, in `Abdu'l-Bahá's words, `Fundamentally all existing
things pass through the same degrees and phases of development, and any given
phenomenon embodies all others.'95 He says that the world of
creation is a uniform and organic reality -- `reality is one and cannot
admit of multiplicity',[96] He writes --
whose components, parts of the same organism, obey the same laws and are
strictly interrelated, so that any change in any of their parts influences the
whole and viceversa. In other words, `All the visible material events are
inter-related with invisible spiritual forces. The infinite phenomena of
creation are as interdependent as the links of a chain.'[97] He writes moreover: `...every part of the universe is
connected with every other part by ties that are very powerful and admit of no
imbalance, no slackening whatever.'[98]
This interdependence of phenomena appears with strong evidence in the
ecological equilibrium prevailing on the earth, to which `Abdu'l-Bahá
refers in the following words: `...all created things are closely related
together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit therefrom,
either directly or indirectly.
`Consider for instance how one group of created things constituteth the
vegetable kingdom, and another the animal kingdom. Each of these two maketh use
of certain elements in the air on which its own life dependeth, while each
increaseth the quantity of such elements as are essential for the life of the
other. In other words, the growth and development of the vegetable world is
impossible without the existence of the animal kingdom, and the maintenance of
animal life is inconceivable without the co-operation of the vegetable kingdom.
Of like kind are the relationships that exist among all created things. Hence
it was stated that co-operation and reciprocity are essential properties which
are inherent in the unified system of the world of existence, and without which
the entire creation would be reduced to nothingness.'[99]
And elsewhere He writes on the same theme: `In the physical realm of
creation, all things are eaters and eaten: the plant drinketh in the mineral,
the animal doth crop and swallow down the plant, man doth feed upon the animal,
and the mineral devoureth the body of man. Physical bodies are transferred past
one barrier after another, from one life to another, and all things are subject
to transformation and change...
`Whensoever thou dost examine, through a microscope, the water man drinketh,
the air he doth breathe, thou wilt see that with every breath of air, man
taketh in an abundance of animal life, and with every draught of water, he also
swalloweth down a great variety of animals. How could it ever be possible to
put a stop to this process? For all creatures are eaters and eaten, and the
very fabric of life is reared upon this fact. Were it not so, the ties that
interlace all created things within the universe would be
unravelled.'100 And elsewhere He says on the same subject: `If
it were not so, in the universal system and the general arrangement of
existence, there would be disorder and imperfection.'[101]
- `The worlds of God are in perfect harmony and correspondence one
with another. Each world in this limitless universe is, as it were, a mirror
reflecting the history and nature of all the rest. The physical universe is,
likewise, in perfect correspondence with the spiritual or divine realm. The
world of matter is an outer expression or facsimile of the inner kingdom of the
spirit,'[102] says `Abdu'l-Bahá. Matter
takes on manifold shapes, guided in its transformation by the Command of God
which is present in it: therefore, it cannot but mirror forth its qualities,
though on a different level.[103] We could
wrongly see in these concepts a new formulation of the Platonic concept of the
world of Ideas and of the material world. But whereas Plato's conception may
suggest a dualism between spirit and matter, there is no dualism in the
Bahá'í texts. The physical world (the world of creation) reflects
the metaphysical world (the world of the Kingdom) in different degrees,
according to the capacities matter has acquired in its continuous
transformations, induced and guided by spirit emanating from the world of the
Kingdom. The world of the Kingdom and the world of creation have their
existence on different levels, but both of them are real. The world of creation
reflects on its own plane the qualities of the world of the spirit, expressing
them according to its capacities. There-fore, as Bahá'u'lláh
writes, `Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading
into His knowledge, a sign of His sovereignty, a revelation of His names...
';[104] and `Abdu'l-Bahá urges us
to search out, throughout the sensible universe, the traces of the `indwelling
spirit'.[105] Nevertheless, when it is
compared to the world of the Kingdom, `the world is but a show, vain and
empty.'106
- `...the whole attracteth the part, and in the circle, the centre
is the pivot of the compasses,' writes `Abdu'l-Bahá.. This is the
expression in the world of creation of another universal law, i.e. one of the
laws of love: `...any movement animated by love moveth from the periphery to
the centre, from space to the Day-Star of the universe..'[107]
- `The sign of singleness is visible and apparent in all things,' says
`Abdu'l-Bahá; and moreover: `As the proof of uniqueness exists in all
things, and the Oneness and Unity of God is apparent in the reality of all
things, the repetition of the same appearance is absolutely impossible.'[108]
In this infinite universe, whose phenomena are infinite, the variety of beings
is also infinite; therefore, as an earthly sign of the Divine Oneness and Unity
manifest in all things, `there are no repetitions in nature': every individual
is itself and, as such, unique.[109]
- `The world of existence is progressive,' says `Abdu'l-Bahá,
and `is dependent for its progress on reformation', a reformation that,
`Abdu'l-Bahá says, is an educational process: `the world of nature is
incomplete and imperfect until awakened and illumined by the light and stimulus
of education,' and moreover: `the world of nature is inherently defective in
cause and outcome... the defects therein must be removed by education.'[110]
- `...change is a necessary quality and an essential at-tribute of
this world, of time and place.'[111]
From the Bahá'í texts the world of creation appears as a reality
which -- eternal, infinite and perfect as a whole, and in its individual
components, provided they are viewed in their own degree -- is subject to one
unifying law, according to which all realities are strictly interrelated, so
that a marvellous harmony and correspondence exist among them. This law is the
law of evolution: the change brought into the world of creation by the power of
spirit, which transforms creatures bringing them to ever higher levels of
perfection, and which is in that respect an educational process.
The spirit is the true reality of the world of creation: what we see and
understand of this world is but `images reflected in water' [112] of the superior reality of the world of the Kingdom.
Such is the reality through which we shall be satisfied: those same traces of
God in the universe which Bahá'í scholars or would-be
philosophers should search and may discover.
The atom
Since the times of Democritus of Abdera (5th to 4th century BC)
philosophy has hypothesized that the sensible universe may be formed by
indivisible, eternal units, which cannot be directly perceived through the
senses, but which are within the reach of human reason , units that have been
called atoms, i.e. `that cannot be divided or split'. Throughout the centuries
this hypothesis has been specified, until it was given a scientific formulation
in the modern conception of the structure of matter.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says that the sensible universe is formed by `elemental
atoms', and expounds an atomic conception whose broad lines can be found in the
following quotations from His Tablets and recorded talks: [113]
- `It is evident that each material organism is an aggregate
expression of single and simple elements', which He terms `elemental atoms' or
`individual atoms';[114]
- `...it is a philosophical axiom that the individual or indivisible
atom is indestructible'; `it retains its atomic existence and is never
annihilated nor relegated to nonexistence'; `...atoms... continue to exist
because they are single, individual and not composed. Therefore it may be said
that these individual atoms are eternal.' In fact `existence implies the
grouping of material elements in a form or body, and nonexistence is simply the
decomposing of these groupings',[115]
therefore that which is not composed cannot be decomposed, that is, it does not
perish.
- `The elemental atoms which constitute all phenomenal existence and
being in this illimitable universe are in perpetual motion, undergoing
continuous degrees of progression', they `are transferable from one form of
existence to another, from one degree and kingdom to another, lower or
higher.'[116]
- `Because they have affinity for each other, the power of life is
able to manifest itself, and the organisms and phenomenal world become
possible. When this attraction or atomic affinity is destroyed, the power of
life ceases to manifest; death and nonexistence result.'
The nature of such an affinity is thus explained by `Abdu'l-Bahá:
------ `By a divine power of creation the elements assemble together in
affinity, and the result is a composite being... this affinity of the inanimate
elements is the cause of life and being.'
------ `...the phenomena of the universe find realization through the one power
animating and dominating all things, and all things are but manifestations of
its energy and bounty.'
------ `We declare that love is the cause of the existence of all phenomena and
that the absence of love is the cause of disintegration and nonexistence. Love
is the conscious bestowal of God, the bond of affiliation in all phenomena.'
------ `This quickening spirit emanates spontaneously from the Sun of Truth,
from the reality of Divinity, and is not a revelation or manifestation. It is
like the rays of the sun... '
------ `...the greater power in the realm and range of human existence is
spirit -- the divine breath which animates and pervades all things.'[117]
- `each elemental atom in the universe is possessed of a capacity to
express all the virtues of the universe... every atom in the universe possesses
or reflects all the virtues of life... '[118]
- `...the constituent elemental atoms of phenomena undergo progressive
transference and motion throughout the material kingdoms... In its ceaseless
progression and journeyings the atom becomes imbued with the virtues and powers
of each degree or kingdom it traverses... all are privileged to possess the
virtues existent in these kingdoms and to reflect the attributes of their
organisms... From this point of view and perception pantheism is a truth, for
every atom in the universe possesses or reflects all the virtues of life, the
manifestation of which is effected through change and transformation.'
Thence the elemental atom is the guarantor of `...the intrinsic oneness of all
phenomena... ', wherefore `...all phenomena of material being are fundamentally
one' and `each phenomenon is the expression in degree of all other phenomena.
The difference is one of successive transferences and the period of time
involved in evolutionary process', wherefore `all things are involved in all
things',[119] the universe is `one
laboratory of might under one natural system and one universal law',[120] and `the origin of all material life is
one and its termination is likewise one'.[121]
The above words by `Abdu'l-Bahá give a general idea of His atomic
conception. The following remarks are added in the hope that they will prove
useful in the attempt to draw a parallel between that conception and some of
the conclusions of modern science.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá says that the universe is formed by indivisible
particles which He refers to as `elemental atoms': atom, in its etymological
meaning as something that cannot be split; elemental, as simple, primal,
fundamental. Modern scientists say that the atom is `the smallest material unit
in which any chemical element can be divided'.[122] This is not the philosophical atom. In fact, since last
century, scientists have understood that such an atom is neither simple nor
indivisible. It was Rutherford[123] who
proposed the model of atomic structure which is today accepted by most
scientists: `a kind of microscopic planetary system',[124] where instead of the sun there is a central nucleus,
and instead of the planets there are electrons.[125] Subsequent studies demonstrated that not even the
nucleus is simple and indivisible: it is formed by neutrons and protons.
Neutrons and protons, in their turn, are formed by other simpler particles:
quarks. Today the smallest known material particles are quarks and leptons
(neutrins and electrons) and modern physicists think that all the matter which
is in the universe is formed by four systems of two couples of particles (a
quark-up and a quark-down, from one side, and an electron and a neutrin, from
the other). But no one knows yet whether these sub-atomic particles are really
simple or whether they can be divided into simpler ones. Whether and when
scientists will discover the elemental atom, we do not know. But they accept
the idea of its existence.
- The elemental atoms are simple. Since in the world of creation death
means decomposition, the elemental atoms, being simple, cannot be decomposed
and therefore are eternal. This concept, for the time being, has no parallel in
science: scientists at the most state that known elemental particles are
billions of years old.
- `Creation is the expression of motion. Motion is life. A moving
object is a living object, whereas that which is motion-less and inert is as
dead... '[126] says `Abdu'l-Bahá; and
moreover: `Absolute repose does not exist in nature':[127] atoms -- fundamental components of creation -- are
themselves subject to a perpetual motion. Modern scientists confirm this
concept: the old division of matter into animate and inanimate matter is
obsolete, because it is clear that all matter, in its microscopic dimension, is
in motion. The elemental particles, in fact, are subject to a rotatory
movement, called spin. Moreover, they literally move from one kingdom of
existence to the other.
- Among the elemental atoms there is a sort of attraction which
`Abdu'l-Bahá calls `attraction' or `atomic affinity':[128] this attraction is the cause of the existence of all
phenomenal reality. In fact, since all phenomenal beings are formed by
elemental atoms, thence only if an affinity exists among these elemental atoms
is the existence of phenomenal beings possible. `Abdu'l-Bahá indicates
in such affinity the simplest expression, on the physical plane, of the
metaphysical reality of love[129] and says
that this is one of the spiritual lessons man can learn from physical reality:
`Throughout all creation, in all kingdoms, this law is written: that love and
affinity are the cause of life, and discord and separation are the cause of
death.'[130] `Abdu'l-Bahá says that
this power of attraction among the elemental atoms is a bounty that God bestows
upon material creation through the agency of the world of the Kingdom: it is
therefore the simplest expression of spirit in the world of creation.
Scientists are well aware of the existence of this power of attraction among
the constituent particles of matter. The elemental particles are subject to the
spin movement and this same movement produces forces of mutual attraction,
which are called nuclear interactions. These forces binding together the
elemental particles are extremely strong. Scientists have learnt how to release
a part of those forces and the consequences of this release are manifest in the
disruptive explosions of the atom bomb (which should be more properly called
the neutron bomb).
- Elemental atoms are totipotent, inasmuch as each atom, as it goes
through the mineral, vegetable, animal and human kingdoms of the world of
creation, and through the myriad forms and organisms of phenomenal existence in
each of those kingdoms, variously combining with other elemental atoms, `not
only become embued with the powers and virtues of the kingdom it traverses, but
also reflects the attributes and qualities of the forms and organisms of those
kingdoms'. It follows that `all [atoms] are privileged to possess the virtues
existent in these kingdoms and to reflect the attributes of their organisms'.
Therefore `each elemental atom of the universe is possessed of a capacity to
express all the virtues of the universe'. This concept is evidently also upheld
by modern scientists who -- as has been already said -- agree that every
existent being in the universe is formed by quarks and leptons.
`Abdu'l-Bahá states that this particular aspect of the phenomenal world
is a great lesson of unity and `the true explanation of pantheism'.. He
explains that God is transcendent in His Essence and that no direct relation
exists between Him and His creatures. The world of creation receives the gifts
of God by emanation from the intermediate world of the Kingdom through the
agency of the spirit, which moves it and guides it in its moving. Following a
path whose course is deter-mined by natural laws -- the Will of God as
expressed on the phenomenal plane -- atoms combine and generate the various
beings, which differ from each other in `degree and receptivity'.[131] But the `original matter' of the
elemental atoms is one, and the spirit which moves it, and as it moves,
enables, it to assume different shapes, is one. Therefore the universe is like
a single great `laboratory'[132] or
`workshop'[133] where the same material and
metaphysical components -- the elemental atoms and spirit animating and guiding
them -- are present. This is the foundation of the `intrinsic oneness of all
phenomena',[134] of the total, eternal,
mutual involvement of all existing realities, of the perfect reciprocity of
phenomena. It is in the light of these concepts that the following words by
`Abdu'l-Bahá should be read: `the smallest atoms in the universe are
similar to the greatest beings of the universe.'[135]
- The atomic theory also explains `...the conservation of energy and
the infinitude of phenomena, the indestructibility of phenomena, changeless and
immutable because life cannot be annihilated. The utmost is this: that the
form, the outer image, throughout these changes and transformations, is
dissolved. The realities of all phenomena are immutable and unchangeable.'[136]
A question seems left unanswered: are all the elemental atoms equal, or do they
differ from each other? On the ground of the principle that there is no
repetition in nature, it would appear that among them there might be a `point
of contact' and a `point of distinction': [137] the former might be their substance, perhaps the
`original matter' 137 which is the origin and the point of unity of
all sensible reality; the latter might be in relation to their degree and
function in the scale of reality.
Evolution
The two concepts of creation as emanation and of the atomic structure of
the universe are the foundation of another very important concept in the
Bahá'í view of the universe and life: evolution.
The creative plan of God
The world of creation, as an emanation from God, ` reflecteth His
glory': it is a ` mirror' where His ` image is reflected'. [138] ` His sovereign and pervasive Will...
called into being... creation', [139] and
` the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him' that
` He chose to confer upon man' is the purpose wherefore He willed to
create -- in Bahá'u'lláh's words, ` the generating impulse and
the primary purpose underlying the whole creation'.. [140] As a Creator, therefore, God has a plan: to enable
`original matter', emanating from the world of the Kingdom as a necessity of
divine attributes, to reflect more and more faithfully His image, so that it
may produce man who, through his capacity ` to know Him and to love Him',
brings the process a step further, transferring it from a plane of unconscious
necessity to a level of willing consciousness. This process, through which the
totipotent elemental atoms are enabled to manifest their `capacity to express
all the virtues of the universe' `through change and transformation' and
`progressive transference and motion throughout the material kingdoms', [141] is evolution.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `E very plan is in need of a power for its
execution': [142] the power through which
`the creative plan of God' is executed is the spirit, which -- emanating from
the world of the Kingdom, `in itself is progressive'. `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`Motion is life. A moving object is a living object, whereas that which is
motionless and inert is as dead...' [143]
Thence it is the spirit which keeps in motion the world of creation, so that
`...nothing which exists remains in a state of repose... Everything is either
growing or declining...' [144] and `all
creation is growing and evolving. It never ceases.' [145] Therefore evolution is `the expression of spirit in the
world of matter' or else `progress of the spirit'. [146]
General features of the creative plan of God
The Bahá'í texts fully explain the general features of
this majestic process.
- From the world of the Kingdom two realities emanate, as a necessity
of God's attributes: the spirit, that is the intermediary between the world of
the Kingdom and the world of creation, and `original matter', formed by
`elemental atoms'.
- Spirit has a twofold effect on `original matter':
------ it sets in motion elemental atoms, starting the never-ending chain of
the continuous transformations of `original matter':
------ it guides matter in its movements and transformations, according to
criteria which man is able to perceive as natural laws. These criteria execute
in the matter the `creative plan of God', enabling the totipotent atoms to
express, through their assembling together, their capacity to mirror forth the
manifold attributes of life, i.e. `the powers and virtues of the kingdom [they]
traverse[s]... and the attributes and qualities of the forms and organisms of
those kingdoms'.[147]
- The `original matter' is therefore characterized by a perpetual
motion[148] -- `Abdu'l-Bahá says that
this motion is `essential, that is natural',[149] because it is `necessary to existence'. According to
the `intrinsic oneness of all phenomena',[150] the `original matter' follows in its motion criteria
which apply to all phenomena of existence.[151]
- These criteria can be summarized as a never-ending process of
growth, which is similar -- according to one of the metaphors suggested by
`Abdu'l-Bahá -- to the development of a seed which slowly sprouts, then
grows, until it brings forth a fruit which contains a new seed.
This process of growth is therefore characterized by the following elements:
------ it is `gradual': [152] from a degree
of lesser (least) perfection it reaches a degree of greater (greatest)
perfection or fulfillment; [153]
------ it is cyclical: whenever a material being reaches its greatest possible
perfection, `the point which it cannot overpass', [154] it declines until it ceases to exist in its original
condition, while in its stead `a new order and condition is established'; this
order and condition in its turn undergoes a new process of growth. `The circle
of existence is the same circle: it returns', [155] says `Abdu'l-Bahá.
------ it is relative: since the possible perfections each material being can
achieve are infinite, it follows that the greatest perfection any being may
have attained is always a relative perfection;
------ it is infinite: since in the physical reality taken as a whole the
possible perfections are infinite, it follows that the evolutionary process is
endless. [156]
Evolution in the world of creation
In the world of creation we can therefore perceive the following
essential features:
- `for existence there is neither change nor transformation; existence
is ever existence: it can never be translated into nonexistence';[157]
- `Creation is the expression of motion. Motion is life. A moving
object is a living object, whereas that which is motion-less and inert is as
dead. All created forms are progressive in their planes, or kingdoms of
existence, under the stimulus of the power or spirit of life. The universal
energy is dynamic. Nothing is stationary in the material worlds of outer
phenomena or in the inner world of intellect and consciousness';[158] therefore all created things undergo a
never-ending evolution;
- as created things evolve, they go through `gradual stages or
degrees', characterized by a `specialized capacity'[159] to mirror forth the spirit;
- at last, created things attain a `degree, or stage of maturity',[160] which they `cannot overpass';[161]
- `after which a new order and condition is established'.[162]
In this context, the concepts of physical life and death have different
meanings, depending on the context:
------ in the light of the atomic conception of the universe, life means
composition and death decomposition. According to such a definition, therefore,
death is but a transference from one condition of existence to another;
------ in the light of the concept of evolution, existence `is gradation; a
degree below a higher degree is considered as non-existence'.[163] In fact, if we consider a mineral, this is undoubtedly
dead in comparison to a vegetable. But spirit is present also in the mineral:
it is that movement, which generates the power of attraction, which in its turn
binds together its constituent particles. `All beings are endowed with
life,'[164] writes `Abdu'l-Bahá..
However, the vegetable has the power of growth, which is absent in the mineral.
And the animal is alive, when it is compared with the vegetable, whereas the
vegetable is dead, if it is compared to the animal. For example, a human being
affected by a deep coma, because of a severe trauma, is said to live a
vegetative life, and by this it is meant that his life is quite different from
a normal human life. In the Bahá'í texts the word death
indicates also the condition of such a man who, while alive in his animal life,
is nevertheless, since he is spiritually wholly unconscious, even as dead. Such
is the meaning of the well-known words of the Gospel: `Let the dead bury their
dead':[165] spiritually dead the former,
physically dead the latter. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains, moreover, that
`...though the existence of beings in relation to the existence of God is an
illusion, nevertheless, in the condition of being it has a real and certain
existence.'[166] Therefore, the world is but
a show, when it is compared to the world of the Kingdom; but, in itself, it is
really existent. Therefore, the concept of life and death is a relative
concept.
- `...for the whole universe, whether for the heavens or for men,
there are cycles of great events, of important facts and occurrences. When a
cycle is ended, a new cycle begins';[167]
- within each cycle, each phenomenal reality undergoes a process of
transformation, as regards its perfection, but not as regards its state. Each
reality can achieve endless and infinite perfections, without any change in its
state. Everything, writes Bahá'u'lláh, `according to its
capacities, indicateth, and is expressive of, the knowledge of
God'168 and `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `In every station there is
a specialized capacity', `a degree of function and intelligence';[169]
- `The transformation of the innate substance is impossible',[170] writes `Abdu'l-Bahá; He says
moreover: `...the world of existence is dependent for its progress upon
reformation; otherwise it will be as dead';[171] this reformation is realized through the spirit
emanating from the world of the Kingdom. In `Abdu'l-Bahá's words: `The
transformation depends upon divine bounty. The mineral progresses in its own
world. But from the mineral to the vegetable it progresses only by divine
bounty. Also transformation from the vegetable to the animal is God's plan. Of
itself the transformation cannot take place.'[172] These statements are very subtle: they require deeper
investigation and studies than those that have been done up to now. Evolution
is within the kingdoms,[173] says
`Abdu'l-Bahá.. Vegetable and animal spirits, being a part of creation,
are sufficient for the intrinsic changes of each phenomenal being to take
place. But for the transformations from one kingdom to another, these natural
powers are not enough: a power from a higher level must assist. This is the
divine bounty, the power of the world of the Kingdom, that is, the spirit.
In fact, evolution within the kingdoms implies but the perfecting of potential
qualities: the `power of attraction' in the mineral kingdom, the `power of
growth' in the vegetable kingdom, the `power of sense perception' in the animal
kingdom. But the transition from one kingdom to another implies the appearance
of a new capacity, which previously did not exist, even potentially. It is a
real transformation of substance, which cannot come to pass by itself.
Therefore, it is only the power of the world of the Kingdom, which -- belonging
to a superior level -- can realize this transformation. Such a concept is
evident particularly in the process of man's spiritual evolution.
And yet, evolution -- whatever the level on which it is examined -- is always
moved by the powers of the spirit, because `the power of growth' and the `power
of sense perception' are themselves expressions of the spirit. The only
difference is that these two capacities are expressions of the spirit in its
acting in the world of creation, whereas the powers bringing the elemental
atoms to meet so that they may give birth to the creatures of the mineral, or
vegetable, or animal, or human worlds are expressions of the spirit in its
acting in the world of the Kingdom.[174]
- Evolution is progress: between the simple, tiny elemental atom and
the great man, with his complex brain, there is a sequence of degrees of
existence, one following the other in a growing complexity of structures and a
growing capacity to express in the physical world the qualities of the
metaphysical world of the Kingdom. This evolutionary process is a process of
approaching God, inasmuch as the higher degrees of perfection are achieved by
physical reality, as it evolves according to the guiding rules given by the
world of the Kingdom -- Bahá'u'lláh mentions `the Command of
God which pervadeth all created things'.[175] The more completely this reality expresses the
spiritual qualities of the world of the Kingdom, the closer it approaches God.
It is in such perspective that `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Progress is the
expression of spirit in the world of matter.'[176]
- `Inequality in degree and capacity is a property of nature,[177] says `Abdu'l-Bahá; because of this
property the world of matter is a world of multiplicity, of `contradictions...
opposites',[178] which arise from the
comparisons among, and the coexistence of, physical realities, which are
fundamentally equal, but belong to different degrees. In other words, `each
phenomenon is the expression in degree of all other phenomena. The difference
is one of successive transference and the period of time involved in the
evolutionary process'. It is clear then that in the phenomenal world all things
are fundamentally one and the difference among single realities is but `one of
degrees and receptivity.'[179]
In conclusion, the process of evolution can be viewed as that process through
which those perfections which were engraved within each created being when it
was brought into existence find an ever more complete expression, until that
being reaches an apex called maturity. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `All beings,
whether large or small, were created perfect and complete from the first, but
their perfections appear in them by degrees...'. [180] Each created being possesses in itself -- like a seed
-- potential perfections. Evolution is that process through which those
perfections manifest themselves. What that created being will become depends,
on the one hand, on its potential endowments, on the other, on the natural laws
which start, move and guide its development, and finally on many external
circumstances which interact with it, influencing its possibility of expressing
those same perfections it was imbued with at its creation.
Evolution in the four kingdoms of the world of creation
If we examine the physical universe and its evolution in the light of
these concepts, we will understand that the four kingdoms of the world of
creation -- mineral, vegetable, animal and human -- are even as four different
fruits arrived at maturity on the same tree (the world of creation) in
different times; the lapse of time which must pass before maturity is attained,
is proportionate to the complexity of the structure of that kingdom. This
metaphor is offered by `Abdu'l-Bahá in His talks, in order to explain
that the four kingdoms, mutually dependent as they are, nevertheless do not
stem from one another. [181]
The four kingdoms of creation are different from each other, inasmuch as their
component material elements are organized in different ways and therefore
express at different levels and degrees the spirit -- the divine bounties
emanating from the world of the Kingdom and pervading the whole creation. `Each
kingdom is receiving the light and bounty of the eternal Sun according to its
capacity' says `Abdu'l-Bahá; and moreover: `In each kingdom we find the
same virtues manifesting themselves more fully, proving that the reality has
been transferred from a lower to a higher form and kingdom of being', which is
possible because `the atoms of the material elements are transferable from one
form of existence to another, from one degree and kingdom to another, lower or
higher'. [182]
`Abdu'l-Bahá dwells upon the details of the differences among these four
kingdoms:
- The mineral kingdom has the capability to manifest the spirit as
`power of attraction' and this is `the only expression of love the stone can
manifest'.[183]
- The vegetable kingdom has the capability to manifest the spirit as
`power of growth' or in other words as `power of absorption from the earth';[184] in fact vegetables can absorb from the
earth and the atmosphere what they need for preservation, reproduction and
regulation -- the three typical activities of living systems. This power -- in
`Abdu'l-Bahá's words -- `results from the combination of elements and
the mingling of substances by the decree of the Supreme God, and from the
influence, the effect, the connection, of other existences. When these
substances and elements are separated from each other, the power of growth also
ceaseth to exist': this power is therefore viewed in the Bahá'í
texts not as a mystical entity, but as a natural power and it is compared by
`Abdu'l-Bahá with the `electric force'..[185]
- The animal kingdom has the capability to manifest the spirit as
`power of sense perception', a power that confers on the animals `emotions and
sensibilities', `intelligence',[186]
`voluntary movements'[187] and `memory'.[188] Also this power is viewed as a natural
power, bound to vanish when the elements whose composition was conducive to its
appearance in the physical plane are separated from each other, even as `when
the oil is finished and the wick consumed'[189] the light fades away.
- the human kingdom has the capability to manifest the spirit as
`intellect' or `conscious intelligence', `conscious reflection', `intellectual
investigation'.[190] Referring to human
spirit, `Abdu'l-Bahá says that, unlike the mineral, vegetable and animal
spirits which belong to the world of creation and there-fore have a beginning
and an end, human spirit belongs to another degree. In fact `the body of man
is... the most perfect existence'.[191] He
likens it to a mirror and the human spirit to the sun; when the mirror is
broken, the sun nevertheless remains; likewise the human spirit, which is of
the world of the Kingdom, has no end. The comprehension of such a concept
requires a more detailed analysis, which will be presented in the following
chapters.
If we intended to draw a graphic representation of the evolutionary processes
going on throughout the universe, we should not draw a staircase, but a tree:
from the root (mineral kingdom) three branches grow (vegetable, animal and
human kingdoms); from these three branches other branches and twigs grow
(genuses, species, etc.) and so on. [192]
Thus starting from the farthest branch we could follow, from one branch to the
other, a path through which we could reach the root; all these branches are the
successive transformations that branch (or that creature) underwent in its
morphology, starting from the root, until it took on its present form.
Evolution according to Plotinus, in the Bahá'í texts
`Abdu'l-Bahá also explains evolution in Plotinian terms. The
world of the Kingdom is the first emanation from God `Supreme Centre'; [193] from this Centre begins the first arc of
existence, the arc of descent, the arc of material worlds: elemental atoms form
the elements, which are the foundations of all material things: mineral,
vegetable, animal. Man, who is possessed of all the qualities of the world of
creation, i.e. `a body which grows and which feels' [194] is `the lowest point of the arc of descent', [195] or else the highest point of materiality.
This process which, starting from the elemental atom, arrives at man, is termed
`beginning (literally: bringing forth)' [196]
and man is its fruit. From man, who stands therefore opposite the `Supreme
Centre', begins the second arc of existence, the arc of ascent, the arc of the
spiritual worlds. This arc comprises the spiritual degrees of existence and is
termed `progress (literally: producing something new).' 196 This arc
of ascent culminates in the world of the Kingdom (termed also First Mind,
Primal Will, Word of God or Logos. Identity or Self or Soul of God). The circle
of existence therefore has its beginning in the elemental atom, it follows the
arc of descent, with the degrees of material world -- mineral, vegetable and
animal kingdoms -- and culminates in man. From man, who stands at the end of
materiality and at the beginning of spirituality, the second arc of existence
begins: it is the arc of ascent which traversing the various degrees of the
spiritual worlds such as the spirit of faith, the Holy Spirit, the Most Great
Spirit, culminates in the Logos, which manifests itself in the world of
creation as the Manifestation of God, Perfect Image of God, Perfect Man,
perfect expression, in the plane of the world of creation, of all the qualities
of the world of the Kingdom.
Evolution as an educative process
Evolution is described by Bahá'u'lláh as ` the
revelation of the Name of God, the Educator'. ` Behold', He writes,
` how in all things the evidences of such a revelation are manifest, how the
betterment of all beings dependeth upon it. This education is of two kinds. The
one is universal. Its influence pervadeth all things and sustaineth them. It is
for this reason that God hath assumed the title, "Lord of all the worlds". The
other is con-fined to them that have come under the shadow of this Name, and
sought the shelter of this most mighty Revelation.' [197] These words (which will be commented upon later on)
point out the relation between the spiritual evolution each man undergoes,
through the efforts he exerts, as he follows the guidance of the Revelation of
God, and the evolution of the entire creation.
Evolution, in the different planes of the world of existence
The evolutionary process can be studied in various perspectives. If we
consider it in the world of being as a whole -- the world of creation and the
world of the Kingdom -- this process should necessarily be viewed independently
of its relation with time. In fact in the world of the Kingdom time does not
exist. The world of the Kingdom is coexistent and coeternal with God, to Whom
it is inferior though, because it depends on, and was created by, Him. In the
level of the world of the Kingdom, beginning and end are one and the same
thing, therefore any created being, viewed in that world, is simultaneously
what it is -- in the world of creation -- in all phases of its evolution. Thus
the world of creation could metaphorically be viewed as a magnificent fresco:
each point in this fresco is an individual; groups of points, making together a
detail of this fresco, are species; a group of details, forming a figure, is a
kingdom of creation; groups of figures, forming a theme, are more kingdoms of
creation, and so on. This metaphor enables us to understand how, in the plane
of the world of the Kingdom, there is no transformation from individual to
individual, from species to species, from kingdom to kingdom, because each of
them has its own individuality and existence beside that of the others, though
it comes into existence after the others, and forms with them the majestic
fresco of the world of creation. It is in this perspective that
`Abdu'l-Bahá confirms the concept of `conservation of species' [198] and of the absolute and complete
distinction among the kingdoms of creation, and that He says: `...the original
species of the genus do not change and alter, but the form, color, bulk will
change and alter, or even progress'. [199]
This statement parallels with that law of evolution whereby `...all phenomena
of being attain to a summit and degree of consummation, after which a new order
and condition is established'. [200]
Evolution is that progress whereby the potential qualities of the seed are
transformed into the reality of the tree and its fruits: in the world of the
Kingdom the seed is simultaneously tree and fruit; in the world of creation
between the seed and the fruit there are many different stages, the stages of
evolution.
At the level of the individual, evolution begins, for example, with the
conception of a human being); it proceeds through successive stages (embryo,
foetus, new-born baby, child, boy or girl, adolescent, young man or woman,
mature individual, old individual); it brings forth its fruits during maturity
(progeny and fruits of material and intellectual work); at last it ends in
decomposition (death).
At the level of species, there is a phenomenal beginning, that is, whenever a
species appears on the earth; an evolution through successive stages
culminating in an apex of maturity; a stage of decline and at last its
disappearance. Such phenomenon is fully proved by paleontological evidences
(fossils), enabling scientists to study the evolutionary process of single
species. A very well known example is the evolution of dinosaurs. They appeared
in the Triassic Period and attained an apex during the Jurassic and Cretaceous
Periods, after which they disappeared. [201]
At the level of the world of creation viewed as a whole, the beginning of
evolution can be traced in `original matter' -- the seed -- its `fruit' [202] is man, who -- being the apex of physical
evolution -- is possessed of all the existing perfections of all the inferior
grades. In fact, man has in himself the typical `power of attraction' of the
mineral kingdom; the `power of growth' belonging to the vegetable kingdom; the
`power of sense perception', which a distinctive feature of the animal kingdom.
But besides all these powers, he has also the power of `intellect', which
belongs only to his kingdom. Therefore, man is the `fruit' or the purpose of
evolution.
This is the foundation of another important Bahá'í concept: how
is it possible for the whole evolutionary process of the world of creation --
infinite and eternal as a whole -- to come to a close with such a powerless
creature, as physical man, who lives for a very few years on this earth and
then dissolves in dust? Evolution is in itself a never-ending process: there
must therefore be something else beyond physical man. The Bahá'í
texts say that such a reality transcending physical man is the human soul,
which -- inasmuch as it has the capacity of intellectual and spiritual
perception and is endowed with potential spiritual qualities -- brings the
evolutionary process a step forward from the world of creation to the world of
the Kingdom.
Limitations of some modern concepts on evolution
Some evolutionists deny any unity, `rationality' and finality in the
evolutionary process.
- Regarding the progress in the physical world through evolution, this
progress can be described -- in a Bahá'í perspective -- as a
rising helicoidal motion. Each coil of the helicoid is a `circle of
existence'[203] with its beginning and its
end. In the helicoid, the end of the coil always stands at a superior level to
its beginning. In fact, just as any phenomenal reality, both individual and
species, had a beginning, so it will have also an end, because any phenomenal
reality, inasmuch as it is phenomenal, is limited in time and space. Therefore
evolution, viewed in individuals and species, implies a stage of progress, as
well as a stage of regress, following that stage wherein that phenomenal being
has attained its highest possible point of perfection, that is its maturity.
Nevertheless, that individual, or that species, will be followed by other
individuals, other species, which will bring his or its perfections a step
forward. But they will do it on another level.
Evolution is therefore a very complex process. No wonder that because of such
complexity it is so difficult to trace the specific conditions which have
influenced the evolution of any given phenomenal reality. For example, it is an
arduous task to discover why the earth has today such a shape, such component
elements, geographical configuration, climate, vegetable and animal species,
and man. It is up to men of science to investigate nature through their
methods, so that they may unravel its mysteries. Bahá'í texts
give a guidance which will prove useful as to the direction such studies could
follow.
- As for those which seem nature's mistakes,[204] its seemingly wrong choices, which are advanced as
proof by those who deny its rationality and finality:
------ the universe and nature are perfect as a whole, but each individual
being is manifestly imperfect. Therefore these mistakes are not a surprise.
------ some of these supposed mistakes in the evolutionary processes could be
merely choices whose meaning is as undiscovered. It would be totally absurd for
a man to claim a complete understanding, of even phenomenal reality;
------ other supposed mistakes could be stages of regress of an individual or a
species, when they have already yielded their fruit and are therefore
inexorably declining towards the conclusion of their vital cycle.
- To maintain that evolution is not just the outcome of chance, but is
moved by an Intelligent Being Who guides it, does not belong -- as the
Bahá'í texts explain it -- to the realms of tales and myth, but
to the domains of reason. For the time being no one can demonstrate either
hypothesis. To believe in the former or in the latter is therefore a matter of
faith; but in this context too to have faith means to be sure that a hypothesis
is true, because so it appears in the light of many other general ideas which,
inasmuch as they are undoubtedly true and make this hypothesis probable and
reliable, are the rational guarantors of a hypothesis, which is thus accepted
in an act of faith.
In this regard, a suggestive anecdote is related by Guy Murchie `about Charles
Boyle, the fourth Earl of Orrery, who flourished in southern Ireland early in
the eighteenth century -- and of the theorem that bears his name. Having heard
of Kepler's famous discovery of the laws of planetary motion and of Newton's
recent work on gravitation, Lord Orrery had a working model of the solar system
built inside his castle. It was an extraordinary, dynamic and up-to-date piece
of clockwork with orbital hoops and a brass sun in the center plus smaller
globes representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn slowly
revolving around it, even a moon circling the Earth and four little ones going
around Jupiter.
`But it seems that Lord Orrery had an atheist friend who had an utterly
materialistic outlook and thought of the universe as just an immense moving
system of natural machinery that somehow coasts along, blindly but
automatically maintaining itself with-out benefit of consciousness, mind or
intelligence of any kind. So when the friend heard tell of Orrery's new and
wonderful machine, he lost no time in going to the castle to see it. Entering
the great hall where the model was in operation, the atheist's eyes widened
with awe and the first question he asked Lord Orrery was: "Where did you get
this magnificent thing? Who made it?"
`But Orrery, remembering previous arguments with the atheist about creation,
surprised him by replying, "Nobody made it. It just happened".
`"How could that be?" retorted the atheist. "Surely these intricate gears and
wheels couldn't create themselves. Who made them?"
`Lord Orrery stood his ground, insisting that his model of the solar system had
just happened by itself. Meantime, the atheist worked himself into a state of
hysterical frustration. Then at last, judging the time was ripe, Orrery let him
have it. "Up to now", he declared, "I was testing you. Now I am going to offer
you a bargain. I will promise to tell you truly who made my little sun and
planets down here as soon as you tell me truly Who made the infinitely bigger,
more wonderful and more beautiful real sun and planets up there in the
heavens".
`The atheist turned a little pale and, for the first time, began to wonder
whether the Universe could really have made itself, or possibly be running all
this time automatically and unguided by the slightest twinge of intelligence.
And this was the origin of the Orrery Theorem which says: "If the model of any
natural system requires intelligence for its creation and its working, the real
natural system requires at least as much intelligence for its own creation and
working."'[205]
This anecdote is suggestive not so much for its persuasiveness, as for that
subtle irony which is a distinctive feature of anyone who has attained a
universal view of life and existence and consequently to a serenity, which we
think -- because Bahá'u'lláh states it -- to be man's
birthright. [206] Any other out-look is
conducive only to fruitless and unacceptable pessimism, or at most to
agnosticism, which we accept only as a refuge where clever minds may withdraw,
when they do not meet or recognize anything worthy of their trust during their
lives. But it is only a pause, a limbo whence they must sooner or later emerge
to face with all its implications the inescapable task of finding an answer to
the great existential questions of life, lest other forces prevail. Such
forces, denying the transcendental worlds, deprive life of its meaning and
human values of their pregnancy, and reduce man to being satisfied with
considering himself an intelligent animal and thus becoming the most foolish of
all living creatures -- a creature who prefers to be even as his inferiors, who
stupidly upholds and sanctions a society poisoned by competition and war.
Whereas the concepts of the atom and of evolution, as explained in the
Bahá'í texts, are in themselves a mighty trace of God in this
phenomenal world, a trace which it is worthwhile following if that
` knowledge of God' 207 in which all things begin is to be
attained.
End notes:
[1] After Galileo published his Dialogues
about the Two Greatest Systems in the World (1632), in defence of the
Copernican system against the Ptolemaic system, he was put on trial for heresy.
This trial went on till 22 June 1633, when it ended in Galileo's forced
abjuration of his theories.
[2] On 15 May 1979, the Universal House of
Justice issued a message to the Bahá'ís of the world,
establishing some fundamental principles for Bahá'í scholars:
`the principle of harmony of science and religion means not only that religious
teachings should be studied in the light of reason and evidence as well as of
faith and inspiration, but also that everything in creation, all aspects of
human life and knowledge, should be studied in the light of revelation as well
as in that of purely rational investigation. In other words, a
Bahá'í scholar, when studying a subject, should not lock out of
his mind any aspect of truth that is known to him.' (The Universal House of
Justice, `The Challenge and Promise of Bahá'í Scholarship', in
Bahá'í World, XVII, pp.195-6.)
[3] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `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, while on the other hand,
with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into
the despairing slough of materialism.' (Paris Talks, p.143.)
[4] See Hakim Sana'i, `Apologo
dell'Elefante e dei Ciechi' in M.M. Moreno, Antologia della Mistica
Arabo-Persiana, p.29.
[5] Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets,
p.147. See Plato, Republic, Book VII.
[6] Promulgation, pp.29, 49, 297.
[7] ibid. p.272.
[8] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.41.
9 Gleanings, p.62.
[10] Some Answered Questions, p.146.
[11] In Islamic tradition, the essential
attributes are might, science, life, will, hearing, sight and word; the active
attributes are love, command, perception, and -- according to some scholars --
will and word.
[12] For a preliminary study of divine
attributes as presented in Islamic tradition and in the Bahá'í
Faith, See J.R. Cole, `The Concept of Manifestation in the
Bahá'í Writings', in Bahá'í Studies, IX,
pp.3-5, 25-9.
[13] Some Answered Questions, pp.148,
280, 148-9.
[14] See Some Answered
Questions, pp.148-9.
[15] Promulgation, p.159.
[16] Divine Philosophy, p.145.
[17] Promulgation, pp.274, 219.
[18] Tablets, p.140.
[19] Some Answered Questions, p.202.
[20] See Some Answered
Questions, pp.202-4.
[21] Gleanings, p.337. From this point
of view, the physical world might be Seen -- according to J.S. Hatcher
-- as a metaphor of the spiritual world. See below, pp.206-9.
[22] Promulgation, p.15.
[23] Promulgation, p.15.
[24] The Persian word nafs is
translated into English in the Bahá'í literature sometimes as
`self', sometimes as `soul'. The term Soul of God translates the Persian
nafs-i-rahmaníyyih, i.e. literally, `the Soul of the
Merciful'.
[25] Some Answered Questions, p.230.
This tripartition of being is a pattern which can be perceived in many aspects
of reality. While explaining the Christian concept of Trinity,
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes in one of His Tablets: `...there are necessarily
three things: the Giver of the Grace, and the Grace, and the Recipient of the
Grace; the Source of the Effulgence, the Effulgence, and the Recipient of the
Effulgence; the Illuminator, and the Illumination, and the Illuminated.'
(Tablets, p.117.) Further, He likens these three `things' to the
sun, its rays and the objects on which these rays fall. The same pattern and
the same explanation apply also in other circumstances: God, the world of the
Kingdom, the world of creation; God, the outpouring of His active attributes,
the world of the Kingdom; the world of the Kingdom, spirit, the world of
creation; God, the Most Great Spirit, the Manifestation of God; the
Manifestation of God, the spirit of faith, man; spirit, human soul, human body;
soul, its mental faculties, human body. These concepts will be explained
further on.
[26] As for the philosophical language used in
the Bahá'í texts, See above p.26 and n.29.
[27] Some Answered Questions, pp.294,
203.
[28] Hidden Words, Arabic no. 3.
[29] Promulgation, p.219.
[30] Tablets, p.140.
[31] Some Answered Questions, p.203.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `All that is in heaven and all that is in
the earth have come to exist at His bidding, and by His Will all have stepped
out of utter nothingness into the realm of being.' (Gleanings,
p.318.)
[32] Quoted in Star of the West, VII,
p.100. When `Abdu'l-Bahá was still a youth He wrote a famous commentary
on this well-known tradition ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad Himself. This
commentary, entitled Tafsír-i-Kuntu Kanzan
Makhfíyyan, has not yet been translated into
Western languages. J.R. Cole gives a short summary of its contents in his `The
Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings', in
Bahá'í Studies, IX, pp.25-9.
[33] Paris Talks, p.180.
[34]
Promulgation, pp.15, 297, 268, 211, 397, 15, 255. In another passage,
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `God is love and all phenomena find source and
emanation in that divine current of creation. The love of God haloes all
created things. Were it not for the love of God, no animate being would exist.'
(ibid. p.315.)
He writes, moreover, that true joy is `spiritual happiness' and that
this happiness is `the love of God'. `This happiness is but the
eternal might, the brilliant traces of which are shining forth unto the temples
of unity. Were it not for this happiness the world of existence would have not
been created.' (quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art of Living' in Star
of the West, VII, p.163.)
[35] Paris Talks, p.180.
[36] Some Answered Questions, p.203.
[37] Promulgation, pp.159, 219.
38 Gleanings, pp.150, 162.
[39] Promulgation, p.462.
[40]
That the world of the Kingdom is also referred to as Sun of Truth or Sun of
Reality may well astonish or perplex Western readers, accustomed as they are to
a univocal and schematic language. But in the Bahá'í texts
metaphors are not used as though they were rigid symbols. The same metaphor is
suggested, in different contexts, to convey different spiritual concepts. Such
a flexible use of metaphors is typical of Islamic literary style, both in
Arabic and Persian. (For the Islamic and Persian literary styles See A.
Bausani, Persia Religiosa, pp.347-50, and J.S. Hatcher, `The
Metaphorical Nature of Material Reality', in Bahá'í
Studies, III.)
In this context, therefore, the sun -- which is often presented as a metaphor
for the Essence of God -- indicates His First Emanation, the world of the
Kingdom. Therefore, in this context, the essence of the sun Seems a
metaphor for the Essence of God; the image of the sun which our eyes perceive
in the sky seems to refer to the world of the Kingdom; the rays of the sun are
the bounties emanating from the world of the Kingdom, bounties that in the
Bahá'í texts are often termed spirit.
[41]
Promulgation, pp.74, 93-4.
[42] Ibid. p.15.
[43] In Persian
nafs-i-rahmaníyyih. See above p.35, n. 24.
44 Gleanings, p.61.
[45] Promulgation, pp.313, 286, 273,
88.
[46] Paris Talks, p.25.
[47] Promulgation, pp.390, 88.
[48] Ibid. pp.58, 286.
[49] Tablets, p.611.
[50] Promulgation, p.271.
[51] ibid. p.268.
[52] Some Answered Questions, p.143.
[53] Some Answered Questions, p.143.
[54]
`Survival and Salvation', in Star of the West, VII, p.190. Any student
of the Bahá'í teachings on spirit, soul, mind, etc. is faced by a
certain difficulty of language, which Shoghi Effendi himself pointed out,
writing through his secretary: `When studying at present, in English, the
available Bahá'í writings on the subject of body, soul and
spirit, one is handicapped by a certain lack of clarity, because not all were
translated by the same person, and also there are, as you know, still many
Bahá'í writings untranslated. But there is no doubt that spirit
and soul Seem to have been interchanged in meaning sometimes; soul and
mind have, likewise, been interchanged in meaning, no doubt due to difficulties
arising from different translations. What the Bahá'ís do believe
though, is that we have three aspects of our humanness, so to speak, a body, a
mind and an immortal identity -- soul or spirit. We believe the mind forms a
link between the soul and the body, and the two interact on each other.'
(quoted in Arohanui, p.89.)
Moreover these difficulties increase because of certain differences between
Western and Islamic terminology and of the different meanings ascribed within
these two cultures to such words as spirit, soul and mind. An explanation of
the meanings of the words spirit, soul and mind as they are used in this book
may be found at pp.40, 145, 156 respectively.
Such difficulty of language obliges any scholar who intend to achieve a deeper
comprehension of these concepts to be always mentally alert, in his efforts to
understand. These mental exertions, somehow, train them in avoiding any
rigidity and schematism, which is always detrimental whenever such subtle
spiritual themes are studied. In fact spirit, as a living reality, is
ever-changing in its manifestations; therefore -- within its scope -- any
definition, which is perforce rigid, is inadequate. It follows that, whenever
such words as spirit, soul, mind are mentioned, it should be kept in mind that
they indicate different aspects of a single reality in its different functions.
For example in quotation n.54 p.40, the word spirit Seems to indicate
the soul of man when the divine reality has appeared in it; whereas the word
soul Seem to indicate the soul in its relationship with the body. In
other texts (See Some Answered Questions, p.264. the terms
rational soul and human spirit Seem to indicate the soul of man in its
usually accepted meaning.
55 See Shoghi Effendi, World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, p.109.
[56] Regarding the concept of the
Manifestation of God, See below pp.100-114.
[57] See `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Tablets, p.117. The Bahá'í Faith vigorously upholds the
concept of the oneness of the Manifestations of God. See below
pp.107-10.
[58] Promulgation, pp.219, 272.
[59] Quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art of
Living' in Star of the West VIII, p.123.
[60] Some Answered Questions, p.295.
[61] Selections, p.161.
[62] Promulgation, p.160.
[63] Some Answered Questions, p.296.
This divine presence throughout creation is called by Bahá'u'lláh
`Universal Revelation'..(Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.139.) A
short explanation of this concept is given by J.R. Cole in `The Concept of
Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings' in Bahá'í
Studies, IX, pp.18-20.
[64] Promulgation, p.101.
[65] Gleanings, p.328.
[66] `How is it possible to imagine life after
death?' in Star of the West, XI, p.316.
[67] Divine Philosophy, p.133. In the
Bahá'í view the material world, when compared to the spiritual
world is but a shadow; but it has its own existence. See below, pp.49,
60, 216.
68 Tablets, p.142.
[69] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.39.
[70] `It is the time which His Holiness Christ
calls the "Day of Marriage"` in Star of the West, XII, p.194.
`Abdu'l-Bahá also gives another meaning to the word `nature', i.e. the
animal kingdom or `world of nature', as different from, and inferior to, the
`human kingdom or world of reason'.(Promulgation, pp.309, 312,
356-7.)
[71] Gleanings, p.61.
72 `It is the time which His Holiness Christ calls the "Day of
Marriage"' in Star of the West, XII, p.194.
[73] Gleanings, pp.151-2, 152.
[74] Promulgation, pp.220, 274.
[75] Divine Philosophy, pp.136, 110,
162.
76 Selections, p.185.
[77] Some Answered Questions, pp.183,
180, 281.
[78] See Some Answered
Questions, pp.180, 204, 281; Promulgation, pp.87-9.
[79] This is one of those principles or
theorems of conservation, stating the constancy in time of such physical
dimensions as mass, energy, quantity of movement, momentum. These theorems,
originally enunciated as philosophical statements, were afterwards expressed in
scientific terms, thanks to the discoveries made by Lavoisier (1743-1794).
[80] Gleanings, pp.189.
[81] Promulgation, p.79.
[82] Some Answered Questions, p.177.
[83] Gleanings, pp.166, 188.
[84]
The Bahá'í concept of good and evil is that `... there is no
evil in existence; all that God created He created good. This evil is
nothingness; so death is absence of life... darkness is the absence of light.'
(Some Answered Questions, p.264) See also Some Answered
Questions, pp.215, 263- 4; Promulgation, p.259; and W.S. Hatcher, `A
Logical Solution to the Problem of Evil' in Zygon, IX, p.3.
Regarding the concept of the non-existence of evil explained by
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi wrote through his secretary: `We must never
take one sentence in the Teachings and isolate it from the rest... We know the
absence of light is darkness, but no one would assert darkness was not a fact.
It exists even though it is only the absence of something else. So evil exists
too, and we cannot close our eyes to it, even though it is a negative
existence. We must Seek to supplant it by good.' (Unfolding
Destiny, pp.457-8.) See also below, p.89.
[85] Promulgation, p.293.
[86] `Divine Contentment' in Star of the
West, XIV, p.168.
[87] Paris Talks, p.90.
[88] Gleanings, p.189.
[89] Promulgation, p.329.
[90] Some Answered Questions, p.230.
[91] `Abdu'l-Bahá, in
Bahá'í World Faith, p.364.
[92] Promulgation, p.463.
[93] Some Answered Questions, pp.182,
199.
[94] It is on the ground of this cosmological
principle that many scientists are today trying to explain the oneness of the
four fundamental forces in the universe: gravity, the electro-magnetic fields,
the weak interactions of Fermi and strong interactions (or nuclear forces). For
the time being this oneness is far from having been proved. But the fact itself
that physicists are making efforts in this direction demonstrates their trust
in the cosmological principle.
[95] Promulgation, p.349.
[96] Selections, p.157.
[97]
Divine Philosophy, p.111.
[98]
Selections, p.157.
[99] Quoted in
Huqúqu'lláh (comp.), no. 61.
100 Selections, p.157.
[101] Some Answered Questions,
p.247.
[102] Promulgation, p.270.
[103] `...within it lieth the true explanation
of pantheism', says `Abdu'l-Bahá (Promulgation, p.286).
See Some Answered Questions, pp.290-6; Promulgation,
pp.284-9.
[104] Gleanings, p.160.
[105] Some Answered Questions, p.6.
106 Gleanings, p.328.
[107] Selections, pp.63, 197-8.
[108] Some Answered Questions,
p.283.
[109] This concept is the foundation of the
arguments advanced by `Abdu'l-Bahá against the concept of reincarnation.
See Some Answered Questions, pp.283-4.
[110] Promulgation, pp.285, 378, 279,
309, 400.
[111] Quoted in The Establishment of the
Universal House of Justice comp.), p.47.
[112] Selections, p.178.
[113] See Selections,
pp.289-90; Promulgation, pp.160, 284-6, 306, 350; Paris Talks,
pp.90-1.
[114] Promulgation, pp.349, 306.
[115] ibid. pp.306, 88, 306, 87.
[116] ibid. pp.284, 87.
[117] ibid. p.4, 207, 286, 255, 59, 58.
[118] ibid. p.285.
[119] ibid. pp.284-6, 349, 350, 349.
[120] Some Answered Questions,
p.182.
[121] Promulgation, p.350.
[122] G. Vegni, `Atomo' in Enciclopedia
della Scienza e della Tecnica, II, p.373.
[123]
Ernest Rutherford of Nelson (1871-1937), New Zealander,
Nobel Prize in 1906, well known for his studies on the theory of radioactivity
and the atomic structure.
[124] E. Fermi, `Atomo' in Enciclopedia
Italiana, V, p.245.
[125] We are reminded of the following words
by `Abdu'l-Bahá: `The smallest atoms in the universe are similar to the
greatest beings of the universe...' (Some Answered Questions, p.182.)
[126] Promulgation, p.140.
[127] Paris Talks, p.88.
[128] Promulgation, p.4.
[129] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `Love
is... the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this
material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movement of the
spheres in the celestial realms.' (Selections, p.27.)
[130]
Promulgation, p.207.
[131]
Promulgation, pp.285, 285-6, 285, 14.
[132] Some Answered Questions,
p.182.
[133] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.40.
[134] Promulgation, p.349.
[135] Some Answered Questions, p.182.
The charm of such concepts has not escape some modern scientists who,
perceiving a similarity between the greatest and the smallest, advanced a
theory on the structure of the universe wherefore the universe could be an
enormous adron and, viceversa, adrons could be considered as strong
microuniverses. See E.Recami, `Particelle elementari come
microuniversi', in Scienza e Tecnica 79, pp.60, 64.
[136] `The Three Realities' in Star of
the West, VII, p.119.
[137] Promulgation, p.67.
[138] Some Answered Questions,
p.138.
[139]
Gleanings, p.166. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `... whatever is
in
the heavens and whatever is on the earth is direct evidence of the
revelation within it of the attributes and names of God... To a supreme degree
is this true of man... for in him are potentially revealed all the attributes
and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or
surpassed.' (Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.100-101.)
[140] Gleanings, pp.61, 65.
[141] Promulgation, pp.286, 285.
[142] Quoted in `The Need of a Universal
Program' in Star of the West, XIII, p.132.
[143] Promulgation, pp.293, 101,
140.
[144] Some Answered Questions,
p.233.
[145] `Progress in Religion' in Star of
the West, XIII, p.99.
[146] Paris Talks, pp.90, 88.
[147] Promulgation, pp.293, 285.
[148] Regarding motion `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `There are different degrees of motion. There is a motion of transit,
that is from place to place... Another kind is the motion of inherent growth,
like that of man from the condition of childhood to the state of manhood... The
third is the motion of condition -- the sick man passes from the stage of
sickness to the state of health. The fourth motion is that of the spirit. For
instance, the child while in the mother's womb has all the potential qualities
of the spirit, but those qualities begin to unfold little by little, as the
child is born and grows and develops, finally manifesting all the attributes
and the qualities of the spirit. The fifth is the motion of the intellect
whereby the ignorant become wise... the carnally minded spiritual... The sixth
motion is that of the eternal essence. That is to say, all phenomena either
step from the arena of non-existence into the court of objectivity, or from
existence into non-existence. Just as being in motion is the test of life, so
being stationary is the test of death and when a moving object stops it
retrogrades.'(`Abdu'l-Bahá, Abdul-Baha on Divine Philosophy,
pp.120-1.)
[149] Some Answered Questions,
p.233.
[150] Promulgation, pp.131, 349.
[151] The very interesting general systemic
theory of evolution advanced by E. Laszlo Seems to agree with this
concept of evolution viewed as a single great plan involving the entire
creation. E. Laszlo writes: `Scientific evidence of the patterns traced by
evolution in the physical universe, in the living world, and even in the world
of history is growing rapidly. It is coalescing into the image of basic
regularities that repeat and recur.' (Evolution, p.5.)
[152] Paris Talks, p.88.
[153] These concepts also Seem to fit
in the theory advanced by E. Laszlo, when he writes that in the process of
evolution `we find an increase in the level of organization' and `can readily
appreciate that the products of evolution are distributed on multiple
hierarchical levels.' (Evolution, p.24.)
[154] Some Answered Questions,
p.230.
[155] Promulgation, pp.124, 220.
[156] See above, p.47.
[157] Promulgation, pp.88-9.
[158] ibid. p.104.
[159] ibid. pp.131, 160.
[160] ibid. p.430.
[161] Some Answered Questions,
p.230.
[162] Promulgation, p.124.
[163] Promulgation, p.89.
[164] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.38.
[165] Luke 9:50.
[166] Some Answered Questions,
p.278.
[167] ibid. p.160.
168 Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.102.
[169] Promulgation, pp.160, 240.
[170] Selections, p.61.
[171] Promulgation, p.279.
[172] Quoted in A. Kunz, `Some Questions
about science and religion' in Star of the West, XIII, p.143.
[173] Some Answered Questions,
p.230.
[174] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `Know
that spirit in general is divided in five sorts -- the vegetable spirit, the
animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith and the divine spirit of
sanctity...'; He then continues saying that the vegetable, animal and human
spirits `are not reckoned as Spirit in the terminology of the Scriptures and
the usage of the people of truth, inasmuch as the laws governing them are as
the laws which govern all phenomenal being [i.e. all existences belonging
to the phenomenal or the material universe, called `the world of generation
and corruption'], in respect to generation, corruption, production,
change and reversion...'.(Tablets,pp.115-6.)
[175] Tablets,p.141.
[176] Paris Talks, p.90.
[177] Promulgation, p.132.
[178] Paris Talks, p.90.
[179] Promulgation, pp.349, 14.
[180] Some Answered Questions,
p.199.
[181] Some Answered Questions,
p.199.
[182] Promulgation, pp.173, 88,
87.
[183] Promulgation, p.268.
[184] ibid.
[185] Some Answered Questions,
p.143.
[186] Promulgation, pp.29, 268,
17.
[187] Some Answered Questions,
p.3.
[188] Promulgation, p.240.
[189] Some Answered Questions,
p.143.
[190] Promulgation, pp.49, 51, 17,
31.
[191] Some Answered Questions,
pp.143-4.
[192] In this connection `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `The world is like a tree; the mineral kingdom is like the root; the
vegetable kingdom is like the branches; the animal kingdom is like the
blossoms; and man is like unto the fruit of that tree. The tree is but for its
fruit. If the gardener did not expect fruit, he would never plant trees. In the
same way everything is for man.'(quoted in G. Winterburn, Table Talks with
Abdul-Baha, p.12.)
[193] Promulgation, p.15.
[194] Some Answered Questions,
p.235.
[195] Selections, p.130.
[196] Some Answered Questions,
p.286.
[197] Gleanings, p.190.
[198] Promulgation, p.359.
[199] Some Answered Questions,
p.193.
[200] Promulgation, p.124.
[201] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the
species existing on this earth are phenomenal, for it is established that there
was a time when these species did not exist on the surface of the
earth.'(Some Answered Questions, p.151.)
[202] Some Answered Questions,
p.201.
[203] Promulgation, p.220.
[204] K. Lorenz writes: `The mistakes and
dead ends into which evolutionary processes can be lured by momentary
advantages are everything except irrelevant to the continued existence of the
lineage in question.' (The Waning of Humaneness, p.21). Lorenz is one of
those scientists who deny a teleological order in the universe.
[205] The Seven Mysteries of Life,
p.611.
[206] For an explanation of the concept that
happiness is a human birthright See G. Townshend, The Mission of
Bahá'u'lláh, pp.88 passim.
207 Gleanings, p.5.
Chapter 4
4
The Wonders of Evolution
The concepts of creation, the atomic structure of the universe and the meaning
and patterns of its never-ending transformations provide a wide-ranging
foundation for other detailed explanations produced in the Bahá'í
texts. These explanations, mostly offered in that metaphorical language which
is typical of revelation, shed light on the entire course of the history of the
universe, in other words the process of its evolution.
The origin of the universe
If the world of creation as a whole had no beginning and will have no
end, if it is infinite, as well as its phenomena, is there any sense in
discussing an origin of the universe? In the light of those statements, the
origin of the universe seems rather a station than a precise time -- a concept
that has already been explained in Chapter 3. Here, we intend to present other
Bahá'í concepts on this difficult topic and to compare them with
modern scientific theories.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` The world of existence came into being
through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and
that which is its recipient... Such as communicate the generating influence and
such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of
God...'. [1] The explanation of this
statement set forth by Bahá'u'lláh in His Tablet of Wisdom will
require the extensive study and meditation of future Bahá'í
scholars, who are more likely to be successful in their efforts than we can
today, as their understanding of the Bahá'í Revelation becomes
wider and deeper. We take the liberty of writing but a few remarks about it.
It seems that through this general statement the origin of any created reality
may be explained: an ` active force' 1 communicates ` the
generating influence' l (for example a sperm fertilizes an ovum);
a ` heat' is generated (an energy is released through the fusion of the
two gametes); a process of transformation is thus set in motion in the zygote,
wherefore a new being will be formed (embryogenesis). If this statement is
viewed as referred to the origin of the universe, the following could be one of
its explanations: from the world of the Kingdom (` the irresistible Word of
God' 1) the spirit (` the active force') and the original
matter, composed of elemental atoms (` its recipient'), emanate; ` the
generating influence' of the spirit sets in motion the atoms composing the
original matter, so that the evolutionary process starts.
This concept is somehow reminiscent of the big bang or great deflagration
theory. According to this theory, which -- as Melchiorri says -- `is but a
rough approximation of what must have really happened at the beginning of
time', [2] there has been for the universe a
beginning when anything we see today was originated. At the beginning existed a
primal nucleus -- the proto-universe. It was composed of a proto-matter, and it
supposedly had a diameter fifty times bigger than the diameter of the solar
system, a density equal to 100 million times the density of water and extremely
high temperatures, about 100 billion kelvin degrees. These physical
characteristics -- the great density as well as the very high temperatures --
caused an very fast initial expansion, almost a conflagration, which, according
to this theory should be considered as point zero in the scale of time. Such a
tremendous phenomenon had two immediate effects: a gradual decrease of
temperature, which one second after that explosion was ten billion kelvin
degrees, a hundred seconds after, one billion kelvin degrees and so on; and a
steady increase of the length of the radius of that huge globe.
The big bang occurred about fifteen billion years ago: immediately after, those
transformations began through which such chemical elements as are known today
were originated. The galaxies and the stars, as units in the structures of the
universe and the galaxies respectively, were originated only three to four
billion years ago.
This theory does not explain what was in existence before the proto-universe,
nor whence and how it was originated, nor why it originally had those physical
features; nor do the natural sciences and their methods seem fit to give
answers to such questions.
Other scientists, through their mathematical processing of formulas describing
proposed patterns of the universe, mathematically deduced that a condition must
have existed whereby all the components of the universe were concentrated in a
single geometrical point. Such an initial stage of `mathematical singleness' is
viewed as the beginning of the entire universe, `a physical condition of
extremely high density which cannot be described and should be viewed as
beginning or creation...'. [3]
This deduction agrees with the following words uttered by `Abdu'l-Bahá:
`... there is no doubt that in the beginning the origin was one: the origin of
all numbers is one and not two. Then it is evident that in the beginning matter
was one...'. [4]
According to the Bahá'í teachings, therefore, the initial stage
of creation is the stage of the `original matter'. That matter is uniform, but
not motionless, because the generating influence of the spirit (the Word or the
Command of God) already pervades it, attracting it -- by the power of love --
towards motion, and guiding it -- by the light of the intellect -- towards a
gradual perfecting process which enables it to acquire the growing capacities
of reflecting and expressing the divine bounties of the spirit, continuously
released from the world of the Kingdom. Thus the spirit increasingly appears in
the original matter, as the original matter becomes specialized through the
transformations it undergoes. The original matter may be viewed as the seed of
the present universe: it potentially contains in itself all those things which
today are actually in existence, as well as all those which will come into
existence in the future. The history of the universe is but the succession of
those material events through which the potentialities of that seed appeared in
act. The original matter is somehow reminiscent of the proto-universe
hypothesized in the big bang theory, out of which was created everything which
exists today, or of the previously mentioned primal `mathematical
singleness'.
Evolution in the mineral kingdom
`Abdu'l-Bahá further explains the origin of the universe in the
statement that: `... that one matter appeared in different aspects in each
element. Thus various forms were produced, and these various aspects as they
were produced became permanent, and each element was specialized. But this
permanence was not definite, and did not attain realization and perfect
existence until after a very long time'. [5]
This is the first stage in the evolution of the universe, a stage which
scientists have studied and continue to study with the greatest attention. In
the very instant of the initial big bang or big bangs, none of the systems of
energy and matter we see today was in existence. However, the earliest
particles -- supposedly adrons (protons, neutrons and mesons) -- appeared
within a fraction of a second. Modern scientists can prove through
demonstrations based on radioactivity that in our galaxy chemical elements
began to be produced very early on (between one hundred and one million years
after the initial big bang). At that time the earliest atomic nuclei were
formed through a process called nucleosynthesis which may be considered one of
the earliest stages in the evolution of matter. The earliest nuclei to be
formed were those of hydrogen and helium; in fact the former -- being formed of
a single proton -- are the simplest known nuclei, whereas the latter are formed
of two protons. It took billions of years for all the elements of the
Mendeléev Table to come into existence. This theory agrees with a
previously mentioned statement by `Abdu'l-Bahá, that the specialization
of the elements took `a very long time'.
Another aspect of evolution in the mineral kingdom is the evolution of the
terrestrial globe in particular and of all celestial bodies in general.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says in this regard: `As each globe has a beginning,
necessarily it has an end...', and particularly `the earth hath not always
existed'. [6] Such concepts are confirmed also by
modern scientists, who are studying with great attention the evolutionary
processes of the stars.
A question arises: how is it possible to understand `Abdu'l-Bahá's
statement that man `has existed from all eternity', when He says as well that
`the earth hath not always existed'? [7] An
explanation may be once again found in the following previously mentioned
general concept: `All beings, whether large or small, were created perfect and
complete from the first, but their perfections appear in them by degrees'; and
therefore, `Similarly, the terrestrial globe from the beginning was created
with all its elements, substances, minerals, atoms and organisms; but these
only appeared by degrees: first the mineral, then the plant, afterward the
animal, and finally man. But from the first these kind and species existed, but
were undeveloped in the terrestrial globe, and then appeared only gradually.' [8]
Living systems
As to what happened to the elements once they were formed and how all
other creatures appeared, `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Then these elements became
composed, and organized and combined in infinite forms; or rather from the
composition and combination of these elements innumerable beings appeared.' [9] In an early stage the elemental atoms combined
so that they formed the smallest particles -- supposedly quarks and leptons.
Afterwards, quarks and leptons combined and formed neutrons, protons etc.
These, in their turn, combined and formed nuclei. Nuclei and electrons formed
the elements. Those forces which keep the elemental particles together are
called by scientists strong nuclear interactions. Elements, in their turn, are
kept together by chemical affinity, whereby they combine and, as the
evolutionary process develops, form chemical compounds characterized by a
growing complexity.
Among those chemical elements which were formed through the combination of
quarks and leptons, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen, as well as sulphur
and phosphates, are of an extraordinary importance. They provide a substratum
for those which traditional chemists would define as organic substances --
organic, because they form those which were once called living organisms and
today are more precisely termed living systems.
In the past the idea prevailed that the mineral kingdom on the one hand and the
animal and vegetable kingdoms on the other were composed of totally different
elements. Thus mineral, or inorganic, and vegetable and animal, or organic,
substances were considered different from each other. However, today it is
demonstrated that inorganic and organic substances differ from each other not
because of the elements which compose them -- which are the same -- but because
of the different properties taken on by those same components in the different
kingdoms. These concepts agree with the following explanation by
`Abdu'l-Bahá: `... this perfection which is in all beings is caused by
the creation of God from the composing elements, by their appropriate mingling
and proportionate quantities, the mode of their composition, and the influence
of other beings.' [10] In other words, in the
course of time -- by virtue of the universal laws infused in the world of
creation by the ordaining command of the Word of God, the elements bonded in
such a way that matter, because of the qualities and quantities of its
components and because of their appropriate mingling, the mode of their
composition and their reciprocal influences, became specialized, until the
power of growth, typical of the vegetable kingdom, first appeared in it,
followed in due time by the power of sense perception, typical of the animal
kingdom.
In the light of these concepts, we may well agree with modern scientists who
say that `there is no extramaterial, nor mystical element in vital chemism' and
that living systems are `portions of matter which have a particular structure
and organization, and as such are endowed with peculiar properties which, for
the time being, may still be qualified as "vital" in the strict sense of the
word'. After all, it is true that the composing elements of the so called
living matter may be found -- identical -- also in the mineral world. The
difference between so called living and inert matter is that `in living matter
chemical components have a particular structure, arrangement and distribution'.
What is not true is that evolution, from the original matter of the
proto-universe to man, is `the fruit of trivial attempts of blind chance, which
was merely assisted by time': [11] `the
universe is not created through the fortuitous concurrences of atoms; it is
created by the good law which decrees that the tree brings forth certain
definite fruits'. [12] And moreover `The
transformation depends upon divine bounty. The mineral progresses in its own
world. But from the mineral to the vegetable it progresses only by divine
bounty. Also transformation from the vegetable to the animal is God's plan. Of
itself the transformation cannot take place...'. [13]
According to modern materialists, the whole evolutionary process occurred by
virtue of the essential properties of matter and the casual meetings of
subatomical particles which -- owing to the extremely long times (billions of
years) and the tremendous number of possibilities -- brought the present
universal order out of the initial chaos. It is something like unexpectedly
winning a lottery. These concepts are undoubtedly at odds with the second
thermodynamic law or principle of Carnot: `order is improbable and disorder is
probable'. [14] However, apart from this fact,
this concept cannot be proved or falsified in the Popperian sense of the word.
It is just a theory, upheld by its defenders because they believe in it in the
light of their own personal experiences and general ideas, which make it
credible and acceptable according to their judgement. Indeed their acceptance
of such a theory is an act of faith.
According to the Bahá'í teachings, however, original matter,
composed of elemental atoms, is -- we repeat it -- only the phenomenal
expression of a metaphysical reality: the world of the Kingdom which, through
the agency of the spirit, animates, moves and guides it in a never-ending
process of transformation. Through that process original matter is enabled to
express with growing perfection in the physical level the qualities of that
same metaphysical reality which moves it. The motion of elemental atoms is a
phenomenal expression of the dynamism of the spirit, and the affinity which
keeps atoms together is a phenomenal expression of the spiritual reality of
love. Motion and affinity originate the evolutionary processes, giving birth to
infinite growing beings, which are strictly interdependent -- inasmuch as they
are part of the same organic universe. As these endless beings develop, they
express in the universe an order and a harmony which are the physical
manifestations of the order and the harmony of that same metaphysical world of
the Kingdom, which -- through the agency of the spirit -- incessantly moves and
guides them. The great complexity of the phenomena of the world of creation
prevents us from understanding all the existing interactions, from grasping all
the rules of the game, rational as they are and expressive, in their
rationality, of a Supreme Reason which sanctioned them, and of a human reason
which has the capacity to perceive -- in the laws of nature -- the traces left
by that Supreme Reason in the world of creation. Man, through his reason,
understands the conditions of nature and, reproducing them, can also reproduce
its phenomena. And supposing that the day comes when he learns how to shape in
his laboratories a living system, he will undoubtedly do it according to a
method that God Himself introduced into the world and that he has merely been
able to grasp and reproduce. [15] God creates,
man knows His creation; God creates the law, man discovers it through his
reason and avails himself of it for his own purposes. But whereas the world of
creation as a whole is as infinite and perfect as the Reason which shaped it,
man is finite and limited in his understanding. Therefore he sometimes causes
catastrophes, like the sorcerer's apprentice, through his senseless
exploitation of his own discoveries. These concepts, like materialistic
concepts, can neither be proved nor falsified; they are acceptable to anyone
who considers them the most plausible assumption in the light of his own
personal experiences and general ideas, in other words through an act of
faith.
But perhaps, in the light of our previous arguments, it will be easier to rid
the word faith of that stigma of superstition with which it has been branded up
to now in the eyes of most people. Superstition is a blind faith, conflicting
with things proved through sense perception, intellect and common sense . Not
so a faith in an abstract conception, which in its abstraction cannot be proved
or falsified in the Popperian sense of the word, but which nevertheless can be
checked in the light of sensible and intellectual experience, of common sense
and of its results in human life. Such a faith is a `conscious knowledge', a
certitude, because it agrees with an objectively observed reality, known
through such criteria of knowledge as God Himself has bestowed upon man: sense
perception, intellect, insight, Holy Writings.
The evolution of the elements up to the appearance of the earliest so called
living systems has been thoroughly investigated, but many questions remain as
yet unanswered. The big bang occurred fifteen billion years ago. Chemical
evolution, from nucleosynthesis to the appearance of the chemical elements of
the Mendeléev Table, continued over billions of years. The earth was
formed five billion years ago. The earliest living systems -- bacteria,
blue-green algae, preceded by the so-called pre-biotic systems, i.e.
hydrocarbons, cyanide and their by products -- appeared 3.5 billion years ago.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... life on this earth is very ancient. It is not
one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand, or one million or two million
years old; it is very ancient, and the ancient record and traces are entirely
obliterated.' [16] It is not yet clear how all
these things happened. But from that moment -- 3.5 billion years ago -- began
the biological evolution of living systems, which culminated in the appearance
of man.
Animals
Animals appeared on the earth about 800 million years ago. Since that
time, the evolution of the animal kingdom has progressed from primal
euchariotic cells to pongides through geological ages, producing many classes,
subclasses, orders and species. In their eagerness to understand this
evolutionary process, scientists have made much thorough research in the fields
of comparative anatomy and embryology, both directly, on living animals, and
indirectly, on fossil remains of extinct species, and have come to many
interesting conclusions. Among these is the assumption -- which many scientists
uphold -- that mankind is the highest animal species. The Bahá'í
texts agree with most of the results of scientific Al researches on evolution,
but they do not accept the theory which considers man as a member of the
highest animal species.
Bahá'í texts in fact distinguish between `the world of nature',
on the one hand, whose greatest representative is the animal, and the `world of
reason', [17] on the other, whose
representative is man. They state moreover that these two worlds are
fundamentally different from each other, so that they can be viewed as
belonging to two totally different planes of existence.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the highest type of creation below man is the
animal, which is superior to all degrees of life except man.' [18] These words about the animals will be better understood,
once the qualities of the animals, as they are recorded in the
Bahá'í texts, have been studied. The nature of the difference
between man and animals, and the reasons why they are viewed as belonging to
two separate kingdoms of the world of being will thus become apparent.
Qualities of the animals
Sense perception. This power, enabling animals to know sensible reality
through the agency of their senses, is `the lowest degree of perception'. [19] Moreover, `in the animal world there is the
sense of feeling': [20] `the feelings are one
and the same, writes `Abdu'l-Bahá, whether ye inflict pain on man or on
beast. There is no difference here whatever.' [21]
Memory. 22 Animals have memory, says `Abdu'l-Bahá, even
stronger than man. Animals remember previous sensorial experiences. This
capacity is indispensable both for those genetically programmed behaviours we
call instincts, and for their better adaptation to the environment, in view of
enhancing the possibilities of survival.
Learning. It is well known that animals have the capacity of learning.
For one thing they can learn from man, who often trains them in easy tasks.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... we observe that animals which have undergone
training in their sphere of limitation will progress and advance unmistakably,
become more beautiful in appearance and increase in intelligence', and -- an
excel-lent horseman as He was -- He adds: `... how intelligent and knowing the
Arabian horse has become through training, even how polite this horse has
become through education.' [23] Moreover,
animals can learn simple operations even by themselves, without any help from
human beings. Recent studies on animal behaviour, made by zoologists and
ethologists, have proved that animals have learnt certain behaviours in the
course of their evolution, which have become permanent in that species through
cultural transference, i.e. not on account of genes, but by virtue of teaching
and learning processes. As early as 1960 Jane van Lawick-Goodall studied
chimpanzees in Gombe Stream (Western Tanzania) Reserve. She observed how
chimpanzees know how to shape wood rods (usually a twig is chosen and pruned)
and to use them so that they may seize termites -- their choicest food --
inside termitaries. Whenever one of these rough utensils becomes useless (for
instance because its tip bends) they try to repair it, breaking off the bent
part. Moreover, they prepare primitive plugs using chewed leaves, and then they
use them as instruments to draw water from hollows where it could not be
otherwise reached. [24] Less evolved animals,
as well, adopt and learn new behaviours. Many animals invent new techniques as
an adaptation to changes in their environment. For example, in the American
National Parks, grizzlies have learnt how to pierce tourists's tins as to be
able to eat the food inside. [25] In Japan's
Koshima Islet, experimenters threw potatoes into the sea in front of macacoes.
The macacoes jumped into the sea, picked them up and ate them. That was an
occasion for the macacoes to taste salty potatoes, and they must have liked
them better that way, for since then the monkeys always plunge their potatoes
into the salty sea-water before eating them. [26] In Great Britain seagulls acquired the habit of dropping
the shells they have plucked out of the sea on the hard asphalt of a new coast
road, with the clear intention of breaking them, so that their content could be
more easily eaten. This new habit of the seagulls caused traffic difficulties:
the asphalt, covered by molluscs, became slippery for the cars.
Voluntary movements. 27 Thanks to their instincts and memory
of previous sensorial experiences, animals can voluntarily move about with a
view to survival, self-preservation, reproduction and the gratification of
other instincts.
Natural emotions. Animals are genetically programmed in respect of
certain so-called instinctive behaviours, which are attended by emotions: rage,
fear, affinity, etc. Such emotions and behaviours are intended for the survival
of the individuals and the preservation of the species. In this light should
also be viewed certain kinds of `elemental attraction... and selective
affinity' which are very similar to such a feeling as is usually called love --
for instance, couple bonds, parental bonds, group solidarity, attachment to
human trainers, and last but not least such altruistic behaviours as the
sacrifice of life for the sake of the offspring or species survival. This is,
says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `love manifest in the degree of the animal
kingdom'. [28]
Being possessed of all these capacities, animals are undoubtedly possessed of a
sort of abstract activity and reality, which might be well defined as mental.
Nevertheless such primordial ideality is curtailed because of the most typical
animal features.
Animal limitations
- Animals `have no power of abstract reasoning
and intellectual ideals', remarks `Abdu'l-Bahá; and elsewhere He adds
that the animal `cannot apprehend ideal realities...' That is to say, `the
animal in its creation is a captive of the senses';[29]
- Moreover, the animal has not `the powers of ideation and conscious
reflection which belong to man';[30]
- `The animal... makes no distinction between man and itself,'[31] because it is not possessed of any self-
conscious-ness, or possessed of any consciousness of its own body. The most
`clever' chimpanzee, in front of a mirror, does not recognize itself in the
image reflected in the mirror.
- Animals `have no touch with the spiritual world and are without
conception of God or the Holy Spirit'; they are `utterly lacking spiritual
susceptibilities, ignorant of divine religion and without knowledge of the
Kingdom of God'; `they have no knowledge of the Divine Prophets and Holy
Books'; nor are they `capable of apprehending the divine teachings';[32]
- Animals are deprived of the `meditative faculty';[33]
- `They are deprived of that degree of intellect which can reason and
discriminate between right and wrong, justice and injustice.'[34] Therefore animals have not the capacity of distinguishing
between good and evil, of establishing standards of values, but they react
instinctively to each situation according to the peremptory requirements of
individual survival and the preservation of species.
- `... the animal is a captive of nature...' and `... acts in
accordance with the requirements of nature, follows its own instincts and
desires. Whatever its impulses and proclivities may be, it has the liberty to
gratify them; yet it is a captive of nature. It cannot deviate in the least
degree from the road nature has established.'[35]
These limitations have far-reaching consequences upon the life and development
of animals.
- Their possibilities of progress are within the limits of the
physical realms: `Manifestly, the animal has been created for the life of this
world. Its highest virtue is to express excellence in the material plane of
existence. The animal is perfect when its body is healthy and its physical
senses are whole', therefore `The world of nature is the kingdom of the animal.
In its natural condition and plane of limitation the animal is perfect.'[36] But this same natural perfection is a great
limitation as well: `... century by century and age by age man's intelligence
grows and become keener, that of the animals remain the same';[37] And in fact, `Man is progressive and nature is
stationary.'[38]
- Inasmuch as the animal is wholly unconscious of spiritual life, it
`has attained the fullest degree of physical felicity... This is the honor of
the animal kingdom.'[39] As such, the animal
is `the embodiment of liberty and its symbol':[40] it is free in the gratification of its instincts.
However, this same freedom is, in another respect, captivity: the servitude to
those same instincts, or, in other words, to natural laws. `In the world of
nature we behold the living organisms in a ceaseless struggle for existence.
Everywhere we are confronted by evidences of the physical survival of the
fittest...'. Their ceaseless struggle for existence, `their ignorance,
sensuality and unbridled instincts and passions', and their accompanying
succession of sorrows, cruelty, oppressions, deception, tyranny, ruthless-ness
and deprivation of `spiritual enjoyment', are manifest evidences that `the
world of nature' (where the animal is the king) `is inherently defective in
cause and outcome'[41] when it is compared to
the human world of reason with all its possibilities and
potentialities.
From all these remarks on the nature of animals, it is clear that the
fundamental difference between men and animals, that quid whose presence
enabled man to evolve throughout the ages and whose absence kept animals
stationary in their natural -- and totally different from human -- sphere, is
not where it has mostly been looked for up to now. Animals too are possessed of
a certain degree of intelligence and will, of a certain capacity of invention,
of memory and of a limited capacity of material progress, of emotions and
affinities. It is not these qualities that we should investigate, in order to
find a typically human quid. According to the Bahá'í
teachings, this quid is man's capacity of becoming conscious of the
reality of the superior world of the Kingdom and of mirroring forth its
qualities in his individual as well as his social life: it is his soul. [42]
End notes:
[1] Tablets, p.140.
[2] F.Melchiorri and B. Olivo Melchiorri,
`Cosmologia del Big Bang', in Scienza e Tecnica 80-82, p.35. `A theory
formulated in the fifties by Russian physicist George G. Gamov in three short
papers, almost three notes, published by Physical Review, the most
prestigious American journal of Physics.' (ibid.) Today, however, a series of
successive big bangs, rather than a single big bang, is hypothesized.
[3] L. Gratton, `Cosmologia', in Enciclopedia
della Scienza e della Tecnica, IV, p.338.
[4] Some Answered Questions, p.181.
[5] ibid.
[6] pp.181, 151.
[7] ibid. pp.195, 151.
[8] ibid. p.199.
[9] ibid. p.181.
[10] ibid. p.178.
[11] A. Delaunay, `Vita', in Enciclopedia
della Scienza e della Tecnica, XII, p.673.
[12] Divine Philosophy, p.136.
[13] See above pp.60-1, nos (vii) and
(viii).
[14] See W.S.Hatcher, `The Unity of
Religion and Science' in World Order, IX, no.3, p.22.
[15] ibid.
[16] Some Answered Questions, p.549.
[17] Promulgation, p.357.
[18] ibid. p.303.
[19] Some Answered Questions, p.217.
[20] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.38.
[21] Selections, p.159.
22 `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Briefly, in the
powers which animals and men have in common, the animal is often the more
powerful. For example, let us take the power of memory. If you carry a pigeon
from here to a distant country, and there set it free, it will return, for it
remembers the way. Take a dog from here to the centre of Asia, set him free and
he will come back here and never once lose the road.' (`Abdu'l-Bahá,
Some Answered Questions, p.187.)
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Man has memory; nature is without it.'
(Promulgation, p.17. See also ibid. pp.81, 360.) This statement
seems contradictory to the statement whereby the animal, which belongs to the
world of nature, has memory. In this regard Shoghi Effendi wrote through his
secretary: `... when He says nature is devoid of memory He means memory as we
have it, not the strange memory of inherited habits animals so strikingly
possess.' (quoted in Arohanui, p.85.)
[23] Promulgation, p.77.
[24] See J. Van Lavick-Goodall, `The
Behaviour of Free-Living Chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve', in Animal
Behaviour Monographs, 1, part 3, 1968.
[25] See M. Jahoda, `Uomini e orsi. Ma
è possibile convivere?' in Airone, LI, p.71.
[26] See M. Kavai, `Newly acquired
precultural behaviour in the natural troops of Japanese Monkeys of Koshima
islet', in Primates, 1965, VI, pp.1-30.
27 `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... there are no voluntary movements
except those of animals and, above all, those of man.' (Some Answered
Questions, p.3.) Elsewhere He says: `The animal, in addition to existence
and growth, hath the capacity of moving about, and the use of the faculties of
the senses.' (Paris Talks, p.25.)
[28] Promulgation, p.255.
[29] ibid. pp.311, 357.
[30] Ibid. pp.172-3.
[31] ibid. p.311.
[32] ibid. pp.311, 177, 311, 61.
[33] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `You cannot
apply the name "man" to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without
it he would be a mere animal, lower than the beasts.' (Paris Talks,
p.175.)
[34] Promulgation, p.352.
[35] ibid. pp.40, 177.
[36] ibid. pp.303, 311.
[37] Paris Talks, p.72.
[38] Promulgation, p.51.
[39] ibid. p.166.
[40] Gleanings, p.335.
[41] Promulgation, pp.400, 185.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `His [man's] life is intended to be a life of
spiritual enjoyment to which the animal can never attain. This enjoyment
depends upon the acquisition of heavenly virtues.' (Promulgation,
p.185.)
[42] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `A human
being is distinguished from an animal in a number of ways. First of all he is
made in the image of God, in the likeness of the Supernal Light, even as the
Torah says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness".'
(Selections, p.140.)
Chapter 5
5
Man: The Fruit of Physical Evolution
In the Bahá'í texts, we find very interesting statements on human
nature: men `... are intelligent beings created in the realm of evolutionary
growth', [1] suggesting that man is a part of
that majestic evolutionary process, which is the growth of the universe and
that intelligence is his distinguishing feature. Elsewhere it is said: `God
created all earthly things under a law of progression in material degree, but
He has created man and endowed him with powers of advancement toward spiritual
and transcendental kingdoms', [2] suggesting that
man is subject to material evolution and that in him a new stage of the
evolutionary process begins: that is, spiritual evolution. It is also said:
`Existence is like a tree, and man is the fruit', [3] suggesting that man is the highest point in the world of
creation and the supreme purpose of it. It is said moreover: `Man is the
noblest of the creatures', [4] suggesting that
the noblest qualities of the world of being can be expressed in and through
him. Man is `the collective centre of spiritual as well as material forces', [5] suggesting that he is endowed with the
perfections of both the material and the spiritual world. [6] `... [M]an is endowed with the potentialities of divinity
in his nature', 6 suggesting that he is possessed of potential
spiritual qualities belonging to the divine world. Man is the `temple of God,
the image and likeness of the Lord', [7]
suggesting that his spiritual and divine qualities are the image of God in him
and that he is therefore the true `temple of God'. And `... man is a creation
intended for the reflection of divine virtues', [8] suggesting that the purpose of his creation is that his
potential divine qualities may be expressed in act.
These concepts -- the intelligence of man, his progress in the spiritual plane,
the divine potentialities of his nature, the image of God in him, the spiritual
purpose of his life -- are undoubtedly a cause of great perplexity and an
object of vehement argument in modern society. In this regard, the
Bahá'í texts offer many explanations, which will certainly prove
enlightening.
When we study the evolutionary process from the elemental atom to man, we will
see that man is the most perfect creature originating from that process of
material evolution: man is the apex of the world of creation.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Man is the microcosm; and the infinite universe, the
macrocosm. The mysteries of the greater world, or macrocosm, are expressed or
revealed in the lesser world, the microcosm. The tree, so to speak, is the
greater world and the seed, in its relation to the tree, is the lesser world.
But the whole of the great tree is potentially latent and hidden in the little
seed.' [9] Man is therefore possessed of the
`virtues' [10] of all the kingdoms of existence;
he `... is the highest species because he is the possessor of the perfections
of all the classes -- that is, he has a body which grows and which feels'. [11]
When we study the phenomena of the world of creation, we will see how `... all
phenomena of being attain to a summit and degree of consummation, after which a
new order and condition is established'. [12]
This concept applies also to the world of creation as a whole: man is the apex
of the evolutionary process of the world of creation, its `fruit', its `degree
of consummation'. But since the evolutionary process must necessarily go
forward, in man `a new order and condition' must appear, and such is that
condition which Bahá'ís call spiritual, others metaphysical. [13]
`Abdu'l-Bahá mentions -- using a Plotinian expression -- the `circle of
existence'. [14] From the elemental atom of the
`original matter' to man, the first half of the circle (`bringing forth' [15]) is completed, characterized by the
different stages of the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms. In man, the
second half of the `circle of existence', begins: the essence of man -- which
may also be called the soul or spirit of man -- is, so to speak, the new
elemental atom. In fact, the soul will in its turn undergo a further
evolutionary process: its growth towards and in, the metaphysical world of the
Kingdom (`progress' 15). Such a process cannot have an end, therefore
the soul -- whose growth has no end -- is immortal.
Therefore, on the one hand, man is a part of the material or physical plane of
existence, and thus summarizes in himself `the mysteries of the greater
world'; [16] on the other, he is by virtue of
his soul a part of the spiritual or metaphysical plane of existence.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains that `... in the microcosm, or the little man,
there are deposited three realities... an outward or physical reality... a
second or higher reality which is the intellectual reality... a third
reality... that is the spiritual reality'. [17]
So in man there is a threefold reality: a first reality, an expression of the
world of creation, related to the senses, common both to men and animals,
subjected to nature; a second reality, an expression of the world of the
Kingdom, which is conscious and spiritual; and lastly an intermediate reality,
typical of man, halfway between the other two. This threefold human reality or
nature may be viewed also as a threefold (animal, human and spiritual)
potentiality bestowed upon man.
* * *
Before describing these potentialities of human nature, it may be
useful to mention the process through which they express themselves, a process
that `Abdu'l-Bahá calls `demand and supply'. [18] Demand is the need for something which is necessary in
view of a goal to be achieved, and a potentiality to be expressed. That demand
is perceived as an unpleasant feeling of want and -- inasmuch as it is
unpleasant -- represents a stimulus urging man to search out what will satisfy
his want, so that he may escape from his uneasiness. This is how man can profit
from all those things God puts at his disposal and of which he is in need. On
the physical plane of existence, his hunger is satisfied by food yielded from
the earth. On the spiritual plane, his need for loftiness is satisfied through
the divine bounties of the spirit. In other words, in man there are needs, or
else the `demand'; in the world of being there are the gifts of God fit to
satisfy his needs, or else the `supply'. The unpleasant feeling of want is what
urges man to struggle so that he may reap those bounties God has put at his
disposal. If a man's wants are to be satisfied, he must be able to recognize
them, and to reap the appropriate gifts copiously poured out by God for his
sake throughout the universe. Whether the need is material, intellectual or
spiritual, the process is the same.
Bahá'u'lláh poetically explains the same concept thus: ` Out of
the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear,
and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of
all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother's womb, I
destined for thee two fountains of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and
hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, `neath the shade of My mercy I
nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favour. And My
purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and
become worthy of My invisible bestowals...'. [19]
His animal nature
The animal nature of man -- ` that base and appetitive
nature' 20 writes Bahá'u'lláh, `physical or animal
degree of man', [21] says `Abdu'l-Bahá
-- is on the one hand his body, on the other the abstract reality of his so
called `natal self' with its `natural emotions'. [22] It is that which Bahá'u'lláh describes as
` life of the flesh...common both to men and animals', [23] and which `Abdu'l-Bahá identifies
with the ` evil promptings of the human heart'. [24]
That the body of man is similar to that of the animal, is a manifest and
well-known fact. Among the animals, apes are so similar to man, that many
consider him to be their close kin. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` The
physical body of man is like that of the animal', [25] and elsewhere He explains: man `... cannot continue his
existence without sleep, an exigency of nature; he must partake of food and
drink, which nature demands and requires.' [26]
In another context, He remarks that `... some animals with regard to the sense
are more powerful than man', [27] as though He
intended to emphasize the fact that human greatness is not due to a physical
supremacy.
The `natal self' too, with its `natural emotions', is common both to man and
animals. In fact, there are in man, as in animals, instinctive behaviours,
whose origin can be traced back to the world of nature. They can be viewed as
`programmes of action indicated by the genetical asset or... a precise sequence
of chemical instructions contained in the genoma' [28] which, through biochemical and neuro-hormonal processes,
originate physiological activities and particular behaviours required, in a
world dominated by the law of the struggle for existence, for certain physical
goals to be achieved -- preservation, reproduction and regulation. Such are
those `natural emotions' Bahá'u'lláh describes as ` vain and
inordinate affections', ` covetous desires', [29] and that are thus listed: ` self... desires...
passions', `jealousy, greed, the struggle for survival, deception, hypocrisy,
tyranny, oppression, disputes, strife, bloodshed, looting and pillaging,' [30] and also `attachment to the world, avarice,
envy, love of luxury and comfort, haughtiness and self-desire,' as well as
`antagonism, hatred and selfish struggle for existence... jealousy, revenge,
ferocity, cunning, hypocrisy, greed, injustice and tyranny.' [31]
`Abdu'l-Bahá considers `natural emotions' as `imperfections', refers to
them as `the imperfect attributes of the natal self', and likens them to a
`rust which deprives the heart of the bounties of God' and elsewhere to a `dust
upon the mirror'. [32]
Whenever natural emotions are not appropriately guided, they lead man to be
materialistic, selfish, an opposer of his fellow-men, a coward, a tyrant, in
other words, a prisoner of the world of nature and therefore very similar to an
animal, obscuring (even as a `rust' or a veil of `dust') the splendour of his
spiritual reality. They lead him to comply with the demands of his own animal
nature and to satisfy its needs, even though such an attitude may be
detrimental to his superior, human and divine reality.
`Abdu'l-Bahá points out that in traditional Holy Writings `this lower
nature in man is symbolized as Satan', and explains that Satan is but `the evil
ego within us, not an evil personality outside': [33] elsewhere He says: `Satan, or whatever is interpreted as
evil, refers to the lower nature in man. This baser nature is symbolized in
various ways.' [34]
In the Bahá'í view, therefore the animal nature of man is his
body with its natal self. Such a nature expresses itself in genetically
programmed behaviours intended, in man as in the animal, to satisfy physical
needs, so that he may provide for his own preservation, reproduction and
regulation as an individual and as a species in a world ruled by natural laws.
Therefore, the animal nature in itself is not `evil'. Undoubtedly it is not
evil in the animal. But inasmuch as man has also the capacity to express a
superior nature -- which his animal nature is inclined to ignore and to stifle
-- such a nature, relatively speaking, may be `evil'. [35]
His human nature
Unique among all the creatures of the world, man has the capacity to throw off
the yoke of nature. In the words of `Abdu'l-Bahá: `All created things
are captives of nature and subject to its laws. They cannot transgress the
control of these laws in one detail or particular. The infinite starry worlds
and heavenly bodies are nature's obedient subjects. The earth and its myriad
organisms, all minerals, plants and animals are thralls of its dominion. But
man through the exercise of his scientific, intellectual power can rise out of
his condition, can modify, change and control nature according to his own
wishes and uses.' [36]
Man and the animal are, therefore, different, because in man there is a `power
different from any of those of the animals', [37] a power which is `supernatural', `... a spirit with which
God hath endowed him at creation', a power the Bahá'í texts refer
to as human spirit, soul or -- according to the terminology of those who are
called by `Abdu'l-Bahá Eastern philosophers -- rational soul. This power
expresses itself as intellect, reason, intelligence and -- through the agency
of the brain -- as mind. This divine gift -- which distinguishes man from the
animals -- is viewed as `the most precious gift bestowed upon man by the Divine
Bounty': [38] it is his human nature.
As human spirit manifests itself as the mind, it enables man `to investigate
reality', to `perceive what is true' [39] and
to understand `the realities, the properties and the effects of the contingent
beings': [40] `the outcome of this intellectual
endowment is science, which is especially characteristic of man.' [41]
Human spirit bestows upon man the knowledge of the material world; moreover
` ... it discovers the innermost essence of all things and comprehends
realities which cannot be seen', and ` ... discovers the realities of the
things and understands universal principles'. [42] `Through its use man is able to arrive at ideal
conclusions instead of being restricted to the mere plane of sense
impressions... He acquires divine wisdom; he searches out the mysteries of
creation; he witnesses the radiance of omnipotence...' Thus, human spirit
enables man `to investigate the ideals of the Kingdom and attain a knowledge
which is denied the animal in its limitation' [43] and therefore somehow enables him `to get in touch with
those kingdoms'. [44] It is by virtue of his
human spirit that `... man is always turned toward the heights, and his
aspiration is lofty'; that `he always desires to reach a greater world than the
world in which he is, and to mount to a higher sphere than that in which he is.
The love of exaltation is one of the characteristics of man... What a
difference between the human world and the world of the animal, between the
elevation of man and the abasement of the animal, between the perfections of
man and the ignorance of the animal...'. [45]
In other words -- according to the Bahá'í teachings -- it is the
human spirit that confers on man the knowledge of reality, both in the physical
or natural world -- and this is how science and technology develop -- and in
the metaphysical or spiritual world, enabling him to catch a glimpse of a
superior plane of existence and thus kindling in him an eagerness to rise up to
it -- and this is how his religious susceptibility develops. However, it is
both by his latent spiritual potentialities, representing the third aspect of
his nature, or divine nature, and by the assistance of superior spiritual
forces, that is the spirit of faith and the Holy Spirit, that man is
effectively enabled to raise up to the spiritual plane of existence.
His divine nature
In the Holy Scriptures it is written that man is created in the image and
likeness of God. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that `... the image of the
Merciful consists of the attributes of the heavenly Kingdom', [46] and ` betokeneth all the qualities of perfection whose
lights, emanating from the Sun of Truth, illumine the realities of men, and are
among the perfect attributes that lie within wisdom and knowledge.' [47] This is the divine nature of man, that is
the power of expressing in the material plane of existence the divine
attributes of the world of the Kingdom.
The human spirit enables man both to know spiritual reality, and to express
that reality during his earthly life. Such power of understanding, on the one
hand, confers upon man his ` unique capacity of knowing [God] and of
reflecting the greatness of His glory', [48] his `powers of advancement toward spiritual and
transcendent kingdoms', his `capacity to attain human virtues', his capacity
`to witness the effulgence of the Sun of Reality, reflect the spirit of the
Kingdom' [49]; and, on the other, it imbues him
with a `love of exaltation'. [50] Therefore
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `This endowment [the power of understanding] is the
most praiseworthy power of man, for through its employment and exercise the
betterment of the human race is accomplished, the development of the virtues of
mankind is made possible and the spirit and mysteries of God become
manifest.' [51] In this sense,
`Abdu'l-Bahá says also that the intelligence of man is `the intermediary
between his body and his spirit', [52] because
through his intelligence man is enabled to manifest in himself -- born of
matter and therefore alive in the material plane -- a different reality, born
of the spirit (whose qualities it manifests as spiritual perceptions and divine
virtues) and alive in the spiritual plane. That is `the potentiality of
divinity' with which he `is endowed' `in his nature': [53] i.e. his divine nature.
Man is therefore bound to feel a strong tension within himself between his
animal and divine nature. On the one hand, he feels in thrall to a heavy and
overbearing physical reality, which conveys to him in the form of very
unpleasant feelings any individual diminution (that is `passion'), and which
demands to be satisfied (that is, `desire') -- very often with awkward urgency
and, if unchecked, at any cost. [54] This is
the animal within each man; it is (as has already been said) not only his body,
but also that nucleus of `natural emotions' arising from his `natal self',
abstract when compared to the body, but certainly dependent on and conditioned
by the body, because its foundations are undoubtedly to be found in the brain.
This is man's animal nature. On the other hand, he also feels something within
himself which urges him to make efforts (which are mostly small and weak at the
beginning, but which, if he perseveres and complies with them -- become
stronger, more effective and somehow gratifying) aimed at bending his own body
and natal self towards diverse -- and only initially wearying -- directions of
love, peace and selflessness. This is man's divine nature. Therefore, there
exist in him both a strong disposition to subordinate to his natal self the
entire universe and an opposite need to love his fellow-men, a tension between
the urgency of taking and the need of giving, between self-protection and
self-sacrifice, between the attraction toward sensible reality (which is felt
with great immediacy) and toward an ideal reality (which is felt, if not with
the same immediacy, certainly with great pregnancy), between love and hate, war
and peace. `Not in any other of the species in the world of existence is there
such a difference, contrast, contradiction and opposition as in the species of
man.' [55]
The power of understanding, which is typical of human nature, is the instrument
capable of acting as an intermediary between these two poles. Whenever man
avails himself of it in order to comply with the extremely lively needs of his
body and natal self, his life is ruled by the ` satanic self', [56] `the evil ego', the `lower nature', `Satan',
as Judaic, Christian and Muslim Holy Texts, in a quasi-mythical allusion, call
it. In that case, he remains a captive of the `world of nature' to which he is
bound by his body; and he is like an animal, because his `natural emotions' [57] -- ` the evil promptings of the human
heart' 58 -- prevail and he therefore manifests mainly animal
qualities. The Scriptures say that such a man is dead; and indeed he is alive
in the physical level, but in the spiritual plane still his life has really had
no beginning, because he has not yet begun to express the potential virtues of
the world of the Kingdom which have been infused in him. [59]
On the contrary, whenever, through his power of understanding enlightened by
the divine guidance of Revelation, he takes hold of the natural emotions of his
natal self, with the intention of using them so that the virtues of his divine
nature may emerge, he begins to live in the spiritual plane; that is, he
acquires a new personal dimension, which is divine, because it belongs to a
world which transcends and enlightens physical reality. This is the beginning
of a real transformation, to which the Bahá'í texts refer as
`spiritual progress' [60] and the Gospels as
`second birth': [61] the first time man is born
into the world of nature once he has been conceived; the second time, he is
born into the world of the spirit, as he becomes conscious of the qualities or
virtues of the world of the Kingdom and manifests them in his life. [62] In this sense `Abdu'l-Bahá says that
`man is dual in his aspect' or that h has been given a `dual endowment'. [63]
Human greatness and limitations
The prevailing opinion today is that the power of understanding, the greatest
endowment of man, is a sufficient guarantee and instrument for human life, and
that man does not need anything else for his progress. Nevertheless a closer
examination of human life clearly reveals that the human power of understanding
is quite limited and, unaided, cannot guarantee anything, not even an
absolutely objective knowledge.
The narrowness of human understanding is manifest even in its most
distinguished fruit, `material science'. [64]
In fact, this power of understanding leads man, through the experience of his
sensory and rational perception, to a quite accurate knowledge of phenomenal
reality. Nevertheless, whenever the meaning and the value of certain truths are
to be understood and more comprehensive perspectives are to be achieved, or
unifying theories formulated, the power of understanding very often misses the
mark, as will become manifest when the history of science is studied. How many
theories were first considered indisputable, and then, after further and deeper
studies, proved to be false, and were discarded!
The limitations of human understanding become evident, even in the eyes of its
most passionate advocates, whenever the applications and uses of science are
considered. In this respect the power of understanding appears inadequate,
because science requires, in its applications and uses, standards of value, or
criteria, establishing what is good and what is bad, what is better and what is
worse. In this respect, the power of understanding cannot assist us. Hans
Schaefer says: `... Science is basically restricted to a cognitive sphere,
which means that science can oblige people to focus their intellectual
faculties on truth, but is unable in itself to provide a basis for action which
is generally acceptable and therefore obligatory.' [65] Man is prevented by the limitations of his power of
understanding and by his, often blinding, selfishness from achieving by himself
a comprehensive and adequate perspective of reality, fit to guide him toward a
good use of those same means science puts at his disposal. If this were not the
case, we would not stand today -- in this century which is undoubtedly
illumined by the light of intellect -- on the verge of an ecological
catastrophe. In this respect man is in need of support: the support of a
Unifying Intellect which may both show to him a standard of universal values to
be followed for the good of individuals and society, and explain to him the
meaning of that standard, thus motivating him in his adherence to it.
These meanings and motivations -- history shows this fact and man can
understand it -- are always to be found in a transcendental reality. But, in
the face of such transcendental reality, man is very limited in his powers.
Guided and restricted in his understanding by his own sensory perception, which
can bias him grievously, he is handicapped in grasping the spiritual or
metaphysical realities of the transcendental world. And if he can hardly
achieve a comprehensive understanding of sensible reality, it is almost
impossible for him to achieve a comprehensive understanding of spiritual or
metaphysical reality. In this respect, man is in dire need of a ` Universal
Mind' 66 which may explain to him, in conformity with his powers
of understanding, the nature of spirit and of his transcendental, spiritual
reality, which may enable him to understand his position in the great `creative
plan of God', [67] the purpose of his
existence, the direction of his development, the process of his growth, the
laws governing his existence. Deprived of such transcendental guidance, man --
through his powers of understanding, progresses at most on a merely
intellectual and material plane. This is the case with the contemporary Western
world, where the human power of understanding, free of the fetters of past
superstitions and at long last used in freedom, has made so many useful
discoveries. A civilization was born, to which `Abdu'l-Bahá refers as
`material', [68] and which, on the one hand, is
conducive to wellbeing and progress, but, on the other, is laden with potential
and actual dangers for all mankind, inasmuch as it is wholly neglectful of the
spiritual truths of transcendental reality and of such values as find their
foundation in that world.
Last but not least, man is able through his power of understanding to recognize
`the imperfect attributes of the natal self' as well as `the supreme virtue of
humanity', [69] but he is not possessed of such
forces as are required so that the former may be mastered and the latter
achieved. Such forces do not belong to him, but they are at his disposal, if he
is able to seize and use them, through his observance of such prescriptions as
Revelation alone bestows upon him. Such are those ` confirmations of the
Kingdom' as have been mentioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá, such is that
` dynamic power' which is indispensable for ` every great cause' to
find ` visible expression' in this world, i.e. the ` power of the Word
of God'. [70] Without these confirmations,
there is no possible transformation for man. Bahá'u'lláh writes:
` These energies... lie... latent within him [man], even as the flame
is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in
the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires
even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which
cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their
own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself
from its dross.' [71]
We have thus said that man is in need of a superior guidance, which may assist
him in his scientific efforts, in advancing comprehensive views of reality, in
elaborating standards of values, in discovering and understanding metaphysical
reality and motivations for his struggle against the natural emotions of his
natal self -- a guidance which may bestow upon him the required forces and
energies, so that he may conquer in himself the binding power of nature and
manifest that wonderful reality which is potentially hidden within him, i.e.
his `divine' nature: in other words, so that he may achieve that `spiritual
progress' `Abdu'l-Bahá describes in the following words: `spiritual
progress is through the breaths of the Holy Spirit and is the awakening of the
conscious soul of man to perceive the reality of Divinity.' [72]
His evolution and his divine nature
The appearance of his divine nature is a real and substantial transformation.
Such a transformation, like any other, requires a motive and executive power.
Whenever a mineral substance undergoes a transformation in its state, a
contribution of energy is required. For example, whenever a liquid must be
transformed into a gas, i.e. when it must be brought to its boiling point, a
contribution of heat is required. That a seed may germinate, a contribution of
energy is required, in the form of heat, water and nourishing substances;
otherwise that seed will not germinate. In fact any physical work requires a
contribution of energy. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` Every plan is in need
of a power for its execution'. [73] If man
wants to rise above his animal nature and manifest his latent divine or
spiritual nature, he is in need of a power.
For a more complete understanding of such a process and of the character of the
forces assisting man in his spiritual growth, it will be useful to recall the
general principles of evolution in the world of creation. [74] The process of evolution develops in the universe because
the elemental atoms, moved and guided by the impulse of the omnipresent command
of the Word of God, become combined and separated according to such laws as
have been introduced therein by that same Word. As atoms become associated,
they acquire the capacity of manifesting, in the plane of sensible reality,
such spiritual attributes of the world of the Kingdom as cohesion, growth,
sense perception, intellectual perception. In man an analogous process takes
place: as man, moved by forces of the spirit emanating from the Word of God,
follows a course indicated by the command of that same Word, he acquires
ever-increasing capacities and mirrors forth more and more perfectly, in the
physical world, such spiritual qualities as are typical of his degree.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains this event thus: ` Verily, I say unto you that
the gifts of thy Lord are encircling thee in a similar way as the spirit
encircles the body at the beginning of the amalgamation of the elements and
natures in the womb; the power of the spirit begins to appear in the body
gradually and successively according to the preparation and capacity to receive
that everlasting abundance'. [75] This
` power of the spirit' first appears in man as power of cohesion, then as
power of growth, then as sense perception, then as intellectual perception and
finally as spiritual perception and collective expression of the ideal virtues
of the world of the Kingdom.
The sensible and the human world, however, differ from each other in degree: in
the sensible world there is no consciousness, nor volition, nor ideation, nor
reflection nor conscious intelligence, [76] all
of which do exist in man. Therefore, whereas in the sensible reality the
evolution and the consequent appearance of the qualities of the spirit are a
necessary and inescapable consequence of natural laws and forces infused in the
reality of things by the Divine Command, such is not the case with man. Through
his power of understanding, man can understand both the process and the laws of
his own spiritual growth. Moreover, by virtue of his power of will, he can also
make voluntary and conscious efforts to comply with this process and in his
observance of its laws. It is thus that he can `overcome the laws and phenomena
of nature'. [77] In other words, the
evolutionary process of human growth is characterized by the fact that man has
the power of understanding the process of his own growth and of promoting it
through a willing and conscious effort. Therefore, whereas the realities of the
sensible world profit by the bounties of the spirit through a process which
does not imply knowledge, attraction or volition, and is therefore necessary,
human beings profit by those bounties through a process characterized by three
stages: `knowledge, volition and action'. [78]
The spiritual transformation of man requires therefore an intermediary of the
spirit, manifesting itself on the plane of human life, so that man may
recognize it, love it and freely follow its directives. The
Bahá'í texts call such an intermediary `Manifestation of God.' [79]
The Manifestation of God is a `... subtle... mysterious and ethereal
Being', [80] a Perfect Man, manifesting
and revealing to the eyes of mankind as much of the world of the Kingdom as
mankind is able to understand and as it is in need of for its own spiritual
progress. At the same time, He bestows upon mankind such forces as are required
for that progress to take place. Therefore, the Manifestation of God puts at
the disposal of mankind the creative forces of the world of the Kingdom, so
that men may recognize them and, willingly and freely exposing themselves to
their influence, benefit from them. This concept is fundamental in all revealed
religions, and a central theme in the Bahá'í Faith: it will be
briefly discussed in the following pages.
End notes:
[1] Promulgation, p.129.
[2] ibid. p.302.
[3] Divine Philosophy, p.105.
[4] Promulgation, p.350.
[5] ibid. p.303.
[6] ibid. p.317.
[7] ibid. p.373.
[8] ibid. p.303.
[9] ibid. p.69.
[10] Paris Talks, p.177.
[11] Some Answered Questions, p.235.
[12] Promulgation, p.124. See above,
p.59.
[13] One of the proofs of the immortality of
the soul is founded upon this concept. See above pp.64, 67 and below
pp.140-45.
[14] Promulgation, p.220.
[15] Some Answered Questions, pp.183,
286.
[16] Promulgation, p.69.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Some have described him as the "lesser
world", when, in reality, he should be regarded as the "greater world".'
(Gleanings, p.340.)
[17] `The Three Realities', in Star of the
West, VII, pp.117-18.
[18] Promulgation, p.83.
[19] Hidden Words, Persian no. 29.
20 Gleanings, p.161.
[21] Paris Talks, p.96.
[22] Promulgation, pp.310, 244.
[23] Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p.120.
[24] Selections, p.256.
[25] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, XIV, p.37.
[26] Promulgation, p.81.
[27] Some Answered Questions, p.217.
[28] M. Piattelli Palmarini, `Sui limiti della
razionalità', in Scienza e Tecnica 75, p.180. `Genome' is the
collective term for all genes.
[29] Gleanings, pp.323, 316-17.
[30] Selections, p.206.
[31] Promulgation, pp.244, 465.
[32] ibid. pp.244, 465, 310. 244.
Bahá'u'lláh describes them also as `the dross and dust of
earthly cares and limitations.' Gleanings, p.67.) As for the meaning
of self, see below, p.126, and no. 45.
[33] Promulgation, pp.287.
Bahá'u'lláh, in one of His Writings, refers to the natal self as
`satanic self'. (Seven Valleys, p.11.)
[34] ibid. pp.294-5.
[35] This concept falls under the
Bahá'í concept of good and evil already referred to on p.46 and
no. 84.
[36] Promulgation, p.30. `When
`Abdu'l-Bahá says man breaks the laws of nature, He means we shape
nature to meet our own needs, as no animal does. Animals adapt themselves to
better fit in with and benefit from their environment. But men both surmount
and change environment.' (on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in Shoghi Effendi,
Arohanui, p.85.)
[37] Some Answered Questions, p.187.
[38] Promulgation, pp.49, 259, 41.
[39] ibid. p.291, 63.
[40] Some Answered Questions, p.218.
[41] Promulgation, p.29.
[42] Selections, pp.46, 61-2.
[43] Promulgation, pp.262-3.
[44] Paris Talks, p.41.
[45] Some Answered Questions, p.188.
[46] Promulgation, p.335. `And God
said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' (Genesis
1:26.)
[47] Selections, p.140.
[48] Gleanings, p.77.
[49] Promulgation, pp.302, 378, 328.
[50] Some Answered Questions, p.188.
[51] Promulgation, p.31.
[52] Paris Talks, p.96.
[53] Promulgation, p.317.
[54] ibid. p.184.
[55] Some Answered Questions, p.236.
[56] Seven Valleys, p.11.
[57] Promulgation, pp.287, 357, 244.
58 Selections, p.256.
[59] In this regard `Abdu'l-Bahá
writes: `... as is clearly indicated in the Gospel where it says: "Let the
dead bury their dead"... inasmuch as he who would bury these dead was alive
with the vegetative, animal and rational human soul, yet did Christ - to whom
be glory! - declare such dead and devoid of life, in that this person was
devoid of the Spirit of Faith which is of the Kingdom of God.'
(Tablets, p.116.)
[60] Promulgation, p.142.
[61] See John 3:1-8.
[62] These concepts explain the great
difference between animals and men. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The physical
body of man is like that of the animal, the only difference being on the level
of consciousness.' (quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in Star of the
West, XIV, p.37.) In fact if the highest perfection for animals is
happiness and well-being through the physical perception of the material world,
for man the highest perfection is in the knowledge of reality, on the one hand,
and in `the attainment of the supreme virtues of humanity through descent of
the heavenly bestowals' (Promulgation, p.4), `the honor allotted to
man', (ibid. p.166) on the other. In this sense `Abdu'l-Bahá confirms
the concepts of `the philosophers of the East - such as Plato, Aristotle and
the Persians', who `divide the world of existence or phenomena of life into two
general categories or kingdoms: one the animal kingdom, or world of nature, the
other the human kingdom, or world of reason.' (ibid. pp.356-7.)
[63] ibid. p.324.
[64] ibid. p.138.
[65] Quoted in U. Schaefer, The
Imperishable Dominion, pp.81-2.
66 Selections, p.256.
[67] Promulgation, p.293.
[68] ibid. p.11.
[69] ibid. pp.310, 4.
[70] Quoted in Peace (comp.), p.13.
[71] Gleanings, p.66.
[72] Promulgation, pp.465, 142. When in
the fifties, in the definitely materialistic aim of boosting the sales of
consumer goods in the United States, the motivations of human behaviour were
first studied, so that they might be exploited in the production of advertising
material, researchers discovered that only in a few cases were the motives of
human behaviour rational; on the contrary, it was mostly determined by what
psychologists call the unconscious or subconscious and which, in the Bah
'[exclamdown] view and in this context, may be defined as the natural emotions
of the natal self. It is clear that these emotions are not the expression of
the best or noblest side of man. No wonder that a man who follows them almost
blindly finds himself today in such an intricate personal and social situation.
It would appear, then, that in this modern world man is in need of a new scale
of values appropriate to his new situation, inasmuch as the old values have
been mostly criticized and rejected. This new scale should be one that anyone
may understand and feel the urgency and the need of concentrating his energies
upon it, thus finding a motivation in his struggle to give his spiritual
qualities priority over his natural emotions. Human behaviour will then become
more adequate to both individual and social progress. This is one of the most
important goals of the Bahá'í Faith, as it has been of every
other religion, at least in their early stages.
[73] Quoted in `The Need of a Universal
Program', in Star of the West, XIII, p.132.
[74] In this regard `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`The world of humanity cannot advance through mere physical powers and
intellectual attainments; nay, rather, the Holy Spirit is essential. The divine
Father must assist the human world to attain maturity. The body of man is in
need of physical and mental energy, but his spirit requires the life and
fortification of the Holy Spirit. Without its protection and quickening, the
human world would be extinguished.' (Promulgation, p.182.) He says
moreover: `Bahá'u'lláh has announced that no matter how far the
world of humanity may advance in material civilization, it is nevertheless in
need of spiritual virtues and the bounties of God. The spirit of man is not
illumined and quickened through material sources. It is not resuscitated by
investigating phenomena of the world of matter. The spirit of man is in need of
the protection of the Holy Spirit. Just as he advances by progressive stages
from the mere physical world of being into the intellectual realm, so must he
develop upward in moral attributes and spiritual graces. In the process of this
attainment he is ever in need of the bestowals of the Holy Spirit.'(ibid.
p.288.)
[75] In Bahá'í World
Faith, p.367.
[76] See Promulgation, pp.17, 30, 54,
58, 61, 80, 90-1, 172, 178, 241, 332, 357, 417.
[77] Ibid. p.353.
[78] In this context it is easier to
understand the concepts of fate , predestination and will expounded by
`Abdu'l-Bahá: `Fate and predestination consist in the necessary and
indispensable relationships which exist in the realities of things. These
relationships have been placed in the realities of existent beings through the
power of creation and every incident is a consequence of the necessary
relationship. For example, God hath created a relation between the sun and the
terrestrial globe, that the rays of the sun should shine and the soil should
yield. This relationship constitutes predestination, and the manifestation
thereof in the plane of existence is fate. Will is the active force which
controlleth these relationships and these incidents.' (Selections,
p.198.)
[79] Bahá'u'lláh
writes: `... is not the object of every Revelation to effect a
transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall
manifest itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall, affect both its inner
life and external conditions? For if the character of mankind be not changed,
the futility of God's universal Manifestations would be apparent.'
(Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.241.) And `Abdu'l-Bahá
explains: `There is a point in which the philosophers and the prophets differ.
The philosophers make education the test of knowledge, holding that any man who
receives sufficient education can attain a state of perfection. That is to say,
man possesses the potentiality for every kind of progress and education enables
him to bring this into the court of objectivity.
`The prophets say that something else is necessary. It is true that education
transforms the desert into a rose gar-den, the virgin forest into an orchard,
saplings into trees, and single flowers into double and treble flowers, but
there is a fundamental difference in man. You can know ten children of one
country, in the same school, under the same master, treated and fed in the same
way. One of these children may make great progress, others may remain
stationary. In the innate nature there are differences of memory, perception
and intelligence. There is a superior, a middle and an inferior degree which
correspond to the difference in the fundamental states of creation. While
recognizing the influence of education we must also become acquainted with the
innate disposition.
`The prophets are sent to educate this innate quality in humanity.' (Divine
Philosophy, pp.103-40.)
In this regard, Shoghi Effendi wrote through his secretary: `With the
appearance of every Revelation a new in-sight is created in man and this in
turn expresses itself in the growth of science.' (quoted in The Light of
Divine Guidance, II, p.21.) In other words, it is necessary that the
substance of man (character, inborn disposition, in-sight) is perfected, so
that he may progress.
[80] Gleanings, p.66.
Chapter 6
6
The Perfect Man: The Manifestation of God
The discussion of such a deep and important topic deserves a more complete
study than ours. However we shall do our best to set forth in the following
pages some fundamental concepts. [1]
The Manifestations of God in the history of mankind
From a historical point of view, the Manifestations of God are a small
number of famous personages, whose existence is sometimes questioned, but whose
traces are so evident in human history that no unbiased observer can fail to
acknowledge them. They are the founders of the great revealed religions: [2] Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha,
Krishna, Zoroaster and, more recently, the Báb and
Bahá'u'lláh.
We will now study these extraordinary personages in their common historical
aspects, so that we may understand them in a theological and philosophical
perspective. They are men of the most dissimilar social backgrounds: princes
such as Buddha and Bahá'u'lláh, priests like Zoroaster, merchants
such as Muhammad and the Báb, craftsmen like Jesus, courtiers such as
Moses. None of them attended any school, or availed himself of worldly power.
They announced to their fellow-men a message in the name of a Creator God Whose
mouthpiece they proclaimed themselves. Their message has always been indicative
of the importance of rising above certain limitations, which they referred to
as earthly, so that an ethical-theoretical goal, which they referred to as
spiritual, might be attained. They have thus urged mankind to accept hardships
and renunciation so that these goals may be achieved, and promised as a reward
or as a chastisement life or death of the spirit respectively.
In the beginning, a mere handful of God-intoxicated disciples follows this new
Master, giving rise to a scandal among the right-thinkers, observant of the
traditional rules -- such a scandal as to raise storms of persecution against
the Manifestation and His followers. However, despite their often violent
deaths (e.g. Jesus and the Báb) and the murder of many of their early
followers (martyrs) their ideas, which are at first strongly opposed,
eventually, as they show their power of renewal, transform society and usher in
a new civilization.
Their teachings therefore, unlike the teachings of philosophers, conquer
mankind through their intrinsic power and, when they are put into practice,
prove themselves fruitful and give birth to flourishing civilizations. No
civilization, including modern Western civilization, is known that was not born
through such a process. [3]
However, in the course of time these teachings lose their effectiveness amongst
men and -- according to the universal law of evolution -- having yielded their
fruit they decline and die. It is then that a new Manifestation appears
announcing a new message and new teachings so that mankind may achieve a new
spiritual life. The cycle of the ages -- an expression of the never-ending
`circle of existence' [4] -- proceeds in its
eternal motion even in the case of historical religions which -- like any other
phenomenal reality -- are born, grow, yield their fruit, decline and die.
These personages are fundamentally different from the great heroes of history.
They are characterized by two distinctive features:
- Their teachings -- set forth by words and mostly in the form of one
or more holy texts -- represent the essence of such spiritual laws as are fit
for mankind in its specific stage of growth. In fact, when mankind complies
with them, its spiritual, intellectual and social progress is realized. They
are the `science of reality', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `the greatest bestowal
of God'; and He adds: `... the sphere of the divine teachings is boundless...
without the teachings of God the world of humanity is like the animal kingdom',
which anyhow `is not cap-able of apprehending them'. In fact, these teachings
`are the bestowals specialized for man', `above all other source of instruction
and development for man', `the basis of all civilization and progress in the
history of mankind',[5] `a power above and
beyond the powers of nature', `a power' that can `change this
black darkness into light.'[6]
- Their spiritual power -- which they bestow upon anyone who of his
own free will and consciously identifies himself with those teachings -- is
that force through which man can be transformed into a creature endowed with
the spiritual virtues of the world of the Kingdom and capable of great
spiritual attainments in the world.
Their threefold reality
What is this power that enables them to bestow upon mankind such
teachings and spiritual forces? The Bahá'í texts maintain that
they convey to mankind ` the revelation of the Soul of God', [7] in other words they are the visible expression
of the spiritual reality of the world of the Kingdom. [8]
This spiritual reality, the First Emanation of the Divine Reality, is
reflected in the human reality of these personages, like the sun is reflected
in a perfect mirror. They are therefore characterized by a threefold
reality:
Material: that is, their bodies, which -- like all human bodies -- are
bound to be born, to grow up, to develop and to die.
Human: that is, their souls, their individualities. In this regard
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Everyone of them is a mirror of God...
All else besides them are to be regarded as mirrors capable of reflecting the
glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves the Primary Mirrors of the
Divine Being...'. He writes moreover that the soul of the Manifestation of
God is ` a pure and stainless Soul' 99 and `Abdu'l-Bahá
explains that it is `a perfect soul', `like a mirror wherein the Sun of Reality
is reflected... a perfect expression of the Sun'. [10]
When the soul of the Manifestation is compared to God, it is like a perfect
mirror reflecting the divine rays; when it is compared to mankind, that soul
occupies a quite different position. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the
individual reality of the Manifestation of God is a holy reality, and for that
reason it is sanctified and, in that which concerns its nature and quality, is
distinguished from all other things...'. [11]
In this context, He likens this perfect Soul to the sun, which is the direct
source of its shining rays, and human souls to the moon, which merely reflects
those rays.
These souls are different from human souls also in another respect: `The
Prophets are pre-existent. The soul or spirit of the individual comes into
being with the conception of the physical body. The Prophets, unlike us, are
pre-existent. The soul of Christ existed in the spiritual world before His
birth in this world. We cannot imagine what that world is like, so words are
inadequate to picture His state of being...'. [12]
Also the Manifestations of God have a `rational soul, which is the human
reality', or `human spirit', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, and they `... share it
with all mankind'. However, He explains that the degree of perception typical
of the Manifestations of God is not the same rational perception which is
typical of human souls, but a `universal divine mind' transcending human
knowledge, in that it is `a conscious power, not a power of investigation and
of research'. Such power `is the special attribute of the Holy Manifestations
and of the Dawning-Places of Prophethood; a ray of this light falls upon the
mirrors of the hearts of the righteous'. [13]
Therefore human knowledge is but the reflection of a ray, when compared to
such a sun as is the knowledge of the Manifestation of God.
Moreover, in the station of their individualities `the Divine Manifestations
are so many different mirrors, because they have a special individuality... It
is clear that the reality of Christ is different from that of Moses.'
Nevertheless `that which is reflected in the mirrors is the one sun', [14] therefore it is easy to understand how,
though the Manifestations of God differ from each other in many respects, yet
they are essentially one and the same.
Divine: that is the Word of God, the Logos. This reality has neither a
beginning nor an end; it is eternal, yet it is inferior to God, because it was
created by Him. `... this third state is alone partaken of by the divine
messengers, although great saints have attained extraordinary pre-eminence and
reflect the splendour of the sun,' [15]
says `Abdu'l-Bahá.
These three aspects of the reality of the Manifestation of God are described by
`Abdu'l-Bahá through the following metaphor: their material nature is as
a niche, their human nature is as the lamp within the niche, their divine
nature as the light which emanates from the lamp. [16]
Therefore, since the Manifestations of God are endowed with a `divine universal
mind', they know the essence of things, and not just their attributes. Their
knowledge of the essence of things is likened by `Abdu'l-Bahá to the
self-consciousness of human beings: `it is a conscious power, not a power of
investigation and of research', [17] He says.
As they are endowed with such perfect knowledge-consciousness of the world,
they know also `the essential connection which proceeds from the realities of
things', [18] which `Abdu'l-Bahá
defines as `nature' in its meaning of will of God. Therefore they can convey to
mankind as much of their knowledge as mankind can profit from in its specific
time and circumstances, a knowledge which may well be defined as `science of
reality'. [19]
As to their spiritual power, it is an emanation of the world of the Kingdom
whose Manifestation they are. In fact, Bahá'u'lláh writes that
they are ` the vehicle for the transmission of the Grace of the Divinity
itself'; [20] and `Abdu'l-Bahá
explains: `The greatest power of the Holy Spirit exists in the Divine
Manifestations of the Truth. Through the power of the Spirit the Heavenly
Teaching has been brought into the world of humanity... everlasting life has
come to the children of men... the Divine Glory has shone from East to West
and... will the divine virtues of humanity become manifest.' [21]
The Essence of God and the Manifestations of God
The relation between the Essence of God and the Manifestations of God
falls within the concept of emanation which has been explained in the second
chapter of this book. The Essence of God is sanctified above anything else. It
is Its active attributes that shine in the world of the Kingdom and appear in
the human world through the Manifestations of God. Therefore, the
Manifestations are not incarnations of God, [22] nor do they manifest His Essence, from which they are
far remote. [23]
They are an emanation of God -- His First Emanation. `Abdu'l-Bahá
explains that they `... are as mirrors which have acquired illumination from
the Sun of Truth, but the Sun does not descend from its high zenith and does
not effect entrance within the mirror. In truth, this mirror has attained
complete polish and purity until the utmost capacity of reflection has been
developed in it; therefore, the Sun of Reality with its fullest effulgence and
splendour is revealed therein.' [24]
The Manifestation of God is, therefore, the visible expression of that same
spirit which creates, moves and guides the entire universe and which manifests
itself in a Being who ex-presses man's material, human and divine natures in
their perfection, so that mankind may freely recognize him and of his own free
will submit to his laws, thus undergoing -- by virtue of those spiritual forces
the Manifestation bestows -- such a transformation as is the essence of human
spiritual growth or progress.
Though the Manifestations of God are powerful and yield absolute power over
mankind, yet they are wholly submitted unto God and have no will of their own.
Bahá'u'lláh refers to Himself as ` but a leaf which the winds
of the Will of Thy Lord... have stirred'. [25]
And elsewhere He describes His Own station thus: ` This station is the
station in which one dieth to himself and liveth in God. Divinity, whenever I
mention it, indicateth My complete and absolute self-effacement. This is the
station in which I have no control over mine own weal or woe, nor over my life
nor over my resurrection.' [26]
The lives of the Manifestations of God -- beset as they are with trials and
hardships -- are the evidence of their utmost submission to the will of God.
Endowed with the power of omnipotence as they are, they accept a life of
humility, giving the highest and purest example of such voluntary submission
unto the will of God as is their foremost teaching.
Their Names
In the Bahá'í texts the Manifestations of God are given
several names:
- Prophet, that is one who speaks in the name of God;
- Messenger, representative or apostle of God, that is one who is sent
by God into the world so that he may bestow upon mankind the divine bounties of
the world of the Kingdom;
- Word of God, inasmuch as the Manifestations of God have the capacity
of giving perfect expression to the spiritual meanings of reality, whereas
human beings, limited as they are, have not such a capacity and therefore are
referred to as `letters';[27]
- Sun of Truth or of Reality. In relation to the world of mankind they
are like the sun in relation to the earth. They are the only source of life,
enlightenment and growth for mankind, as the sun for the earth.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `... if for one moment the tide of His
mercy and grace were to be withheld from the world, it would completely
perish,'[28] and `Abdu'l-Bahá
ex-plains: `The outer sun is a sign or symbol of the inner and ideal Sun of
Truth, the Word of God... a function of the sun is the revelation of the
mysteries and creative purposes hidden within the phenomenal world.' This Sun
`gives forth the light of religion and bestows the life of the spirit, imbues
humanity with archetypal virtues and confers eternal splendors'; `its lights
are the lights of reality';[29]
- Perfect Man. The Manifestation of God is perfect in comparison with
other men. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Upon the inmost reality of
each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and
made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of
man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes,
and made it a mirror of His own Self.' In the metaphor presented by
Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestations of God, in comparison with other
men, are `the Primary Mirrors'.[30]
- Divine Physician. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Regard the
world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath
been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and
maladies...'; the Manifestation of God is that `skilled... all-powerful
and inspired Physician' who gives the `remedy' fit for its
`healing'.[31]
In the same vein, `Abdu'l-Bahá explains: ` Every divine Manifestation
is the very life of the world, and the skilled physician of each ailing soul.
The world of man is sick, and that competent Physician knoweth the cure,
arising as He doth with teachings, counsels and admonishments that are the
remedy for every pain, the healing balm to every wound'. [32]
In the Bahá'í texts the Manifestations of God are also given many
other names which describe their attributes: a deeper study of such a topic is
beyond the scope of this book. [33]
Relations between the Manifestations of God
In the Bahá'í texts, the Manifestations of God are viewed,
in their mutual relations, in two different perspectives: The station of
unity, that is ` of pure abstraction and essential unity': [34] in this station ` they all have but one
purpose; their secret is the same secret', [35] writes Bahá'u'lláh. Therefore, at the
times of their Dispensation [36] each one of
them is the depository of the ` Most Great Infallibility' 37
and ` to none is given the right to question His authority'; whosoever
does so deprives himself of any possibility of spiritual growth, like a tree
shut out from the sun. In this respect, ` Whoso maketh the slightest possible
difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and
manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God,' [38] writes Bahá'u'lláh.
The station of distinction. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Each
and every-one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message' of a
` divinely revealed Book', and has shown forth special qualities. In this
station, therefore, they are different from each other. According to the
Bahá'í texts, in fact, divine revelation through the
Manifestations of God is an eternal phenomenon. Bahá'u'lláh
writes: ` ... the Manifestations of His Divine glory and the Day Springs of
eternal holiness have been sent down from time immemorial, and been
commissioned to summon mankind to the one true God. That the names of some of
them are forgotten and the record of their lives lost is to be attributed to
the disturbances and changes that have overtaken the world.' [39]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains: `... the Kingdom of God is an ancient
sovereignty... it is not an accidental sovereignty...' and there-fore there
have always been Manifestations of God coming to mankind. `... [T]here have
been many holy Manifestations of God. One thousand years ago, two hundred
thousand years ago, one million years ago, the bounty of God was flowing, the
radiance of God was shining, the dominion of God was existing.' [40]
The Manifestations of God come one after the other, each one of them
representing a different stage in a progressive phenomenon. The
Bahá'í texts explain that the law of evolution operates also in
the succession of the Manifestations of God amongst men. In the divine
revelation, there are evolutionary cycles whereby a fruit appears, through
successive stages, from a seed. Each of the Manifestations of God is a stage in
this process that Bahá'u'lláh calls ` the chain of successive
Revelations' and the teachings they bring are progressive. In this regard
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Know of a certainty that in every
Dispensation the light of Divine Revelation hath been vouchsafed unto men in
direct proportion to their spiritual capacity'; and moreover: ` Should
the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies latent within it, no
man could sustain the weight of so mighty a Revelation'. Elsewhere He
writes: ` Their Revelation may be likened unto the light of the moon that
sheddeth its radiance upon the earth. Though every time it appeareth, it
revealeth a fresh measure of its brightness, yet its inherent splendour can
never diminish, nor can its light suffer extinction.' [41]
`Abdu'l-Bahá likens progressive revelation to human spirit appearing
with different power in the embryo, the newborn baby, and so on through the
various stages of human life, or to the spirit of growth which is present in
the seed but manifests itself in different ways in leaves and fruits; He says:
`... revelation is progressive and continuous. It never ceases. It is necessary
that the reality of Divinity with all its perfections and attributes should
become resplendent in the human world.' [42]
Revelations come into the world one after the other, even as springtimes follow
one another, year after year. `Abdu'l-Bahá develops the metaphor of the
Sun of Reality as the Manifestation of God and says: `The coming of a
Manifestation of God is the season of spiritual spring'; and elsewhere: `...
just as the solar cycle has its four seasons, the cycle of the Sun of Reality
has its distinct and successive periods.' These periods can be compared
respectively to springtime, when the new spiritual era begins; to summertime,
when the civilization ushered in by the Manifestation of God has attained its
greatest flourishing; to autumn, when its fruits are gathered, but at the same
time its decline begins; and to winter, when there is `the death and
disappearance of the divine growth and extinction of the light and love of
God', whereas only `dogmas and blind imitations' remain. At that time `...
again the cycle begins and a new springtime appears'. [43]
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains the same concept in different words: ` From the
days of Adam until today, the religions of God have been made manifest, one
following the other, and each one of them fulfilled its due function, revived
mankind, and provided education and enlightenment. They freed the people from
the darkness of the world of nature and ushered them into the brightness of the
Kingdom. As each succeeding Faith and Law became revealed, it remained for some
centuries a richly fruitful tree and to it was committed the happiness of
humankind. However, as the centuries rolled by, it aged, it flourished no more
and put forth no fruit, wherefore was it then made young
again.' 44
Elsewhere thus He ex-plains the origin of materialism: `When the sun sets, it
is the time for bats to fly. They come forth because they are creatures of the
night. When the light of religion becomes darkened, the materialists appear.
They are the bats of the night. The decline of religion is their time of
activity; they seek the shadows when the world is darkened and clouds have
spread over it.' [45]
Through these explanations the reasons may be understood why the progress of
civilizations cannot be described as a continuous ascending line, but rather as
a discontinuous ascending line. E. Laszlo acutely writes: `The historical
record... gives good reasons to believe that societies... do not change at all
times and in small increments. Rather, the mode of change appears saltatory and
intermittent... progressive yet discontinuous...'. [46]
These periods of transformation may be compared to that which the
Bahá'í texts call ` Day of God' 47 or, through a
metaphor, `the season of the spiritual springtime', that is `the coming of a
Manifestation of God.' [48]
The periods of stagnation are the phases of religious de-cline, of the triumph
of fanaticism which in its turn is the direct cause of the victory of
materialistic forces, which find their origin and the confirmation of their
theories in the mistakes perpetrated by the followers of religions. After all,
the judgement pronounced by Karl Marx against religion refers to religious
phenomena studied during their spiritual winter. [49]
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the differences between them, all the
Manifestations of God manifest all the names and attributes of God. ` They
only differ, writes Bahá'u'lláh, in the intensity of their
revelation and the comparative potency of their light.' [50]
The Bahá'í texts are very emphatic on this point: whoever does
not believe in the oneness of the Manifestations of God does not believe in the
oneness of God.
Their purposes
The Manifestations of God have a twofold purpose: to promote the
spiritual growth of individuals and to further the progress of
society.
- Promoting the spiritual growth of individuals: `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `God hath sent forth the Prophets for the purpose of quickening the soul
of man into higher and divine recognitions'; `to train the souls of humanity
and free them from the thraldom of natural instincts and physical
tendencies';[51] `to teach and en-lighten
man, to explain to him the mystery of the Power of the Holy Spirit; to enable
him to reflect the light, and so, in his turn, to be the source of guidance to
others';[52] and, in the words of
Bahá'u'lláh, `to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within
the mine of their true and inmost selves'. In this sense,
Bahá'u'lláh compares the revelation to the mythical elixir: the
former changes copper into gold, the latter transforms the animal nature of man
into a divine nature.[53]
Bahá'u'lláh writes concisely that the purpose of the
Manifestations of God is `to endue all men with righteousness and
understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst
them'.[54]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá says: "... the wisdom of the Manifestation of God is
directed toward the establishing of the bond of a love which is
indissoluble.'[55]
- The first purpose fulfils also the second: furthering the progress
of society or, in the words of Bahá'u'lláh, `to carry forward
an ever-advancing civilization',[56]
or, in the words of `Abdu'l-Bahá, `... unifying humanity and
establishing universal peace'. In this sense `Abdu'l-Bahá says also:
`The Prophets have founded divine civilization.'[57]
Therefore, the Manifestations of God are the great Educators of mankind, which
is in need of them because `the world of existence is but a jungle of disorder
and confusion, a state of nature producing nothing but fruitless, useless
trees'. [58]
They are sometimes likened to `the heart [of] the body of the universe...
Through his spiritual faculty he receives the teachings and bounties of the
Almighty God and then imparts them to the world through material means in which
he shares with other men'. [59]
As their religions have a twofold purpose, two aspects can be identified in
them: `one, the essential or fundamental, the other, the material or
accidental. The first aspect... concerns the ethical development and spiritual
progress of mankind, the awakening of potential human susceptibilities and the
descent of the divine bestowals. These ordinances are changeless, essential,
eternal. The second function... deals with material conditions, the laws of
human intercourse and social regulation. These are subject to change and
transformation in accordance with the time, place and condition.' [60]
In the light of all these qualities and functions, we may well understand the
following exalted words Bahá'u'lláh wrote describing the
Manifestations of God: ` It is God's supreme testimony, the clearest evidence
of His truth, the sign of His consummate bounty, the token of His all-
encompassing mercy, the proof of His most loving providence, the symbol of His
most perfect grace.' [61]
We understand also why it is so vitally important for men to recognize the
Manifestation and to submit wholeheartedly to his guidance.
Their proofs
Through what signs is mankind enabled to identify these Perfect Men,
these Unique Teachers? Thus Bahá'u'lláh answers such an important
question: ` The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His
own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to
recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath
revealed as proofs of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of
His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to
recognize the signs of God.' 62
Thus `Abdu'l-Bahá explains this important issue: `One of the proofs is
through the fulfillment of former prophecies, the second proofs are the
creative words and phrases which salute the hearts of humanity, the third are
their deeds and the fourth are their teachings.' `Abdu'l-Bahá does not
seem to attach great importance to prophecies, very difficult to interpret and
very easy to refute. He does not ascribe a great value to their miracles,
`convincing to a limited number only'. [63]
He attaches the greatest importance to their deeds, to their teachings and to
the power of their words. Regarding their deeds, `Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
` ... the Divine Educator must teach by word and also by deed, thus revealing
to all the straight pathway of truth'. Among their deeds He mentions
particularly their ` strength and endurance' 64 under tests
and trials. Regarding their teachings and the power of their words, He says:
`The proof of the validity of a Manifestation of God is the penetration and
potency of His Word, the cultivation of heavenly attributes in the lives and
hearts of His followers and the bestowal of divine education upon the world of
humanity. This is absolute proof. The world is a school in which there must be
Teachers of the Word of God.' Else-where He says: `If we wish to discover
whether anyone of these Souls or Messengers was in reality a Prophet of God, we
must investigate the facts surrounding His life and history, and the first
point of our investigation will be the education He be-stowed upon mankind.'
And moreover: `It is evident, then, that the proofs of the validity and
inspiration of a Prophet of God are the deeds of beneficent accomplishment and
greatness emanating from Him. If He proves to be instrumental in the elevation
and betterment of mankind, He is undoubtedly a valid and heavenly Messenger.'
And finally: `The essential requirement and qualification of Prophethood is the
training and the guidance of the people.' [65]
This transformation produced by virtue of the influence exercised by the
Manifestation of God upon His followers is such that some of them go so far as
to offer their lives, rather than recant their faith: these are the martyrs,
the pride of all revealed religions. [66]
History, therefore, is -- once more -- the tribunal which will judge, by
demonstrating his meanness, anyone who may unduly lay claim to prophethood,
whereas the fruits manifest in the lives of the followers of any true divine
Messenger and in the characters of the civilization he has ushered in are clear
evidence of his truth. When Christ was asked by His disciples how they could
distinguish the false from the true prophet, He answered: `Ye shall know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?' [67]
Denial
The Manifestations of God are seemingly as frail creatures as any human
being, ever wholly deprived of any worldly power; and yet they are the bearers
of teachings which are really `iconoclastic' [68] in their disruptive influence on time-honoured
traditions, traditions which in the long run have mostly turned into
prejudices. No wonder, then, that they have always been rejected and persecuted
by their contemporaries, or that at the beginning it is so difficult for most
people to accept their teachings and recognize their station. On the other
hand, that is part of the rules of the game of human spiritual growth. It is a
process that rests upon a free and conscious choice between a concrete and
alluring, sensible reality, and a difficultly perceived and appreciated,
spiritual reality. In fact how could such a choice be free, and such a process
achieve its educational purpose, if the signs of the Manifestations of God were
evident and attractive to human eyes, i.e. to that same animal nature that must
be conquered and overcome? Or if those signs were easily grasped by human
minds, which are requested to independently put themselves at the service of
the Manifestation? It is the human soul's attraction towards the world of the
Kingdom that, despite all else, must be the guide of human beings, so that they
may over-come any obstacle raised by the natal self, with its natural emotions,
and by the mind itself, through the prejudices it may easily fall prey to, and
may recognize the shining reality of the Manifestation of God.
End notes:
[1] Regarding the concept of the Manifestation
of God see J. R. Cole, `The Concept of the Manifestation in The
Bahá'í Writings', in Bahá'í Studies, IX and
A. Bausani, `La Nascita di Bahá'u'lláh,' in Opinioni
Bahá'í, VIII, no. 4, p.3.
[2] For a deeper study of this topic see
J. Mahmudi, `The Institutionalization of Religion', in World Order, XI,
no.1, pp.16- 25.
[3] Regarding the topic of the birth of
civilizations, see `Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, pp.283-4.
[4] Promulgation, p.220.
[5] ibid. pp.297, 61, 361.
[6] Selections, p.53.
[7] Gleanings, p.160.
[8] The world of the Kingdom is called also
First Mind, Primal Will, Word of God or Logos, Identity, Self or Soul of God.
See above, pp.35-6.
9 Gleanings, pp.74, 66.
[10] Promulgation, p.173.
[11] Some Answered Questions, p.154.
[12] on behalf of Shoghi Effendi in
Bahá'í News, Supplement, no. 112, June 1967.
[13] Some Answered Questions, pp.151,
208, 151, 218.
[14] Ibid. p.155.
[15] Divine Philosophy, p.56.
[16] Bahá'u'lláh writes that
they occupy a `double station', divine and human (See
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p.66) and have a `twofold nature'
`the physical... and the spiritual.' (ibid. pp.66-7.)
[17] Some Answered Questions, p.218.
[18] ibid. p.158.
[19] Promulgation, p.297.
[20] Gleanings, pp.67-8.
[21] Paris Talks, p.87.
[22] Bahá'u'lláh writes:
`Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His
Essence and reveal it unto men. He is, and hath been, immensely exalted beyond
all that can either be recounted or perceived... He Who is everlastingly hidden
from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and
His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than
the proof of His own Person.' (Gleanings, p.49.) He writes moreover:
`However, let none construe these utterances to be anthropomorphism, nor see
in them the descent of the worlds of God into the grades of the creatures; nor
should they lead thy Eminence to such assumptions. For God is, in His Essence,
holy above ascent and descent, entrance and exit; He hath through all eternity
been free of the attributes of human creatures and ever will remain so. No man
hath ever known Him; no soul hath ever found the pathway to His Being.'
(Seven Valleys, pp.22-3.)
[23] In this regard Bahá'u'lláh
writes: `Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the
Sinai of their search at God's forbidding voice, "Thou shall never behold Me!";
whilst a myriad of Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon
their heavenly thrones by the interdiction: "Mine Essence thou shall never
apprehend!".' And moreoever: `When I contemplate, O My God, the
relationship that bindeth Me to Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created
things "verily, I am God"; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it
coarser than clay.' (Bahá'u'lláh, in Shoghi Effendi, The
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.113.)
[24] Promulgation, p.114.
[25] Proclamation, p.57.
[26] Epistle, p.41.
[27] Gleanings, p.196.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `By the "word" we mean that creation with its
infinite forms is like unto letters and the individual members of humanity are
likewise like unto letters. A letter individually has no meaning, no
independent significance, but the station of Christ is the station of the word.
That is why Christ is the "word" -- a complete significance. The universal
bestowal of divinity is manifest in Christ. It is obvious that the evolution of
other souls is approximate, or only a part of the whole, but the perfections of
the Christ are universal, or the whole. The reality of Christ is the collective
centre of all the independent virtues and infinite significances.' (Divine
Philosophy, p.144.)
[28] Gleanings, p.68.
[29] Promulgation, pp.74, 94. The
locution Sun of Reality or of Truth is often used to indicate the world of the
Kingdom in its essence. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `... the Sun of Truth
dwelleth in a sky to which no soul hath any access, and which no mind can
reach, and He is far beyon the comprehension of all creatures. Yet the Holy
Manifestations of God are even as a looking-glass, burnished and without stain,
which gathereth streams of light out of that Sun, and then scattereth the glory
over the rest of creation. In that polished surface, the Sun with all Its
majesty standeth clearly revealed'. (Selections, p.50.)
[30] Gleanings, pp.65, 74.
[31] Proclamation, pp.67-8.
[32] Selections, p.59.
[33] For a meditation on the names of the
Manifestations of God see R. Rabbani, The Desire of the World.
She writes: `We now come to a selection from the passages of
Bahá'u'lláh's writings which might be defined as the essence of
theology, which consists for the most part of the titles of God and the titles
of Bahá'u'lláh Himself.' (ibid. p.163.) She then proceeds with
that which she describes as a `not complete... nevertheless a comprehensive and
impressive selection of the gem-like metaphors and phrases He has used' to
convey such a difficult concept, and which may be suggested as an effective
starting point in studying and meditating upon this important theme.
[34] Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p.152.
[35] Gleanings, p.78.
[36] `Dispensation' is intended as a religious
system as a stage in a progressive revelation.
37 Tablets, p.108. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Know
that the term "Infallibility" hath numerous meanings and divers stations. In
one sense it is applicable to One Whom God hath made immune from error.
Similarly it is applied to every soul whom God hath guarded against sin,
transgression, rebellion, impiety, disbelief and the like. However, the Most
Great Infalliblity is confined to One Whose station is immeasurably exalted
beyond ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and omissions.
Indeed He is a Light which is not followed by darkness and a Truth not
overtaken by error. Were He to pronounce water to be wine or heaven to be earth
or light to be fire, He speaketh the truth and no doubt would there be about
it; and unto none is given the right to question His authority or to say why or
wherefore.' (ibid. p.108.)
[38] Gleanings, pp.87, 59-60.
[39] ibid. pp.79, 74, 174.
[40] Promulgation, p.463.
[41] Gleanings, pp.74, 87, 76-7, 79.
[42] Promulgation, p.378.
[43] ibid. pp.54, 95, 363, 95.
44 Selections, pp.51-2.
[45] Promulgation, pp.179-80.
[46] Evolution, pp.101, 105.
47 Gleanings, p.11.
[48] Promulgation, p.54.
[49] For a deeper discussion of this concept,
see G.Nash, The Phoenix and the Ashes, p.104. As to the
comparison between materialists and bats, see above p.16 and no. 80.
[50] Gleanings, p.48.
[51] Promulgation, p.310.
[52] Paris Talks, p.61.
[53] Gleanings, p.287. See also
ibid. p.200.
[54] ibid. p.225.
[55] Promulgation, p.344.
[56] Gleanings, p.215.
[57] Promulgation, pp.97, 375.
[58] ibid. p.466.
[59] Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, `The
Heart', in Star of the West, X, p.115.
[60] Promulgation, pp.97-8. In this
regard, `Abdu'l-Bahá says also: `Each one of the divine religions has
established two kinds of ordinances, the essential and the accidental. The
essential ordinances rest upon the firm, unchanging, eternal foundations of the
Word itself. They concern spiritualities, seek to stabilize morals, awaken
intuitive susceptibilities, reveal the knowledge of God and inculcate the love
of all mankind. The accidental laws concern the administration of outer human
actions and relations, establishing rules and regulations requisite for the
world of bodies and their control. These are ever subject to change and
supersedure according to exigencies of time, place and condition. For example,
during the times of Moses... divorce was sanctioned and polygamy allowable to a
certain extent... Briefly, the foundation of the divine religions is one
eternal foundation, but the laws for temporary conditions and exigencies are
subject to change. Therefore, by adherence to these temporary laws, blindly
following and imitating ancestral forms, difference and divergence have arisen
among followers of the various religions, resulting in disunion, strife and
hatred. Blind imitations and dogmatic observances are conducive to alienation
and disagreement; they lead to bloodshed and destruction of the foundations of
humanity. Therefore, the religionists of the world must lay aside these
imitations and investigate the essential foundation of reality itself, which is
not subject to change or transformation. This is the divine means of agreement
and unification.' (Promulgation, pp.338-9.)
[61] Gleanings, p.195.
62 ibid. pp.105-6.
[63] Divine Philosophy, pp.39-40.
64 Selections, p.56.
[65] Promulgation, pp.341, 364, 366,
411.
[66] For an explanation of the meaning of
martyrdom see Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.221-8, and
Gleanings pp.179-83.
[67] Matt. 7:16-17.
[68] Promulgation, p.154. See
also Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.4 passim and
Gleanings, pp.56-9.
Chapter 7
7
Striving Towards Perfection: Dynamics of Human Transformation
The method
Everything is perfectly arranged: man stands at the end of imperfection
(i.e. he is the fruit of the world of creation and is possessed of all its
qualities) and at the beginning of perfection (i.e. he is potentially possessed
of the capacity for all the spiritual qualities of the world of the Kingdom).
The instrument through which he can set in motion and operate the process
whereby his divine potentialities will be manifested, is his power of
understanding, typical of human nature. Man can avail himself of his power of
understanding so that he may recognize the Manifestation of God, who manifests,
within the reach of human beings, the spiritual qualities and the creative
forces of the world of the Kingdom, and who in doing do bestows upon mankind
two great bounties:
- A set of teachings and laws representing a reflection of the great
laws and truths of the world of the Kingdom; whoever adheres to these teachings
and observes these laws will have concrete results in his own life: personal
excellence and collective progress.
- The forces required for man on the one hand to conquer in himself
such material qualities as belong to his animal nature and hamper his
transformation, and on the other to both manifest the qualities of his divine
nature and achieve a deeper comprehension of the Revelation. `This quickening
spirit emanates spontaneously from the Sun of Truth',[1] says `Abdu'l-Bahá. These two great bounties are
often referred to, in the Bahá'í texts, as the bounty of the Holy
Spirit[2] and the spirit of faith.[3]
The Manifestation of God thus reveals to mankind the path and the method of its
transformation, and at the same time puts at its disposal the powers -- if
mankind is but willing to reap them -- through which this transformation may
occur. Mankind can obtain such powers only through its willing compliance with
the method prescribed by the Manifestation. [4]
The transformation of man from his animal nature to his divine nature -- or
spiritual progress -- is the highest evolutional stage attained upon the earth
by one who is born from the composition of elemental atoms and who has
successively traversed, in the course of long ages, the mineral, vegetable and
animal kingdoms. Recognizing the Manifestation of God is there-fore `the first
step in the path of God, but the distance of the way is great...' [5]
Since this transformation is a process of growth, it complies with the laws of
evolution in the same way as any other process of this kind: it is gradual and
may be compared to the growth of a `seed', [6]
which, cultivated by the farmer, germinates, grows and yields its fruits by
virtue of the energy poured out by the sun, and of the mineral substances
absorbed from the air and the soil -- thus expressing its potential qualities.
This is one of the metaphors `Abdu'l-Bahá suggests in order to explain
the dynamics of spiritual transformation. [7]
Other metaphors are as follows: a stone which must be cleared from `the dust
and dross of this world', so that it may mirror forth the light of the sun; a
`sterile soil' which must be laboriously tilled so that it may become fertile
and yield its fruits. One of the most suggestive amongst these metaphors is
that of light. `Abdu'l-Bahá refers to God as `Supreme... Centre of
Light' and says: `the more we turn to this Centre of Light, the greater will be
our capacity'. And moreover:'... spiritual advancement may be likened to the
light of the early dawn. Although this dawn light is dim and pale, a wise man
who views the march of the sunrise at its very beginning can foretell the
ascendancy of the sun in its full glory and effulgence. He knows for a
certainty that it is the beginning of its manifestation and that later it will
assume great power and potency.' [8]
He likens moreover ` the brilliant realities and sanctified spirits... to a
shining crescent... [This crescent], He writes, has one face turned toward the
Sun of Truth, and another face opposite to the contingent world. The journey of
this crescent in the heaven of the universe ends in (becoming) full moon. That
is, the face of it which is turned toward the divine world becomes also
opposite to the contingent world, and by this, both its merciful and spiritual,
as well as contingent perfections become complete'. [9]
Finally, He describes this process as a process of approaching God, and He
adds: `nearness is likeness', [10] because `The
prophets teach us that the only way to approach God is by characterizing
ourselves with the attributes of divinity'. Such can (and must) be this
likeness that one's existence may become `non existence', `for when the ray --
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes -- returneth to the sun, it is wiped out, and when
the drop cometh to the sea, it vanisheth and when the true lover finds his
Beloved, he yieldeth up his soul'. [11]
Prerequisites of human transformation
The Bahá'í texts offer so much advises and so many
admonitions concerning the prerequisites of human transformation, that it would
be impossible to list them all. Besides, there would be the risk of making arid
and cold that which -- written in the peer-less, metaphoric language typical of
revelation -- has the capacity not only to make the concepts clear to any
searching mind, but also to awaken in receptive hearts such feelings whereby
the inherent obstacles of this process may be overcome. We will therefore
content ourselves with discussing just a few of the topics which seem both
vital and easier to understand and set forth.
Voluntary submission to the will of God
Three are ` the most holy words' prescribed by God for human souls
when they are brought to existence, as prerequisites for the quickening of
their inherent divine potentialities: ` Prefer not your own will to Mine,
never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with
lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings.' [12]
These words are expressive of that voluntary and conscious ` submission
to' the ` command' or will of God which -- accepted for the sake of
His love and abundantly exemplified in the lives of the Manifestations of God,
who have always willingly accepted any affliction in the fulfillment of their
missions -- is conducive to detachment from ` worldly desires and
cravings' and to the attainment of the `nearness of God'.
Purity[13]
`Abdu'l-Bahá says, `Nearness to God is dependent upon purity of the
heart and exhilaration of the spirit through the glad tidings of the Kingdom.'
In this context, it seems that `pure' is anyone possessed -- either because he
never lost it or because he regained it -- of such inborn susceptibility as
enables him, on the one hand, to rejoice in his inmost heart at that which
satisfies the demands of his divine nature drawing his soul closer to the world
of the Kingdom, and, on the other, to suffer because of that which draws his
soul far away from that same spiritual world. A pure soul, therefore, is
strongly attracted towards the words and the teachings of the Manifestation of
God, in that they are the expressions of the world of the Kingdom (such is the
`exhilaration of the spirit through the glad tidings of the Kingdom' [14]). As that pure soul follows this attraction,
it will advance along the path of its search for the Kingdom.
Endeavour
Any pure and attracted person who is seeking the world of the Kingdom,
should be `lofty in endeavour'; in fact `as long as he lacks susceptibility to
divine influences, he is incapable of reflecting the light and assimilating its
benefits' and therefore `he must seek capacity and develop readiness'. This is
the path of spiritual perfection, through which two capacities may be achieved:
on the one hand, `capacity, susceptibility and worthiness that [he] may hear
the call of the glad tidings of the Kingdom', i.e. the capacity of
understanding the teachings of the Manifestation; on the other, the
`susceptibility to the divine influences', so that he may `reflect the light
and assimilate its benefits', [15] i.e. the
capacity of expressing the divine virtues in his life. It is certainly not a
quick and sudden transformation; on the contrary, it is often a slow and
troublesome change, made possible through constant endeavour in one's effort to
rise above one's inherent animal nature, as well as through such generous
divine bounties as are the teachings of the Manifestation and the forces of the
Holy Spirit and of the spirit of faith.
Directions of human endeavours
When we study the Bahá'í texts, we will immediately find
certain vital prerequisites a man should meet if he is to progress along the
path of spirituality:
- The first prerequisite is `the knowledge of God', i.e. the
recognition of the Manifestation of God. In the absence of such a prerequisite,
spiritual life is sorely crippled: `his cry shall not be heard by
God',[16] sound the dramatic warning
uttered by Bahá'u'lláh.
- The second prerequisite is `steadfastness in His love' and `in
His Cause'. Whoever aims at the gift of such `steadfastness',[17] should recognize that `He [God]
shall not be asked of His doings'. In other words, he should recognize the
infallibility of the Manifestation of God and fulfil the duty of surrendering
to His will. Through such recognition he will be delivered `from all manner
of doubt and perplexity'18
and will attain a condition which is referred to as `knowledge'.[19]
Whoever wants to attain the bounty of such steadfastness is also recommended to
meditate upon the words of the Manifestation, so that he may grasp their inner
meanings and draw from their creative forces.
- The third prerequisite is strict observance of certain prescribed
commandments:[20] daily prayer, daily reading
of and pondering upon the Holy Writings, so that the truths enshrined within
them may be discovered; mirroring forth the moral and spiritual teachings of
the Manifestation in everyday life; teaching the Faith with the twofold purpose
of assisting other souls so that they may find their way towards God and of
contributing to bringing about the unity of mankind in the world.[21]
The special meaning of the Revealed Word
Prayer and the perusal of the Holy Texts are an instrument of spiritual
progress, because the words revealed by the Manifestations of God have a
special meaning, as has been previously explained. In fact, the Manifestations
of God translate their own direct knowledge of the world of the Kingdom and of
the world of creation into words which are within the reach of human
understanding -- words which they convey to mankind through their utterances
and Writings. It is clear, therefore, that such words are a vital link between
mankind and the world of the Kingdom.
The messages of the Manifestations of God are worded quite differently from
those of ordinary human beings. The Manifestations mostly avail themselves of
metaphors, because in so doing they can convey spiritual truths which could not
be described through such univocal language as is rightly required and usually
used in scientific activity. The topic of the literary style of the
Bahá'í texts is beyond our scope. [22]
It is enough here to quote an important statement by `Abdu'l-Bahá,
explaining how the comprehension of such metaphors is always gradual and
adequate to the spiritual capacities and susceptibilities of the audience:
`Consider how the parable makes attainment dependent upon capacity. Unless
capacity is developed, the summons of the Kingdom cannot reach the ear, the
light of the Sun of Truth will not be observed, and the fragrances of the rose
garden of inner significance will be lost.' [23]
Through prayer -- whose daily practice is recommended in the
Bahá'í texts using those numerous prayers which, revealed as they
are, by the Manifestation of God, are perfectly worded -- a goal is pursued
which, as a man advances in his spiritual growth, rises from an invocation
aimed at obtaining satisfaction of a material need, to a supplication for aid
so that a spiritual gift may be obtained, to the expression of feelings of
contrition for a past transgression, or of feelings of personal helplessness,
to an anthem of praise and thanksgiving to God for His abundantly bestowed
bounties, to the contemplation of His manifest Beauty in the world of creation
and in one's own innermost being. [24]
The Bahá'í texts explain, moreover, that true prayer, like any
other activity of human thought, cannot remain in the plane of thought only,
but should be translated into actions, otherwise it is utterly useless.
Therefore, the devout reading or chanting of the specially revealed prayers of
the Manifestations of God is a means through which such spiritual forces may be
obtained as are required to attain the spiritual goals that those prayers
recommend and that are being eagerly pursued.
Meditation on the Holy Writings is very similar to prayer in its meaning.
Through this important practice, a deeper under-standing of the truths
enshrined within those same words may be achieved, so that they may be mirrored
forth in daily life.
Finally, through the perusal of the Holy Writings (a practice which implies a
mental activity aiming at understanding their contents) a deeper knowledge of
the Writings and the Teachings may be obtained, so that they may be practised
and taught more easily.
Serving mankind
Teaching the Faith is viewed in the Bahá'í texts as
` the most meritorious of all deeds'. [25]
Many important spiritual purposes are fulfilled through this
activity:
- First of all, teaching the Faith is viewed as an activity aiming at
drawing a soul closer to God and thus to itself. If the Manifestations of God
mirror forth all the attributes of God, if they are the source of all the
bounties vouchsafed by God unto mankind, there is no higher goal for a man to
aim for, than recognizing them and being exposed to their quickening influence.
Could any other greater gift be bestowed upon a soul than assisting it in
recognizing such an exalted Being?
- Secondly, whoever recognizes the Manifestation of God will
immediately put himself at the service of His primal purpose: to realize the
unity of mankind. Therefore, when the followers of Bahá'u'lláh
teach the Faith, they fulfil another of the duties prescribed by Him: to devote
all their energies to the attainment of the unity of mankind.
- Finally, `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `... in spiritual training
it is impossible for an imperfect one to perfect another, or train another,
unless he first conquer his own self and desire, and become purified from
selfish iniquities in order to become capable of Merciful Splendours'.[26]26
Indeed, when we study the Bahá'í texts on topic of
teaching, we come to understand that this vital task requires wisdom,
tolerance, kindness, patience, tact, moderation, love, sincerity, consistency,
a good character and holy deeds, courage, dignity, humility, modesty and many
other virtues. Therefore while the spiritual seeker strains every nerve so that
he may befittingly deliver the Message, he finds a training ground and a strong
motivation for the inner improvement he is aiming at and a good opportunity to
practice in his life those same spiritual truths he is attracted to.
However, the Bahá'í texts suggest many other deeds of service to
humanity. They offer two kinds of directives: on the one hand, they recommend,
through exhortations and admonitions, those virtues which should be acquired so
that mankind may be befittingly served; on the other, they offer practical
instructions in view of such service. The former inculcate a standard of
behaviour and kindle in the hearts a yearning to rise up to those heights; the
latter outline those practical steps through which the standards recommended
may be realized.
An inspiring epitome of the former is the following exhortation addressed by
Bahá'u'lláh to one of His sons, to which Rúhíyyih
Rabbani refers as `the most succinct and perfect guide to what should
constitute the character of a true human being': [27]
` Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the
trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a
treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the
needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgement, and
guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men.
Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for
the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim
of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a
home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength to the
fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the
erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of
fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body
of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of
virtue, a dew to the soil of human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a
sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in
the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility'. [28]
Many passages in the Bahá'í texts offer practical counsels. The
directions suggested, the examples proposed and the situations provided for are
so various, that any seeker is immediately faced by a difficulty he must learn
to overcome. As this new era is characterized by the spiritual maturity of
mankind, decisions and choices are always left to the responsibility of
individuals. Whoever looks in the Bahá'í texts for precise and
binding recipes, a sort of casuistry to comply with in the various specific
circumstances of life, will be disappointed. The Bahá'í texts
establish only a few fundamental and universal principles, and it is on this
ground that everyone must learn how to manage his own life in full
consciousness and freedom. It is the duty of everyone to identify each time, in
his own specific and peculiar condition, the best decision to take so that the
sought-after ` good pleasure of [the] Beloved' 29 may
be obtained. The best thing to do is to identify the `spiritual principles or
what some call human values', [30] because on
that ground solutions for any personal or social problem may be found. When
these are identified, then the context should be raised `to the level of
principle, as distinct from pure pragmatism'. 30 Here lies the secret
of such a life in the service of mankind as is an indispensable prerequisite of
spiritual progress.
It would be impossible to enumerate all the practical counsels offered by the
Bahá'í texts for the different circumstances of our daily lives.
Such a comprehensive view may be conceived and such intimate feelings may be
kindled only from an open-minded and thorough perusal of the Holy Writings.
Whether within the family, or in the sphere of studies or job, in the
sociopolitical field or in interpersonal relationships, a spiritual seeker will
never lose sight of his goal, which is the world of the Kingdom. Wherever he
happens to act, he will strive so that he may show forth those qualities of the
world of the Kingdom he is seeking for and discovering in his own inner self.
These qualities are indeed both `means' [31]
for the entrance into that spiritual Kingdom and ` qualifications of the
divinely enlightened souls', [32] who have
already attained to it. And in the course of his efforts, he will not waste his
time in metaphysical hairsplitting or in strange occult practices.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Averse is God from putting aught into
effect except through its (material) means', and moreover He says that `God
hath made the achievement of everything conditional upon material means.' [33]
And when an inquirer asked of `Abdu'l-Bahá, what is the relationship
between material means and prayer, He answered:
` Prayer is like the spirit and material means are like the human hand. The
spirit operateth through the instrumentality of the hand. Although the one True
God is the All-Provider, it is the earth which is the means to supply
sustenance... . but when sustenance is decreed it becometh available, whatever
the means may be. When man refuseth to use material means, he is like a thirsty
one who seeketh to quench his thirst through means other than water or other
liquids. The Almighty Lord is the provider of water, and its maker, and hath
decreed that it be used to quench man's thirst, but its use is dependent upon
His Will. If it should not be in conformity with His Will, man is afflicted
with a thirst which the oceans cannot quench.' [34]
The Bahá'í texts clearly recommend that human goals be achieved
through such instruments as the world itself offers. Therefore, scientific
discoveries can and must be employed. Many passages in the Bahá'í
texts will be starting points for the most acute minds, in their endeavours to
promote science -- psychology, sociology, anthropology, medicine and others --
for the benefit of mankind in its pursuance of physical, intellectual and
spiritual progress, both individual and collective.
Means of the entrance into the Kingdom
`Abdu'l-Bahá mentions in one of His talks seven `means' that
should be achieved for the purpose of spiritual transformation. These `means'
are: `... the knowledge of God... the love of God... faith... philanthropic
deeds... self- sacrifice... severance from this world... sanctity and
holiness'. [35]
He says elsewhere: `Entrance into the Kingdom is through the love of God,
through detachment, through holiness and chastity, through truthfulness,
purity, steadfastness, faithfulness and the sacrifice of life.' [36]
Qualifications of the enlightened souls
`Abdu'l-Bahá enumerates, in one of His writings,
`seven qualifications of the divinely enlightened
souls:
`Knowledge. Man must attain the knowledge of God.
`Faith.
`Steadfastness.
`Truthfulness. Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the
world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all the worlds
of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in
man, all the divine qualities will also become realized.
`Uprightness. And this is one of the greatest divine attainments.
`Fidelity. This is also a beautiful trait of the heavenly man.
`Evanescence or humility. That is to say, man must become evanescent in God.
He must forget his own selfish conditions that he may thus arise to the station
of sacrifice... When he attains to this station, the confirmations of the Holy
Spirit will surely reach him.'[37]
It is clear that the `means' for `entrance into the Kingdom' and for spiritual
transformation more or less coincide with such `qualifications of the divinely
enlightened souls' as are the fruits of the process of spiritual
transformation. It would therefore seem a vicious circle: these means are
required for `entrance into the Kingdom' [38]
and for spiritual transformation; at the same time they are themselves
`merciful gifts' [39] i.e. the fruits of the
process. However, what is up to the seeker is his choice between the world of
creation and the world of the Kingdom; this is the first step. `Knock, and the
door shall be opened to you' [40] reechoes the
comforting warning uttered by Christ. `And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our
ways will We guide them', [41] says the
Qur'án. ` ... He, verily, will aid every one that aideth Him, and will
remember every one that remembereth Him', [42] writes Bahá'u'lláh; and moreover: ` He
is the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God.' [43]
For the very reason that the world of the Kingdom is being sought; that the
attraction towards that spiritual Kingdom has been preferred to the attraction
towards the world of nature; that the required steps are being taken so that
such an attraction may be favoured -- steps which are mostly practical and by
no means mysterious -- for all those reasons, `merciful gifts... and powers'
are received as a reward. As those efforts continue, they are rewarded through
a more bountiful outpouring of those same `gifts' and an increasing rate of
spiritual growth. At the beginning that growth is slow and painful, but when
the method has been learnt through action, the progress will be faster and
easier, supported as it is by those `merciful gifts' (which `Abdu'l-Bahá
also describes as `powers... [or] forces...') through which spiritual progress
is promoted. [44]
Obstacles to human transformation
The Bahá'í texts mention some important obstacles in the
path of spirituality: these are the self, or self-centredness, estrangement,
malice, envy, backbiting, excess of words.
Self or selfcentredness[45]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` self-love... is a strange trait and the means
for the destruction of many important souls in the world. If a man be imbued
with all qualities but be selfish, all the other virtues will fade or pass away
and eventually he will grow worse'. [46]
He writes moreover: ` ... there is no veil more obstructive than the self,
and however tenuous that veil may be, at the last it will completely shut a
person out, and deprive him of his portion of eternal grace.' And He wrote
to two inquirers: ` Do all you can to become wholly weary of self, and bind
yourselves to that Countenance of Splendours; and once ye have reached such
heights of servitude, ye will find, gathered within your shadow, all created
things. This is boundless grace; this is the life that dieth
not...' 47
He refers moreover to ` the rust of egotism' and tells of ` ... the
subtlety of the ego of man. It is the Tempter (the subtle serpent of the mind)
and the poor soul not entirely emancipated from its suggestions is deceived
until entirely severed from all save God.' [48]
Whereas attraction towards the world of the Kingdom is the first step in the
process of spiritual growth, self-centredness is exactly the opposite. It is
attraction towards the natal self, the animal nature in man belonging to that
same plane of existence which must be consciously and of one's own free-will
overcome, so that the divine world of the Kingdom may be attained.
Self-centredness leads a man to put his powers of understanding at the service
of his own natal self, expressing and developing its obscure attributes: such a
man will thus yield to his own ` lusts and corrupts inclinations' and
will be numbered among ` the lost'. [49]
Conversely, whoever is attracted to the world of the Kingdom yearns after its
qualities. In fact, `nearness is likeness', and `nearness to God necessitates
sacrifice of the self'. [50]
A selfish man is inclined to consider himself `a little better than, a little
superior to, the rest'; `Abdu'l-Bahá says that such a man `is in a
dangerous position'. [51]
Our self is therefore our real enemy, and `Life is a constant struggle, not
only against forces around us, but above all against our own "ego"'. [52]51 However, `... the complete and
entire elimination of the ego would imply perfection, which man can never
completely attain. But the ego can and should ever-increasingly be subordinated
to the enlightened soul of man. This is what spiritual progress implies.' [53]
Estrangement
Estrangement is a kind of self-centredness. `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`When the souls become separated and selfish, the divine bounties do not
descend, and the light of the Supreme Concourse are no longer reflected even
though the bodies meet together.' [54]
Quoting the Qur'án, He writes: ` "Verily God loveth those who, as
though they were a solid wall, do battle for His Cause in serried lines!"...
meaning crowded and pressed together, one locked to the next, each supporting
his fellows,' [55] because cooperation is
the mainspring of civilization; whoever is not willing to cooperate with his
fellowmen is opposing the progress of civilization in the world, which is one
of the fundamental purposes of human life.
Malice
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... malice is a grievous malady
which depriveth man from recognizing the Great Being, and debarreth him from
the splendours of the sun of certitude. We pray and hope that through the grace
and mercy of God He may remove this mighty obstacle.' In the concept of
malice, an inclination to transgression is implied, a propensity to act
wickedly, to harm people, to indulge in vices, sustained by a conscious will,
an inner gratification, a capacity of dissimulation, a customary wont. [56]
This attitude is exactly the opposite of such sincere submission to the laws
and such purity of heart as are the indispensable prerequisites of anyone who
is struggling for his own spiritual transformation.
Envy
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Know, verily, the heart wherein
the least remnant of envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting
dominion, nor inhale the sweet savours of holiness breathing from my Kingdom of
sanctity.' 57
In fact envy -- characterized as it is by regret and resentment when faced
with the happiness, the well-being, the prosperity of other people -- is the
negation of that love `Abdu'l-Bahá thus refers to: `Until love takes
possession of the heart, no other divine bounty can be revealed in it.'
`Abdu'l-Bahá says elsewhere that one of the most important reasons why
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus was because he was envious of Peter the Apostle
being so highly considered by Christ. [58]57
Backbiting
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... backbiting quencheth the light
of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul' and forbids it
specifically in His great Book of Laws. [59]
How could a society be united whose members, far from being mutually sincere
and frank, indulge in backbiting, proving themeselves disloyal towards each
other? Since backbiting is conducive to disunity, it is a highly prejudicial
deed to both individuals and society.
Exceeding in words
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` he whose words exceed his deeds,
know verily his death is better than his life'. [60]
The glory of a man and the beginning of his spiritual life is in his deeds.
Good words, in this respect, are only an obstacle, because, when they are not
translated into actions, they imply hypocrisy, cowardliness and
boastfulness.
* * *
The concept is now very clear: the prerequisite of spiritual progress
is the attainment of the bounties of the Holy Spirit through the knowledge and
the love of the Manifestation of God, and the observance of the laws of His
Revelation. Such a condition is realized whenever a man submits his own will to
that of the Manifestation, forgets his own little self and circles around the
Self of God, i.e. His Manifestation. Whosoever gravitates towards his own self,
and does not love his fellow men, and does not act righteously, and keeps aloof
from society, will not achieve such spiritual forces as are required for his
own spiritual transformation. He will be like a vessel whose sails are
stricken, or upwind: that vessel will toil along and sooner or later
capsize.
Meanings of sorrow and sacrifice
The process of spiritual growth requires detachment from the natal self
and the turning to the Self of God, i.e. His Manifestation. This is the meaning
of sacrifice, a sacrifice which implies -- at least in its initial phases --
sufferings. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` The companions of all who
adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek Thee are
the groans they utter, and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the
fragments of their broken hearts.' [61]
And yet, most people are put to the test because of human suffering in general
or of their own afflictions in particular, and some of them reach the point of
denying the existence of a merciful and just God. But the Bahá'í
texts abundantly enlighten the manifold meanings of human sufferings,
explaining that they are a vital and essential aspect of life and that it is
impossible to avoid them.
Meanings of sorrow
An instrument of human perfection. First of all, `Grief and sorrow do
not come to us by chance,' says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `they are sent to us by
the Divine Mercy for our own perfecting,' [62]
therefore they are adequate to our capacity (` ... God hath never burdened
any soul beyond its power...' 63 echo the reassuring words
written by Bahá'u'lláh). `Men who suffer not, attain no
perfection', [64] says `Abdu'l-Bahá.
Moreover He writes: ` Unless one accept suffering, undergo trials and endure
vicissitudes, he will reap no reward nor will he attain success and
prosperity.' [65]
Then He explains: ` Were it not for tests, genuine gold could not be
distinguished from the counterfeit. Were it not for tests, the courageous could
not be known from the coward. Were it not for the tests, the people of
faithfulness could not be known from those of selfishness... As the servants
and the handmaidens of the Merciful stand firmly and persevere, the good seed
will soon grow in the field and bear the fruit of blessing. Then will
spirituality and fragrance prevail and joy and rejoicing come from the Heavenly
Sphere, sorrows and toil shall be forgotten and eternal peace and rest
appear.' [66]
Therefore, the first meaning of grief and sorrow is to put men to the test as
to the purity of their intentions, the sincerity of their love, the genuineness
of their attraction towards the world of the Kingdom. Until these requirements
are met, no seeker will be able to welcome the fire of trials, in other words,
to forget his own natal self which with its natural emotions is the mainspring
of such grief, [67] and to fix his gaze upon
the intended goal, the Self of God in His Manifestation.
An instrument of self-knowledge. The less a man is aware of his own
weakness, the more such tests are needed. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Tests are
a means by which a soul is measured as to its fitness, and proven out by its
own acts. God knows its fitness beforehand, and also his unpreparedness, but
man, with an ego, would not believe himself unfit unless proof were given him.
Consequently his susceptibility to evil is proven to him when he falls into the
tests, and the tests are continued until the soul realizes its own unfitness,
then remorse and regret tend to root out the weakness. The same test comes
again in greater degree, until it is shown that a former weakness has become a
strength, and the power to overcome evil has been established.' [68]
Therefore, a second meaning of grief is that it helps us to understand
ourselves: our faults, so that we may overcome them, and our talents, so that
we may make use of them.
An instrument of detachment from the world of creation.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` All calamities and afflictions have been
created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world -- a world to which he
is much attached. When he experienceth severe trials and hardships, then his
nature will recoil and he will desire the eternal realm -- a realm which is
sanctified from all afflictions and calamities. Such is the case with the man
who is wise. He shall never drink from a cup which is at the end distasteful,
but, on the contrary, he will seek the cup of pure and limpid water. He will
not taste the honey that is mixed with poison.' [69]
This is a third meaning of grief and sorrow: to show that the world of the
Kingdom is superior to the world of creation; from the former we receive only
joy, from the latter we draw but ephemeral and apparent joys, and in reality
mostly trials and tests.
Meanings of sacrifice
However, if grief and sorrow are to play their educational role, the
station of sacrifice must be attained to. The concept of sacrifice -- whose
etymological meaning is sacrum facere, i.e. to make holy deeds -- is
clearly explained in the Bahá'í texts.
Conquering the natal self. ` With reference to what is meant by an
individual becoming entirely forgetful of self: the intent is that he should
rise up and sacrifice himself in the true sense, that is, he should obliterate
the promptings of the human conditions, and rid himself of such characteristics
as are worthy of blame and constitute the gloomy darkness of this life on earth
-- not that he should allow his physical health to deteriorate and his body to
become infirm.'
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes moreover: ` This is the true sacrifice; the
offering of oneself, even as did Christ, as a ransom for the life of the
world.' And elsewhere: ` ... this plane of sacrifice is the realm of
dying to the self, that the radiance of the living God may then shine forth.
The martyr's field is the place of detachment from self, that the anthems of
eternity may be upraised.' And moreover, describing sacrifice, He writes:
` ... he [man] must renounce his own self... he must renounce his inordinate
desires, his selfish purposes and the promptings of his human self, and seek
out the holy breathings of the spirit, and follow the yearnings of his higher
self, and immerse himself in the sea of sacrifice, with his heart fixed upon
the beauty of the All-Glorious.' [70]
Self-sacrifice for a universal cause. This twofold meaning of sacrifice,
as self-sacrifice for a good and universal cause and as the giving up of the
natal self, is thus explained by `Abdu'l-Bahá in one of His writings:
` The moth is a sacrifice to the candle. The spring of water is a sacrifice
to the thirsty one. The sincere lover is a sacrifice to the beloved. One must
wholly forget himself... He must seek the pleasure of the True One, desire the
face of the True One, and walk in the path of the True One; he must become
intoxicated with His cup, resigned in His hand and close his eyes to life and
living... This is the first station of sacrifice.' [71]
Attaining the qualities of the world of the Kingdom. ` The second
station of sacrifice: Man must become severed from the human world; be
delivered from the darkness of this world; the illumination of mercifulness
must shine and radiate in him, the nether world become as non-existent and the
Kingdom become manifest.' `Abdu'l-Bahá suggests the metaphor of a
piece of iron: as it becomes hot, it loses its own qualities -- ` blackness,
coldness and solidity' -- and becomes soft, red-hot, as luminous as
fire.
` Likewise, when souls are released from the fetters of the world, the
imperfections of mankind and animalistic darkness and have stepped into the
realm of detachment, have partaken from the outpouring of the Placeless and
have acquired lordly perfections, they are the "ransomed one" of the Sun of
Truth, who are hastening to the altar of heart and soul.' [72]
In this sense, sacrifice is a process of purification, and purification -- in
the words of the Báb -- ` ... is regarded as the most acceptable means
for attaining nearness unto God and as the most meritorious of all
deeds'. [73]
Human transformation as spiritual progress
Briefly, `Abdu'l-Bahá says that a man should not `... follow his
own natural impulse but govern his action by the light of Their [the
Manifestations'] precept and example...', and that `... he should do that which
is found to be praiseworthy by the standard of reason and judgment of
intellect, even though it be opposed to his natural human inclination'. [74]
`Abdu'l-Bahá refers to this transformation from his animal to his
spiritual nature as `development of the spiritual nature in man' or else as
`spiritual progress', and He says that `spiritual progress is through the
breaths of the Holy Spirit and is the awakening of the conscious soul of man to
perceive the reality of Divinity'. As this transformation draws man closer to
God, it is an essentially mystical process; however, it develops only by virtue
of an active daily endeavour in the world and not through escaping from it.
Thus `Abdu'l-Bahá describes this path of service every man should tread,
if he is to achieve his cherished goal: `... nearness to God is possible
through devotion to Him, through entrance into the Kingdom and service to
humanity; it is attained by unity with mankind and through loving-kindness to
all; it is dependent upon investigation of truth, acquisition of praiseworthy
virtues, service in the cause of universal peace and personal sanctification.
In a word, nearness to God necessitates sacrifice of self, severance and the
giving up of all to Him.' [75]
Only when man is thus transformed, does he quicken the world.
Spirituality as love in action
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Spirituality... is love in action.' [76]
This statement may well be considered the epitome of all the concepts we have
been expounding on the dynamics of the transformation of man: the first step of
this transformation is the recognition of the Manifestation of God; the second
one, is the love of God, i.e. of His Manifestation. This love is an
irresistible attraction towards the perfections of the world of the Kingdom,
mirrored forth into the world by the Manifestation of God; this love leads its
preys to a conscious and willing submission to the laws revealed by the
Manifestation. In this regard Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Walk in My
statutes for love of Me,' [77] and
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the first principle of the divine teaching... is
love.' [78]
In the Bahá'í texts, love is described as the prime motor of the
process of transformation: God is the ` magnet' and the soul is the iron
which is attracted closer and closer to it. Love is also described as a
` fire' 79 capable of burning away ` the veils of the
satanic self', [80] thus bestowing upon
the soul the bounty of the inner vision and of the `likeness' [81] unto God. As man, attracted by the magnetic force of the
love of God, comes closer to Him, he burns away, at the fire of this same love,
the imperfect attributes of his natal self and more vividly mirrors forth into
the world the attributes of Divinity. This process is painful and only in the
`insanity' of his love towards God is man willing to accept it; it is ` the
dying from self', [82] at first laden with
anguish and sufferings, but ultimately conducive -- as it is the cause of his
`second birth' or `his release from the captivity of nature' [83] -- to infinite joy.
The second birth
To summarize what has been said: the body and the natal self with its
natural emotions belong to the physical plane of creation; they come from the
world of creation and they return to it when at the time of physical death the
bonds of affinity between the component elemental atoms come to an end, as soon
as the connection soul-body is broken off.
In the body there is a very delicate and perfect instrument: the nervous
system, which was created so that the power of understanding vouchsafed unto
human spirits might be expressed in the physical plane of existence. [84]
This power of understanding is very important, because it can discover the
mysteries of the physical universe and, when it is guided and confirmed by the
Manifestation of God, it can grasp the reality of the transcendental world.
When the power of understanding is enlightened, guided and confirmed by the
Manifestation of God, it enables man to express his divine nature in the world
through the instrumentality of his body. This divine nature is his `divine
aspect or spiritual nature', `the potentiality of divinity', or else the
`potential power to attain... likeness to God', `the image or likeness of
God... the world of exemplars constituting the heavenly body of man', `the most
noble of phenomena... . the meeting between man and God... the animus of human
life and collective centre of all human virtues'; [85] `... a celestial power which is infinite as regards the
intellectual as well as the physical realms... [a] power... conferred upon man
through the breath of the Holy Spirit... an eternal reality, an indestructible
reality...' [86]
It is this reality `which belongs to the divine kingdom... [that] delivers man
from the material world' and is `... the power which enables man to escape from
the world of nature'. [87]
When this divine reality prevails upon the animal reality, the natural emotions
of the natal self -- which are expressions of the world of nature whence the
body is born -- give way to divine virtues and the inner vision appears, a
power of spiritual perception, which cannot be found in any other of the living
beings of the world.
The forces required for this transformation -- from natural emotions to divine
virtues, from sense perception to intellectual and inner perception -- are not
inherent in man, who is possessed only of their potentialities. These forces
are bestowed upon him through the spirit of faith and the Holy Spirit. These
spirits are emanations of the world of the Kingdom and therefore man can attain
unto them whenever -- out of his love towards the Divine Reality -- he of his
own free-will and consciously surrenders his own will unto the Will of the
Manifestation of God, Who manifests in the human plane the Reality of the world
of the Kingdom.
This mystical concept is indeed extremely rational and practical, when viewed
within the context of the evolutionary concept of reality set forth in the
Bahá'í texts. Just as the power of growth, typical of the
vegetable kingdom, appears whenever the elemental atoms composing matter
properly combine by virtue of the power of cohesion and in conformity with
natural law, and its appearance occurs because those elemental atoms have
become arranged according to a certain order whereby they have acquired the
capacity of growth, so the qualities of the spirit of faith and of the Holy
Spirit appear within man whenever he has acquired the capacity for them,
inasmuch as he has created an order within himself according to the laws
revealed by the Manifestation of God, which he has observed of his own
free-will. It is as though man metaphorically orders his inner being in such a
way as to acquire the capacity to reflect those spiritual qualities. The
process of evolutionary growth is therefore the same both in the world of
creation and within the soul of man. The active forces are those of the spirit.
But the level of the process is quite different: it is a conscious and
voluntary process, in the world of the soul; an unconscious and involuntary
process, in the world of creation. Both are educational processes: universal,
the former; individual, the latter.
Through such a growth certain vital purposes are achieved:
- `... witness[ing] the effulgence of the Sun of Reality...
behold[ing] the manifest evidences of the reality of Divinity, comprehend[ing]
irrefutable proofs of the immortality of the soul.'[88]
- `the attainment of the supreme virtues of humanity through the
descent of the heavenly bestowals', which `Abdu'l-Bahá says is both `the
honour allotted to man' and `the greatest bestowal of God to man'.[89]
- `... reflect[ing] the spirit of the Kingdom... liv[ing] in conscious
atonement with the eternal world and becom[ing] quickened and awake with the
life and the love of God'.[90]
When a man is thus transformed, `there is no created being more heroic, more
undaunted than' him, because he has attained `the highest development of man':
`his entrance into the divine Kingdom'. Herein lies his glory:'... in the
knowledge of God, spiritual susceptibilities, attainment to transcendent powers
and the bounties of the Holy Spirit... in being informed of the teachings of
God'. [91]
In this stage, his spirit `receives illumination from the light of God and
reflects it to the whole universe'; his reality is `a radiant light in the
world of creation, a source of life and the agency of constructiveness in the
infinite fields of existence'; `the cause of the illumination of this world';
it is `... as the spirit of this world, for just as the animus of life quickens
the physical human body, so the body of the world will receive its vivification
through the animating virtue of the sanctified spirit of man'. [92]
He thus fulfils the purpose of his creation: `to irradiate the Divine light
and to illumine the world by his words, action and life'. [93]
Such a creature is certainly a man and not a `perfect animal', because he has
fully acquired those qualities which distinguish him from animals, and which
`Abdu'l-Bahá thus enumerates :'intellectual attainment, spiritual
perception, the acquisition of virtues, capacity to receive the bestowals of
Divinity, lordly bounty and emanations of heavenly mercy'. He has thus attained
that stage `Christ has interpreted... as the second birth' and
`Abdu'l-Bahá defines as `spiritual progress' [94] or `spirituality'. [95]
End notes:
[1] Promulgation, p.59.
[2] `Abdu'l-Bahá says that the `Holy
Spirit is the energizing factor in the life of a man' because `whosoever
receives this power is able to influence all those with whom he comes into
contact', whereas `the greatest philosophers without this Spirit are
powerless.'(Paris Talks, p.165.) The Holy Spirit is the `mediator
between God and His creatures', (Some Answered Questions, p.145.) `...
the mediator of the Holy Light from the Sun of Reality which it gives to the
sanctified realities.' (ibid. p.145.) The Holy Spirit in fact conveys the
spiritual knowledge of reality, mostly through the Utterance and the written
Revelation of the Manifestation of God.
[3] `Abdu'l-Bahá says that the spirit of
faith is that `power which makes the earthly man heavenly, and the imperfect
man perfect. It makes the impure to be pure, the silent eloquent; it purifies
and sanctifies those made captive by carnal desires, it makes the ignorant
wise.'(Some Answered Questions, pp.144-5.) It `comes from the breath of
the Holy Spirit'. (ibid. p.144.) He writes also: `But the Spirit of Faith
which is of the Kingdom (of God) consists of the all-comprehending Grace and
the perfect attainment...'. (Tablets, p.116.)
[4] In various circumstances,
`Abdu'l-Bahá refers to a supreme gift conferred by God to man: the
intellect which He says to be `the most precious gift bestowed upon man by the
Divine Bounty'; Paris Talks, p.41.) See above, p.177; `the
attainment unto His unfailing guidance', (quoted in Bahá'í
Education (comp.), p.12) which he says to be `the most precious of
gifts'; (ibid.) the individuality, as `capacity of attaining human
virtues', (Promulgation, p.378) which He says to be `the greatest
bestowal of God to man'; (ibid.) and `spirituality' (Paris Talks, p.112)
viewed as `the awakening of the conscious soul of man to perceive the reality
of Divinity' (Promulgation, p.142) and made possible only through `the
breaths of the Holy Spirit', (ibid. p.142) which He says to be `the greatest of
God's gifts'. (Paris Talks, p.112.)
If we make a deeper study of those `precious gifts', we will discover that man
knows through his intellect; through the `attainment unto His unfailing
guidance', he directs his own understanding towards such goals as God
Himself indicates to him; through his `individuality', he expresses in his
life, in the form of spirituality, the results of his turning towards the
guidance of God.
`Abdu'l-Bahá concisely expounds those concepts in the following words:
`The greatest bestowal of God in the world of humanity is religion, for
assuredly the divine teachings of religion are above all other sources of
instruction and development to man. Religion confers upon man eternal life and
guides his footsteps in the world of morality. It opens the doors of unending
happiness and bestows everlasting honour upon the human kingdom.'
(Promulgation, p.361.) See below, pp.269, 338.
[5] `Abdu'l-Bahá quoted in `Join the Army
of Peace' in Star of the West, XIII, p.113.
[6] Promulgation, p.91.
[7] See Promulgation, pp.16, 21, 131,
420, 451.
[8] ibid. pp.14, 148, 15, 131.
[9] Tablets, pp.108-9.
[10] Promulgation, p.148.
[11] Divine Philosophy, pp.93, 76.
[12] Hidden Words, Persian no. 19.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Walk in My statutes for love of Me.'
(Hidden Words, Arabic, no. 38.)
[13] See `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections, pp.146- 50. Purity will be studied in the Chapter 8.
See below, pp.162-3.
[14] Promulgation, p.147.
[15] ibid. pp.186, 148, 149, 148.
[16] Gleanings, pp.5, 293. See
Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.139 passim.
[17] Gleanings, pp.289, 290.
18 Kitáb-i-Aqdas, in Synopsis, pp.25, 26.
[19] Seven Valleys, p.11.
[20] Bahá'u'lláh writes: `The
beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is
strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the
Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and on the earth'.
(Gleanings, p.5). See also ibid. pp.289-90.
[21] These laws are set forth in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. See The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and
the Devotional Attitude, (comp.) p.3.
Regarding the topic of teaching, A. Taherzadeh wrote, in October 1982, an
important letter: `Notes on the Bahá'í Concept of
Spirituality', in New Day, May-June 1984.
[22] See
Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.3 passim; Some Answered
Questions, pp.83-6; Promulgation p.149. See also A. Bausani,
`Some Aspects of the Bahá'í Expressive Style', in World
Order, XIII, no.2, p.36; John S.Hatcher, `The Metaphorical Nature of
Material Reality', in Bahá'í Studies, III; A. Taherzadeh,
The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. I, pp.18-44.
[23] Promulgation, p.149.
[24] On the topic of prayer see The
Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude (comp.);
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, `The Prayers
of Bahá'u'lláh' in Bahá'í World, IX, p.792;
R. Rabbani, The Desire of the World, pp.104- 153; W.& M. Hellaby,
Prayer: A Bahá'í Approach; R. Moffet, Du'á: On
Wings of Prayer; G.A. Shook, Mysticism, Science and Revelation,
pp.82-107, 120-41.
[25] Gleanings, p.278.
[26] Quoted in `Become Lamp of the True One'
in Star of the West IX, p.162.
[27] R. Rabbani, The Desire of the
World, p.47.
[28] Epistle, p.93.
29 Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.129.
[30] The Universal House of Justice, The
Promise of World Peace, p.14.
[31] Promulgation, p.226.
[32] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets,
p.459.
[33] Quoted in Huqúqu'lláh
(comp.), nos. 32, 33.
[34] Quoted in The Importance of Prayer
(comp.), p.9.
[35] Promulgation, p.226.
[36] Some Answered Questions, p.459.
[37] Tablets, p.459.
[38] Some Answered Questions, pp.242,
459.
[39] Promulgation, p.226.
[40] Matt 7:7.
[41] Qur'án 29:69.
[42] Quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Advent,
p.64.
[43] Bahá'í Prayers,
p.86.
[44] Promulgation, p.226. As
to the topic of spiritual progress, see W.S. Hatcher, `The Concept of
Spirituality', in Bahá'í Studies. XI, p.22.
He writes also: `As in the case with any new discipline, so it is with learning
spiritual growth. Our first step are painfully self-conscious and hesitant... .
Yet, as we pursue the process, we become more adept at it... the rate of
progress increases as we go along because we are not only making progress but
also perfecting our skill at making progress.' (ibid. p.2.)
[45] The Bahá'í texts
refer to the self as a `veil' shutting out man from truth.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Tear asunder, in My Name, the veils that
have grievously blinded your vision... Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in the
dense veils of your selfish desires...' (Gleanings, p.143.) And
moreover: `Burn away, wholly for the sake of the Well- Beloved, the veil of
self with the flame of the undying Fire...'. (ibid. p.316.) In The
Kitáb-i-Íqán He quotes two Islamic traditions:
`Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator',
(p.69) and `The most grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge'
(p.188): from these words it would appear that whenever human intellect is
subjected to the natal self with its natural emotions, it produces such
knowledge as may well be defined as `satanic' (ibid. p.69), because it
is conducive to `arrogance, vainglory and conceit'.(ibid.) Elsewhere He
mentions `the wrappings of illusion'.(Seven Valleys, p.24.) Other
metaphors describing the self are: a `cage'(Hidden Words,
Persian, no. 38) a `prison',(ibid. Persian, nos. 39 and 40)
`fire', (ibid. Persian, no. 66) `dust', (ibid. Persian, no. 69)
`mire' (Epistle, p.131), `the spotting of self' upon
`the mirror of the heart' (Selections, p.182), `... the
Tempter (the subtle serpent of the mind)...) (`Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted
in a letter dated 4 August 1977 written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to an individual believer)
As to the meaning of the word `self' in the Bahá'í texts, Shoghi
Effendi wrote through his secretary the following explanation: `... self has
really two meanings, or is used in two senses, in the Bahá'í
writings; one is self, the identity of the individual created by God. This is
the self mentioned in such passages as "he hath known God who hath known
himself etc". The other self is the ego, the dark, animalistic heritage each
one of us has, the lower nature that can develop into a monster of selfishness,
brutality, lust and so on'.(quoted in Living the Life (comp.), p.28.)
[46] Tablets, p.136.
47 Selections, pp.182, 76-7.
[48]47a `Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted
in a letter dated 4 August 1977 written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to an individual believer.
[49] Gleanings, p.297.
[50] Promulgation, p.148.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says moreover: `The prophets teach us that the only way to
approach God is by characterizing ourselves with the attributes of
divinity'.(Divine Philosophy, p.93.)
He writes moreover that the process of approaching God implies a progressive
expansion of a man's concerns, so that he will gradually forget his own self
and think of his family, his tribe, his country, his race and at last of all
mankind. (See below, p.201.) Therefore `Abdu'l-Bahá recommends
universality; He says: `Every universal cause is divine and every particular
one is temporal'.(Selections, pp.68-9.)
[51] Quoted in Bahá'u'lláh
and the New Era, p.84.
[52] Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Principles
of Bahá'í Administration, p.87.
[53] On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted in
Living the Life (comp.), pp.17-18.
[54] Promulgation, p.4.
[55] Selections, p.260.
[56] Epistle, p.96. S. Battaglia
explains the meaning of the world malice thus: `Natural or acquired (and mostly
practiced through cunning dissimulation and wicked satisfaction, until it
becomes customary) inclination toward transgression of moral and religious
laws, through perverse actions, conducive to harm and suffering for others or
by indulging in vices and perversions.' (Il Grande Dizionario della Lingua
Italiana, vol. IX, p.158.)
57 Hidden Words, Persian no. 6.
[58] Promulgation, p.15. Regarding
Judas Iscariot and his envy, `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `Such is the outcome
of envy, the chief reason why men turn aside from the Straight Path'.
(Selections, p.163.)
[59]
Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.193. See
Gleanings, p.164; Synopsis and Codification of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp.47, xxii. In this regard, `Abdu'l-Bahá
writes: `If any soul speak ill of an absent one, the only result will
clearly be this: he will dampen the zeal of the friends and tend to make them
indifferent. For backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the
friends of a disposition to withdraw. If any individual should speak ill of one
who is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a spiritual and friendly
manner, to stop him, and say in effect: would this detraction serve any useful
purpose? Would it please the Blessed Beauty, contribute to the lasting honour
of the friends, promote the holy Faith, support the Covenant, or be of any
possible benefit to any soul? No, never! On the contrary, it would make the
dust to settle so thickly on the heart that the ears would ear no more, and the
eyes would no longer behold the light of truth.
`If, however, a person setteth about speaking well of another, opening his
lips to praise another, he will touch an answering chord in his hearers and
they will be stirred up by the breathings of God...'.(`Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections, pp.230-1.)
[60] Tablets, p.156.
[61] Epistle, p.95.
[62] Paris Talks, p.50.
63 Gleanings, pp.106-7.
[64] Paris Talks, p.51.
[65] Quoted in M. M. Rabb, `The Divine Art of
Living' in Star of the West VIII, p.240.
[66] Quoted in `Extracts from Tablets
from Abdul'Baha to Mrs Isabella D. Brittingham' in Star of the West,
XIV, p.353.
[67] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... all the
sorrow and the grief that exist come from the world of matter -- the spiritual
world bestows only the joy!' (Paris Talks, p.110.)
[68] `The Worst Enemies of the Cause are in
the Cause' in Star of the West, VI, p.45.
[69] Selections, p.239.
[70] ibid. pp.180, 65, 76, 207.
[71] Tablets, p.354.
[72] ibid.
[73] Selections, p.98.
[74] Promulgation, p.40.
[75] ibid. p.60, 142, 148.
[76] Quoted in `Join the Army of Peace' in
Star of the West, XIII, p.112.
[77] Hidden Words, Arabic no.38.
[78] Promulgation, p.8
79 Selections, p.191.
[80] Bahá'u'lláh, Seven
Valleys, p.11.
[81] Promulgation, p.148.
[82] Seven Valleys, p.36.
[83] . Promulgation, pp.304, 305.
[84] `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`Reason has its seat in the brain'.(Divine Philosophy, p.92.) Thus we
might even -- almost paradoxically -- accept the statement pronounced by
materialistic philosopher Cabanis, who maintained that `thought is a secretion
of the brain',(Cabanis, Rapport du physique et du moral de l'homme), as
long as the soul is intended as the promoter of those secretions.
Regarding the concept of mind, see above, pp.4-5, and below, pp.156-7, 218 and
no. 69.
[85] Promulgation, pp.41, 317, 302,
464, 239.
[86] `The Three Realities' in Star of the
West, VII, p.118.
[87] ibid.
[88] Promulgation, p.328.
[89] ibid. pp.4, 166, 378.
[90] ibid. 329.
[91] ibid. pp.264, 352, 239, 330-1
[92] ibid. pp.264, 352, 239, 330-1
[93] Paris Talks, p.113.
[94] Promulgation, pp.304, 332, 142.
[95] Paris Talks, p.112.
Chapter 8
8
The Soul: The Reality of Man
`Man -- the true man -- is the soul...', [1]
says `Abdu'l-Bahá. However, there is no more difficult theme to deal
with, nor more elusive reality to know. Its existence is even denied by many
who think man to be merely a body and his mind just an outcome of his brain.
For the soul is a spiritual, metaphysical reality which cannot be perceived
through the senses, and therefore eludes anyone who relies only upon sensory
and intellectual perception. `Abdu'l-Bahá remarks: `If we wish to deny
anything that is not sensible, then we must deny the realities which
unquestionably exist... The power of attraction is not sensible, though it
certainly exists. From what do we affirm these existences? From their
signs...'. And He points out how in man there are `signs, powers and
perfections' [2] from which it may be inferred
that a spiritual reality exists in him, which is unique in the world of
creation, i.e. the soul or spirit of man.
Rational proofs of its existence and immortality
The Bahá'í teachings uphold the existence and the immortality of
the soul and produce many rational proofs demonstrating these concepts. A
short, incomplete list of such proofs is offered as follows.
Proofs of its existence.
Human rational faculty.
- A proof from which the existence in man can be inferred of a
particular power which is absent in the world of nature, is that man is capable
of escaping the rule of nature and of surpassing all the animals of the earth.
As far as we know, man is the only creature who has been capable of creating a
civilization and of establishing his rule in the world. This capacity is not
due to his physical qualities, because `In the physical powers and sense... man
and animals are partners. In fact, the animal is often superior to men in sense
perception. [3]
On the contrary, it depends on that very particular power man is possessed of,
which is called soul or spirit of man.
- The same argument is set forth also in other words:
Man is possessed of qualities (consciousness, volition, ideation, conscious
reflection and intelligence), which are absent in nature. [4]
`If we accept the supposition that man is but a part of nature, we are
confronted by an illogical statement, for this is equivalent to claiming that a
part may be endowed with qualities which are absent in the whole.'
`The truth is that God has given to man certain powers which are
supernatural.'[5]
Inner perception. The fact that man is possessed of the power of knowing
and seeing without instruments or organs, as is for example the case when he
sleeps, is mentioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá as further evidence of the
existence of the soul: `... how many times it happens that a question that one
cannot solve in the world of wakefulness is solved in the world of dreams. In
wakefulness, the eye sees only for a short distance, but in dream he who is in
the East sees the West. Awake he sees the present; in sleep he sees the
future.' [6]
Human inner reality. A further proof of the existence of the soul is
that a reality exists within man which is independent from the body, a reality
which he consults: `When you wish to reflect upon or consider a matter', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá, `you consult something within you. You say, shall I do it,
or shall I not do it? Is it better to make this journey or to abandon it? Whom
do you consult? Who is within you deciding this question? Surely there is a
distinct power, an intelligent ego. [7].Were it
not distinct from your ego, you would not be consulting it. It is greater that
the faculty of thought. It is your spirit which teaches you, which advises and
decides upon matters.' [8]
* * *
The Bahá'í texts uphold not only the existence, but also
the immortality of the soul. Created as an individual entity at the moment of
conception, the soul has a beginning, but it has no end. In fact, `... the
individual realities of mankind, when spiritually born, are emanations from the
reality of Divinity... and inasmuch as eternality is a property of Divinity,
this emanation is everlasting.' [9]
Elsewhere He explains: `... the world of things is the world of imperfection
in comparison with that of man, and the world of man is the world of perfection
in comparison with that of things. When imperfections reach the station of
perfection, they become eternal (i.e. in the kingdom of man, where alone the
Spirit manifests immortality).' [10]
In the Bahá'í texts, many proofs are advanced demonstrating and
explaining this concept. A preliminary short list of these proofs is offered
here. These proofs will be divided, in conformity with the classical
philosophical canons, into metaphysical proofs (i.e. founded upon the
attributes of the soul) and moral proofs (i.e. founded upon the purpose of its
existence).
Metaphysical proofs of its immortality
On the grounds of movement: `We have seen that movement', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá, `is essential to existence; nothing that hath life is
without motion... it must either ascend or descend. But with the human soul,
there is no decline. Its only movement is towards perfection; growth and
progress alone constitute the motion of the soul.
`Divine perfection is infinite, therefore the progress of the soul is also
infinite... When the body dies the soul lives on. All the differing degrees of
created physical beings are limited, but the soul is limitless!' [11]
On the grounds of the soul defined as substance:
- `The realities of all phenomena,' says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `are
immutable and unchangeable. Extinction or mortality is nothing but the
transformation of pictures and images. But the reality back of these images is
eternal.'[12] Thence since the soul is not a form, but reality or substance, it is
immortal.
- `... the human body', says moreover `Abdu'l-Bahá, `has one
form. In its composition it has been transferred from one form to another but
never possesses two forms at the same time. For example, it has existed in the
elemental substances of the mineral kingdom. From the mineral kingdom, it hath
traversed the vegetable kingdom and its constituent substances; from the
vegetable kingdom it has risen by evolution into the kingdom of the animal and
from thence attained the kingdom of man. After its disintegration and
decomposition it will return again to the mineral kingdom, leaving its human
form and taking a new form unto itself. During these progressions one form
succeeds another, but at no time does the body possess more than one.
`This spirit of man, however, can manifest itself in all forms at the same
time... the form of the physical body of man must be destroyed and abandoned
before it can assume or take unto itself another. Mortality, therefore, means
transference from one form to another... But the human spirit in itself
contains all these forms, shapes and figures. It is not possible to break or
destroy one form so that it may transfer itself into another. As an evidence of
this, at the present moment in the human spirit you have the shape of a square
and the figure of a triangle. Simultaneously also you can conceive a hexagonal
form. All these can be conceived at the same moment in the human spirit, and
not one of them needs to be destroyed or broken in order that the spirit of man
may be transferred to another. There is no annihilation no destruction;
therefore, the human spirit is immortal because it is not transferred from one
body into another body.'[13]
- `... the soul has no place in space,' says `Abdu'l-Bahá.
`Space is a quality of material things and that which is not material does not
partake of space. The soul, like the intellect, is an abstraction. Intelligence
does not partake of the quality of space, though it is related to man's brain.
The intellect resides there, but not materially. Search in the brain, you will
not find the intellect. In the same way, though the soul is a resident of the
body, it is not to be found in the body.'[14]
`If the spirit of man -- He says moreover -- belonged to the elemental
existence, the eye could see it, the ear hear it, the hand touch. As long as
these five senses cannot perceive it, the proof is unquestioned that it does
not belong to the elemental world and, therefore, is beyond death or mortality,
which are inseparable from that material realm of existence. If being is not
subject to the limitation of material life, it is not subject to mortality.'[15]
- `... the spirit is not affected by... changes or transformations' of
the body, says `Abdu'l-Bahá. `The body of man becomes lean or fat; it is
afflicted with disease, suffers mutilation; perhaps the eyes become blind, the
ears deaf; but none of these imperfections and failings afflict or affect the
spirit. The spirit of man remains in the same condition, unchanged. A man is
blinded, but his spirit continues the same. He loses his hearing, his hand is
cut off, his foot amputated, but his spirit remains the same. He becomes
lethargic, he is afflicted with apoplexy; but there is no difference, change or
alteration in his spirit. This is proof that death is only destruction of the
body, while the spirit remains immortal, eternal.'[16]
`Abdu'l-Bahá mentions also the example of sleep, `...when all the
physical faculties are in abeyance and the soul travels in all realms seeing,
hearing, speaking, so when the physical body is decomposed, the soul is not
affected'.[17]
On the grounds of the soul being simple, as a substance: `The soul is
not a combination of elements', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `it is not composed
of many atoms, it is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal. It is
wholly extraneous to the order of physical creation: it is immortal.' [18]
In fact, `... according to natural philosophy it is an assured fact that
single or simple -- elements are indestructible', because death means
decomposition of a composed being into its component simple elements. But
simple elements cannot subdivide, and therefore they are eternal.
`Abdu'l-Bahá remarks: `If an elementary substance is possessed of
immortality, how can the human spirit or reality, which is wholly above
combination and composition, be destroyed?' [19]
On the grounds of the presence of truth within the soul: `Reflect', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá, `that no effect, no trace, no influence remains of any
being after its members are dispersed and its elements are decomposed, whether
it be a mineral, a vegetable, or an animal. There is only the human reality and
the spirit of man which, after the disintegration of the members, the
dispersing of the particles, and the destruction of the composition, persists
and continues to act and to have power.' [20]
Therefore, `the traces of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the influence of His
Divine Teaching... the Sacred Writings (with ever the same Teaching) prove the
continuity of the spirit', whose traces they are, because `anything which does
not exist, can, of course, give no sign of its existence.' [21]
On the grounds of its natural aspiration for immortality: `The very fact
that our spiritual instinct, surely never given in vain, prompts us to pray for
the welfare of those, our loved ones, who have passed out of the material
world: does it not bear witness to the continuance of their existence?' [22]
On the grounds of the idea of mortality: `... the idea of mortality
presupposes the existence of immortality -- for if there were no Life Eternal,
there would be no way of measuring the life of this world.' [23]
Moral proofs of its immortality
As a requirement of human moral life:
(i) `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` The consummation of this limitless
universe, with all its grandeur and glory hath been man himself, who in this
world of being toileth and suffereth for a time, with diverse ills and pains,
and ultimately disintegrates, leaving no trace and no fruit after him. Were it
so, there is no doubt that this infinite universe with all its perfections has
ended in sham and delusion with no result, no fruit, no permanence and no
effect. It would be utterly without meaning... this Great Workshop with all its
power, its bewildering magnificence and endless perfections, cannot eventually
come to naught. That still another life should exist is thus certain....' [24]
And in one of His talks he explains: `... the world of existence does not
culminate here. If this were so, existence itself would be sterile. There are
many worlds of light. For even as the plant imagines life ends with itself and
has no knowledge of our existence, so the materially-minded man has no
knowledge of other worlds of consciousness.' [25]
(ii) `The immortality of the spirit', says moreover `Abdu'l-Bahá, `is
mentioned in the Holy Books; it is the fundamental basis of the divine
religions. Now the punishments and rewards are said to be of two kinds: first,
the rewards and punishments of this life; second, those of the other world.' [26]
And He adds: `We read in the sacred writings that "all good works are found
again". Now, if the soul did not survive, this also would mean nothing.' [27]
On the grounds of consensus gentium:
(i) `In all religions', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `the belief exists that the
soul survives the death of the body. Intercessions are sent up for the beloved
dead, prayers are said for the forgiveness of their sins. If the soul perished
with the body all this would have no meaning... If it were not possible for the
soul to advance toward perfection after it had been released from the body, of
what avail are all these loving prayers of devotion?' [28]
(ii) Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` How could such Souls [the
Manifestations of God] have consented to surrender unto their enemies if they
believed all the worlds of God to have been reduced to this earthly
life?' 29 And `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `If the spirit were not
immortal, how could the Manifestations of God endure such terrible trials?' [30] And moreover: `Were there nothing after
death, Christ would have not accepted the cross; the prophets of all time would
not have sacrificed their lives.' [31]
From the above quotations it clearly appears that most of the rational proofs
of the existence and immortality of the soul mentioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá
in His writings and talks may be found in the writings of the great
philosophers. However, He comes to the conclusion that these proofs, as
rational proofs of the existence of God, are neither indispensable nor
fundamental to the understanding of human reality. `This is a rational proof
which we are giving, so that the wise may weigh it in the balance of reason and
justice. But if the human spirit will rejoice and be attracted to the Kingdom
of God, if the inner sight becomes opened, and the spiritual hearing
strengthened, and the spiritual feelings predominant, he will see the
immortality of the spirit as clearly as he sees the sun, and the glad tidings
and the signs of God will encompass him.' [32]
Once again, we find a warning in the Bahá'í texts not to be
satisfied with a merely rational investigation of reality, but to make use of
all those cognitive means we have been given by God. Only thus shall we
discover our own reality, the most luminous trace of God we can find in the
universe: the soul of man.
What is the soul?
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... the human soul is, in its essence...
a mystery among His mysteries', and moreover: ` Wert thou to ponder in
thine heart, from now until the end that hath no end, and with all the
concentrated intelligence and undertaking which the greatest minds have
attained in the past or will attain in the future, this divinely ordained and
subtle Reality, this sign of the revelation of the All-Abiding, All-Glorious
God, thou wilt fail to comprehend its mystery or to appraise its virtue';
and then He adds: ` This confession of helplessness which mature
contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the
acme of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of man's
development.' [33]
Thus, it is impossible to comprehend the soul.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains the reasons why the soul cannot be
comprehended:
(i) `Be it known that to know the reality or the essence of the soul of man is
impossible, for, in order to know a thing, one must comprehend it, and since a
thing cannot comprehend itself, to know one's self in substance or essence is
impossible...' [34]
(ii) `Man discerns only manifestations, or attributes, of objects,
while the identity, or reality, of them remains hidden', [35] thence how could a man know his own soul, which is his
own innermost essence?
As it is impossible to comprehend the soul, so it is impossible to give its
exact definition. However, in the Bahá'í texts many statements
may be found describing the soul, statements which may assist us in grasping
some of its aspects.
- The soul is `the reality of man',[36] says `Abdu'l-Bahá; or else `the substance'[37] of man; and also `a pure and unknown
essence',[38] and, finally, the `inner
reality'.[39] He writes that `... the body
has to die, when its light has come to an end. Therefore, of what importance is
it?',[40] suggesting that the true man is
the soul and undoubtedly the body is of minor importance.
- `... man has a soul in which dwells the divine spirit',[41] suggesting that the soul belongs to the
divine world.
- `As to the soul', writes Bahá'u'lláh, `...
it is sent forth by the Word of God';[42]
and `Abdu'l-Bahá says that the soul is `a spirit with which God has
endowed him [man] at creation';[43] it is `...
a depository, emanating from the light of the Ancient Entity -- God',[44] `It is a divine bounty. It is the effulgence
of the Sun of Reality',[45] suggesting that
the soul is a spiritual entity created by God through emanation.
- `Abdu'l-Bahá writes that the soul is `the intermediary
between the Supreme Concourse and the lower concourse',[46] suggesting that the soul acts as a link between the
world of creation and the world of the Kingdom.
- He says moreover that the soul is `... the medium of the
spiritual life',[47] `... the heavenly
body, the ethereal form which corresponds to this body',[48] suggesting that man belongs, by virtue of his soul, to
the spiritual world, whose life he can live.
- He says also that the soul is `the conscious reality', `the heavenly
gift of consciousness', suggesting that consciousness is the most important
among the qualities of the soul which appear in this world.[49]
- In the soul, Bahá'u'lláh writes, `are potentially
revealed all the attributes and names of God',[50] and `Abdu'l-Bahá says that it is a `collective
reality', `the collective centre of all human virtues', `the world of
exemplars',[51] suggesting that the soul has
the capacity of expressing all the divine attributes, or exemplars.
- The soul is `the harbinger that proclaimeth the reality of
all the worlds of God', writes Bahá'u'lláh, a `... sign of
the revelation of the Divine Being';[52]
and `Abdu'l-Bahá says that the soul is `sign[s] and trace[s] of the
divine bounty', suggesting that the soul -- `collective centre'[53] of all the divine attributes as it is -- is a proof of
the existence of God.
- Bahá'u'lláh mentions an Islamic tradition which says:
`... the soul... is divine and celestial. It is a divine energy, a
substance, simple, and self-subsistent.'[54] And `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `The spirit... is a
single essence, fine and delicate, incorporeal, everlasting and of God.'[55]
The above-mentioned concepts could be thus summarized: from God the world of
the Kingdom emanates; from the world of the Kingdom the spirit emanates; the
spirit manifests itself in different realities which differ from each other in
the degree they occupy in the world of being. The soul of man is one of these
realities. Therefore, the relation of the soul to God `... is similar to that
of the ray to the sun -- the effect to the primal cause.' [56]
It is similar to the relation between God and any other of His creatures. But
whereas the other creatures reflect only one of the attributes of Divinity, the
soul of man reflects them all. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that `... for each
name, each attribute, each perfection which we affirm of God there exists a
sign in man.' [57]
For this reason the soul of man -- a sign of God -- is said to be the
`collective reality', the centre where `the perfections of God, the divine
virtues are reflected or revealed', where God has engraved `the mysteries of
the divine Kingdom'. [58]
The soul is a ray of the divine Sun of Reality: though it does not partake in
the essence of the sun, it is however possessed of all its attributes, first
among them consciousness.
Its individuality
The spiritual reality of the soul is individual. In other words the soul is
characterized by potential endowments and qualities -- metaphorically described
by Bahá'u'lláh as ` gems that lie hidden within the mine of
their [man's] true and inmost selves' 59 -- which, taken
as a whole, are unique, inimitable and infinite. In the words of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, as `there are no repetitions in nature', so each man
`differs in natal capacity and intrinsic intellectual endowment.' [60]
Moreover, as the attributes of God are infinite, so, in the words of
Bahá'u'lláh, ` the favours vouchsafed by Him unto mankind have
been, and will ever remain, limitless in their range.' [61] other words, as `Abdu'l-Bahá says, `... the
virtues of humanity and the possibilities of human advancement are
boundless.' [62]
The soul ` is not susceptible of any change' in ` its original state or
character', [63] writes
Bahá'u'lláh, whereas `Abdu'l-Bahá says that it `... is the
natural God- given personality... the inner aspect of man which is not subject
to change.' Its characteristics are `divine attributes, invisible in the rest
of creation...'. These attributes `are divine in origin...they are emanations
of the Father. They are the significance of his names and attributes, the
direct rays of which illuminate the very essence of these qualifications.' [64]
Since individuality `consists of the attributes of the heavenly Kingdom', it
is `the image of the Merciful': `Therefore, it is said that man has been
created in the image and likeness of God.' [65]
Individualities differ from each other and thus there is `a difference in the
intrinsic or natal capacity of individuals', as well as a `difference in degree
of capacity... among human souls'. [66]
From the explanations of the differences among human souls given by
`Abdu'l-Bahá we may understand that there is no soul who is not
possessed of its own, however limited, excellence. `... although divine
creation is purely good', He says, `yet the varieties of natural qualities in
man come from the difference of degree; all are excellent, but they are more or
less so, according to the degree.' [67]
Because of these varieties of natural qualities, `each human creature has
individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God'. No
wonder therefore that individuality -- viewed as `capacity to attain human
virtues' -- is considered by `Abdu'l-Bahá `the greatest bestowal of God
to man': [68]
In fact it is because of this endowment that man is the apex of creation.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes that the spirit of man ` ... is like unto the
light which is potential and in the candle and gets inflamed with the fire of
the love of God, then streams its light in the stage of visibility'. [69]
In this sense He says that `... the human reality may be compared to a seed...
the merciful God, our Creator, has deposited within human realities certain
latent and potential virtues. Through education and culture these virtues
deposited by the loving God will become apparent in human reality, even as the
unfoldment of the tree from within the germinating seed.' [70]
Therefore a man should endeavour, while he lives on this earth, to manifest
the divine qualities enshrined in his soul, of whose individuality they are a
part, in the form of knowledge, feelings, deeds and words. In the process of
such growth and endeavour `... his individuality which is divine and heavenly
should be his guide'. [71] This is the real
self-realization. [72]
Its dual nature
` The essence of man', writes Bahá'u'lláh, ` is hidden in
his individuality which must appear through the polish of education. This is
man's glory, and all else which depends upon other things, is not a part of man
himself.' [73]
That which thus appears of a man's individuality is called personality.
Personality, says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `... is the result of acquired arts,
sciences and virtues with which man is decorated' and `... is obtained through
the conscious effort of man by training and education'. Human personality, He
says moreover, `... has no element of permanence. It is a slightly changeable
quality in man which can be turned in either direction. For if he acquire
praiseworthy virtues, these strengthen the individuality of man and call forth
his hidden forces; but if he acquire defects, the beauty and simplicity of the
individuality will be lost and its God-given qualities will be stifled in the
foul atmosphere of self.' [74]
The same concept is repeatedly explained in the Bahá'í texts: for
instance, Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... the soul hath two wings. If
it flieth in the air of the love and will of God, it will be attributed to the
Merciful; but if it flieth in the atmosphere of desire, it will be attributed
to satan -- may God protect us and you against it... And if it is kindled by
the fire of the love of God, it will be a pleasing and tranquil soul; but if it
be kindled by desire, it is a passionate soul.' [75]
And moreover: ` If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and
will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to
its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end,
sink in their depths.' [76]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` ... soul is the intermediary between the
Supreme Concourse and the lower concourse. It (the soul) hath two phases -- the
higher aspireth to the kingdom of El-Abha and the lights of the mind shine
forth from that horizon upon its higher sphere. The other side inclineth to the
lower concourse of the material world, and its lowest phase is enveloped in the
darkness of ignorance.' He writes moreover: ` There is a human spirit and
a divine spirit, the latter arising through knowledge and belief in God. The
human spirit is superior to the body and struggle with it for control of the
soul: when it succeeds, the soul becomes heavenly; when the body obtains
control, the soul becomes degraded.' [77]
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the human personality appears in two aspects:
the image or likeness of God and the aspect of Satan. The human reality stands
between these two: the divine and the satanic.' [78]
He says moreover: `As long as man is a captive of habit, pursuing the dictates
of self and desire, he is vanquished and defeated. This passionate personal ego
takes the reins from his hands, crowds out the qualities of the divine ego, and
changes him into an animal, a creature unable to judge good from evil, or to
distinguish light from darkness. He becomes blind to divine attributes, for
this acquired individuality, the result of an evil routine of thought, becomes
the dominant note of his life.' [79]
And He writes: ` In short, man is endowed with two natures: one tendeth
towards moral sublimity and intellectual perfection, while the other turneth to
bestial degradation and carnal imperfections.' [80]
It is clear therefore that the soul, in the process of developing its
individuality in this world, is subject to the influences of two realities
which are equally active upon it: its divine nature, urging the soul to develop
its potential spiritual qualities typical of the world of the Kingdom; and its
material or animal nature, leading the soul to indulge in the natural emotions
of its natal self and thus to lower itself from the spiritual kingdom whence it
comes to an inferior, animal level, to which the body belongs and into which it
allures the soul.
Therefore man, guided by `... his individuality which is divine and heavenly'
develops a personality `through the conscious effort... by training and
education'. Thus `capacity' appears in him `in accordance with striving and
sincerity'. [81]
This process of growth has been described in previous chapters. Bounties or
powers of the soul required for that process to unfold will be described in the
following pages.
The oneness of the spirit
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Say, that spirit, mind, soul, hearing and
sight are one, but differ through differing causes. In the case of man,
for instance, ye see that by which man understands, moves, speaks, hears, and
sees: all of these are through the power of his God in him, but they each one
are different, according to the difference of their cause. Verily, this is
indeed the truth.
` For example, if all these faculties are turned to that which causes
hearing, then hearing and its results become manifest, and if they are turned
to that which causes sight, another activity and another result will appear; if
turned to the brain, head, etc., the manifestations of mind and soul will
appear.' [82]
Bahá'u'lláh writes, moreover: ` Consider the rational faculty
with which God hath endowed the essence of man. Examine thine own self, and
behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose, thy sight and
hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else is related
to, or trascendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceed
from, and owe their existence to, this same faculty.' [83]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains: `It is the same reality which is given
different names, according to the different conditions wherein it is
manifested. Because of its relation to matter and the phenomenal world when it
governs the physical functions of the body, it is called the human soul; when
it manifests itself as the thinker, the comprehender, it is called the human
soul; when it manifests itself as the thinker, the comprehender, it is called
the mind. And when it soars into the atmosphere of God, and travels in the
spiritual world, it becomes designated as spirit.' [84]
These words enables us to understand the fundamental oneness of the spirit,
beyond the multiplicity of its expressions. The instruments of the soul (or
spirit of man) should not, therefore, be viewed as independent entities, but as
different aspects of the same reality in its different functions.
Soul and body
The relation between body and soul is explained in many passages of the
Bahá'í texts. `Abdu'l-Bahá says that `... this essence or
soul of man because of its innate purity and its connection with the unseen
Ancient Entity is old as regards time, but new as regards individuality.' The
soul therefore -- as regards its individuality -- has a beginning at the time
of fertilization. In that circumstance, the zygote or fertilized ovum which
potentially contains in itself a future human being becomes as `a mirror' [85]
reflecting into the world of creation the `effulgences' of that `spirit'
`emanated from the reality of Divinity', [86]
i.e. the soul. Elsewhere it is said that the zygote is like `a magnet... for
the spirit' which `will become manifest in [it] with all its perfections'. [87]
This event is part of the great `creative plan of God': [88]
Matter -- in its evolution and transformations -- acquires different capacities
of expressing in the world of creation the spiritual realities of the world of
the Kingdom. In the stage of human zygote, matter acquires the capacity of
manifesting the spirit of man.
Explaining the relation between soul and body, Bahá'u'lláh uses
the metaphor of the sun (the soul) and the earth (the body), [89] whereas `Abdu'l-Bahá adduces other examples. He
says that `... the human spirit does not enter into the physical body, nay,
rather, it has some `attachment' (to it). This `attachment' is like that of the
mirror and the sun.' [90]
Other examples He mentions are: `... the body is a mere garment utilized by the
spirit', and moreover: `The spirit, or human soul, is the rider; and the body
is only the steed.' [91]
In other words, on the one hand, the soul is mirrored forth from the body and,
on the other, it utilizes the body as an instrument through which its qualities
may be expressed. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The soul acts in the physical
world with the help of the body.' [92]
Therefore `... the soul is the intermediary between the body and the
spirit...', [93] and ` The soul is a link
between body and spirit. It receives bounties and virtues from the spirit and
gives them to the body, just as the outer senses carry that which they receive
from the outer world to the inner senses, in order that (these impressions) may
be deposited in the memory and, through his various powers, may be utilized by
man.' [94]
Though the soul is closely related to the body, nevertheless it is independent
of it. ` That a sick person', writes Bahá'u'lláh,
` showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances that interpose
themselves between his soul and his body, for the soul itself remaineth
unaffected by any bodily ailments.' The body, on the contrary, is strictly
dependent on the soul: ` So closely are they [the senses] related unto
it [the rational faculty]', writes Bahá'u'lláh, ` that if
in less than the twinkling of an eye its relationship to the human body be
severed, each and every one of these senses will cease immediately to exercise
its functions and will be deprived of the power to manifest the evidences of
its activity.' [95]
The body therefore is but a machine functioning thanks to the
` bounties' 96 the soul receives from the world of the Kingdom
and continuously bestows upon it (`It is the soul...', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá, `that directs a man's faculties, that governs his
humanity' [97]) and at the same time it is an
instrument through which the soul expresses itself in the world of creation.
Its bounties or powers[98]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` ... the soul hath limitless manifestations of
its own' 99 and therefore it is impossible to describe all those
` bounties' 100 the soul bestows upon the body; in other words
the powers it manifests in the world of creation. However, when the
Bahá'í texts are studied, the most important of those bounties
and powers may be understood.
The soul as coordinator and motor of the body ... the various organs and
members, the parts and elements, that constitute the body of man, though at
variance, are yet all connected one with the other by that all-unifying agency
known as the human soul, that causeth them to function in perfect harmony and
with absolute regularity', [101]
writes `Abdu'l-Bahá. And moreover: ` the mind force -- whether we
call it pre-existent or contingent -- doth direct and coordinate all the
members of the human body, seeing to it that each part or member duly
performeth its own special function.' [102]
And He says: `It is the soul... that directs a man's faculties, that governs
its humanity.' [103]
He says moreover that the mediator between the soul and the body is the
` sympathetic nerve' 104 -- to which He refers also as `common
faculty' [105] -- and regarding which He
writes: `[it] is connected with both. Its phenomena shall be perfect when
its spiritual and physical relations are normal'. [106]
The body therefore is an instrument through which the soul materializes itself,
and which the soul utilizes so that its allotted purposes in the world may be
accomplished. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The attainment of any object is
conditioned upon knowledge, volition and action. Unless these three conditions
are forthcoming, there is no execution or accomplishment.' [107]
Since human life bears its fruits only when it is spent in the pursuance of
the God-given goal of human souls ` to know Him and to love Him', [108] he three conditions of knowledge,
volition and action are realized in human life, i.e. the powers of knowing,
loving and willing. [109]
Knowledge
Each human cognitive process is realized through the soul. `Abdu'l-Bahá
states clearly that the soul can know `through instruments and organs' [110] and without them. [111]
The instruments which the soul utilizes so that it may know are the senses,
through which `sense perception' is realised; and the brain, through which the
`reasonable perception' or `intellection' [112] is realised. The soul can also know directly `without
instruments and organs': [113] this is
`insight, the power of inner perception', [114] or `intuitive knowledge'. [115]
Sense perception. It is shared by men and animals and one of its
purposes is ` to separate the beneficial from whatever causeth harm.' [116] In the animal it is the typical
expression of the spirit at that level. In men, it is one of the expressions of
the animal spirit. However in men, the typical expression of spirit is the
`reasonable perception'. [117]
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... if all these faculties [the
faculties of the spirit] are turned to that which causes hearing, then
hearing and its results become manifest, and if they are turned to that which
causes sight, another activity and another result will appear; if turned to the
brain, head, etc., the manifestations of mind and soul will appear....' [118]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains: `[the body] is only the medium of the
grossest sensations', [119] and elsewhere He
says: `It is not the body which feels pain or trouble, but the soul... though
the body is the cause of that trouble.' [120]
He writes moreover that ` feelings' in men and animals ` are one and
the same'. [121]
But it seems that though `sense perception' is shared by men and animals --
yet in men it has a different meaning and importance: in fact -- though it is
undoubtedly produced through the body -- yet it is immediately elaborated by
the soul through its power of `reasonable perception' through which it becomes
conscious.
`Reasonable perception' or ` intellection'. [122]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` ... the human spirit is an all-encompassing
power that exerteth its dominion over the inner essences of all created things,
uncovering the well kept mysteries of the phenomenal world'. Through this
power, He adds, man ` ... graspeth universal ideas and layeth bare the
secrets of creation' as well as ` abstract and universal ideas'. [123]
He explains that this kind of knowledge is possible because of certain powers
of the soul expressing themselves through the agency of the brain. In fact,
among ` the inherent properties of the soul' there are those to which He
refers as ` mental faculties' 124 or `spiritual powers':
imagination, thought, comprehension, memory, common faculty. [125]
He says that they are properties of the soul ` as the radiation of light is
the essential property of the sun', [126]
and that they find their expression in the world of creation through the
instrument of the brain. This ` ... action of the soul's
power' 127 expressed through the brain is called mind. The mind,
says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the
lamp; mind is the light which shines from the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the
mind is the fruit.' [128] Mind is strictly
dependent on the brain, where `Abdu'l-Bahá says it `has its seat': [129] ` For the mind to manifest itself, the
human body must be whole; and a sound mind cannot be but in a sound
body.' Because mind depends on the brain, it is
` circumscribed'. [130] In fact mind
comprehends through senses: without them it cannot function.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains the process of intellection. Senses perceive
material reality and convey their perceptions to the brain. In the brain,
perceptions are conveyed through the common sense to the mind; the mind in its
turn elaborates them through its mental faculties, i.e. imagination, thought,
comprehension and memory. Thus ` The mind comprehendth the abstract by the
aid of the concrete.' 130
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes that ` ... the human spirit is an all-
encompassing power that exerteth its dominion over the inner essences of all
created things, uncovering the well kept mysteries of the phenomenal world.
` The divine spirit, however, doth unveil divine realities and universal
mysteries that lie within spiritual world.' Therefore the mind -- assisted
by the ` divine spirit' 131 or `spirit of faith' [132] -- enables man to know also the reality
of the spiritual world. This knowledge of the spiritual world is confirmed and
strengthened through the soul's direct knowledge, its `inner perception or
insight'. [133]
`Inner perception or insight' 134 or ` intuitive
knowledge'. [135]
The Bahá'í texts very often refer to inner eye and vision, inner
ear and hearing, as well as inner mind [136]
and `Abdu'l-Bahá very often mentions two instruments -- mind and heart
as factors of spiritual progress. [137] Mind
has been previously discussed. The heart might be viewed as that kind of
knowledge which the soul achieve without instruments and organs. This kind of
knowledge is immediate, independent of any physical instrument, reflection or
reasoning and leads man directly to the `knowledge of being'. [138] It is insight or intuition. [139]
In the Bahá'í view, this cognitive capacity is not bestowed only
upon the chosen ones, through God knows what occult, mystical and magical arts.
It is a power shared by all mankind; but today it is atrophied because it is
very seldom used. In fact `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... if the spiritual
qualities of the soul, open to the breath of the Divine Spirit, are never used,
they become atrophied, enfeebled, and at last incapable...' [140]
Very few people make a deliberate, conscious and methodical use of their
insight. Most of its fruits are reaped without an awareness of their origin.
Contrary to this pattern, the Bahá'í texts prescribe a systematic
use of this extraordinary cognitive power, and point to meditation as the
specific practice through which this power may be both used and developed. Such
is the importance attached in the Bahá'í texts to meditation,
that `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `You cannot apply the name "man" to any being
void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would be a mere animal, lower
than the beasts.' [141]
But it is primarily the spiritual progress resulting from the choice made by
the soul of turning towards the world of the Kingdom and its endeavours in
facing the necessary sacrifices while it perseveres in that choice, that
quicken such intuitive powers, as will be very useful in daily life.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` The human spirit possesseth wondrous powers,
but it should be reinforced by the Holy Spirit... Then will that human spirit
uncover realities, and unravel mysteries.' And elsewhere He writes: ` The
divine spirit... doth unveil divine realities.' [142]
He writes moreover:' I now assure thee... that if thy mind become empty and
pure from every mention and thought and thy heart attracted wholly to the
Kingdom of God, forget all else besides God and come in communion with the
Spirit of God, then the Holy Spirit will assist thee with a power which will
enable thee to penetrate all things, and a Dazzling Spark which enlightens all
sides, a Brilliant Flame in the zenith of the heaven, will teach thee that
which thou dost not know of the facts of the universe and of the divine
doctrine.' [143]
We may thus epitomize some of the most important finctions of this power of the
human soul: [144]
- Since it is a source of thought, it strengthens the mind and
promotes creativity.
- It assists man in his moral choices, helping him in understanding
the spiritual principles relevant to any issue to be faced and solved.
- It assists man in understanding the true nature of his own or
another's individuality, behind the veil of personality; thus it assists man in
loving himself and others, showing to him the sign of God in man.
- It assists man in comprehending the Revealed Words, whereas mind
often leads to a superficial understanding and may sometimes even be an
obstacle, particularly when it falls a prey to prejudice.
- It assists man in consultation, because it draws him closer to truth
and helps him in understanding and loving his fellow-men.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains that insight and mind cannot function
simultaneously. `The sign of the intellect is contemplation', He says, `and the
sign of contemplation is silence.' [145]
`Abdu'l-Bahá therefore indirectly recommends that the importunate mind
be silenced from time to time, so that in that inner silence the voice of the
spirit may be heard. [146]
Self-consciousness. Man, unique among the creatures on the earth, is
self- conscious. Such is the importance of this divine bestowal that
`Abdu'l-Bahá says that `the spiritual faculty' is `the heavenly gift of
consciousness'. This extraordinary power of the soul bestows upon man the
capacity of `conscious reflection', `conscious ideation', `conscious
intelligence', `consciousness'. `Abdu'l-Bahá says:'God has created such
a conscious spirit within him [man] that he is the most wonderful of all
contingent beings.' [147]
Consciousness distinguishes man from animals, since animals cannot have such
self-image as he has. [148] This concept set
forth by `Abdu'l-Bahá is shared by modern scientists. It is well known
that when a chimpanzee, which is the most evolved among the primates, sees its
own image reflected in a mirror, it does not understand that it is its own
image. At most it looks behind the mirror, searching there for another animal.
In fact the animal is not possessed of the capacity of memorizing the image of
its own body and therefore it cannot know itself as an individual.
Thanks to this power, men know and are conscious of their knowledge. Sense
perception, reasonable perception of material reality achieved through the
mental faculties of the soul, intellectual perception of `the Divine reality of
things', [149] inner perception or insight
and any other human activity (emotions and feelings, attraction and attachment,
volition and endeavour) are, one and all, conscious activities.
The Bahá'í texts say that this consciousness has been bestowed
upon man so that certain important purposes may be achieved:
- `to investigate and discover the truth' `for himself'; to `perceive what is
true' arriving at `valid conclusions' and `at the verities of existence';[150]
- to `safeguard and protect himself';[151]
- to apprehend `the divine teachings';[152]
- to arrive at `the choice of good or evil';[153]
- to free himself `from all the fetters of self';[154]
- `to render effective the will of God and give it material station';[155]
- to acquire and manifest `... the bounties of God, that he may establish
the kingdom of God among men and attain to happiness in both worlds, the
visible and invisible'.155
Love
Love is another fundamental.characteristic of the soul.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` I have breathed within thee a breath of
My own Spirit, that thou mayest be My lover', [156]
suggesting that this capacity of loving typical of man is one of the divine
qualities shining within him. In the Bahá'í texts, love is
described as an eternal, marvelous, irresistible, all-pervading force which is
`the cause of the existence of all phenomena'. [157]
Creation is the outcome of `the love of God towards the Self or Identity of
God': [158] This love shines forth in the
various levels of existence -- in different degrees according to their
respective capacities -- in conformity with a single, universal law enunciated
thus by `Abdu'l-Bahá: ` the whole attracteth the part, and in the
circle, the centre is the pivot of the compasses', with its corollary:
` ... any movement animated by love moveth from the periphery to the
centre.' In the mineral kingdom we see the affinity among the elemental
atoms to which `Abdu'l-Bahá refers as: ` the unique power that bindeth
together the diverse elements of this material world'; we see moreover
` the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in
the celestial realms'; [159] in the
animal kingdom we find `certain affiliation and fellowship... and selective
affinity', [160] typical of that kingdom. In
the human kingdom we see that man, being possessed of an animal nature
belonging to the world of creation, is attracted towards that world; while
being possessed of a divine nature belonging to the world of the Kingdom, he is
also attracted towards that Kingdom. [161]
The human soul therefore is subject to such typical tension previously
mentioned, as arises from the divergent attractions towards those two different
kingdoms of existence. At first the human soul hesitates and is doubtful in its
choice between material reality or the world of creation and divine reality or
the world of the Kingdom. When the soul chooses the love of the divine reality,
its spiritual growth begins. Thus, the soul arises to a superior degree of
reality and loves both the world of the Kingdom and the world of creation. But
if the soul chooses the world of creation, which is an inferior degree, it will
ignore the world of the Kingdom, which is a superior degree.
The most important characteristics of this capacity of loving typical of man
are described in the Bahá'í texts.
The capacity of feeling joy and pain. Love is always attended by
feelings of joy and pain: pain whenever the loved one is far away, joy whenever
the loved one is close. [162]
This important capacity of feeling joy and pain is typical of the soul: `It is
not the body which feels pain or trouble', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `but the
soul... though the body is the cause of that Trouble', [163] and He adds: `If we are caused joy or pain by a
friend... it is the soul that is affected.' [164]
This capacity of feeling joy and pain is very important for the soul.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `It is the nature of man to find enjoyment in that
which is gratifying to his senses,' and moreover: `God originally endowed man
with an individuality which enjoyed that which was beneficial...'. Joy and pain
are therefore for man's protection, so that he may not draw close to that which
harms him or escape from that which profits him. However, `... man through his
evil habits changes this creation and transforms the divine illumination into
satanic darkness'. [165]
And moreover, He writes: ` ...every individual is born holy and pure, and
only thereafter may become defiled.' [166]
We understand now why purity is such an important human quality: when a man is
impure, his capacity of judgment is undoubtedly impaired; when he is pure, he
is able to turn towards that which profits him.
Purity of heart is inborn in man. `The hearts of all children are of the utmost
purity', says `Abdu'l-Bahá and therefore they are `near to God'. He says
moreover: `They are mirrors upon which no dust has fallen.' Yet, the original
purity of children is because of their weakness. In the course of their lives,
their purity may be strengthened `through the power of intelligence... through
the great power of reason and of understanding', so that when those children
grow to manhood, they become `pure... simple... sincere.' [167]
These qualities enable them to be aware of their truest human needs, which are
their spiritual needs, above their less noble, material instincts, which may
draw them far away from their true spiritual reality. But sometimes those
children are enticed by their natal selves with their natural emotions. In this
case their purity is lost and, `Abdu'l-Bahá says, their souls may fall
prey to `selfish disorders, intellectual maladies, spiritual sicknesses', [168] so that they go so far as to love harmful
things and to hate beneficial things. The soul is, in a sense, subject as
regards its purity to a phenomenon of addiction, i.e. it may easily fall into
bad habits. It is like the nose which at first smells any odour, but after a
prolonged exposition to an odour, it no longer perceives it. [169]
Such is the condition of impurity. Man must therefore be possessed of the
capacity and of the ability to distinguish between harmful and beneficent
things, to avoid harmful things lest he get accustomed to them and stop feeling
such repugnance for them as is caused by the trouble those same things
originally give him. Purity is closely connected with that human faculty
` which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy or
unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame'. [170]
In this regard `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` It is clear... that the
emergence of this natural sense of human dignity and honour is the result of
education', ` one of the bounties deriving from the instructions of the
Prophets of God'. [171]
The Manifestation of God, in fact, reveals to man how he should behave in his
life in view of his own material, mental and spiritual progress. His sense of
shame is trained at the school of religion, where man is taught how to satisfy
his inborn -- animal, human and spiritual -- needs, in view of a harmonious and
balanced growth of all his potentialities. It seems therefore a potential human
capacity, a part of his individuality, which will grow and become manifest only
through training.
The power of love. Love is described in the Bahá'í texts
as an amazing power, `the most wonderful, the greatest of all living powers.' [172] Love very often works independently of the power of reason.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... the lover hath no desire save union
with his beloved.' In his eagerness to reach his goal, the lover ignores
any other thing, and is capable of any insanity: ` ... when the fire of love
is ablaze', Bahá'u'lláh writes, ` it burneth to ashes the
harvest of reason.' [173]
The Bahá'í texts very often describe love through metaphors
drawn from the experience of human love between a man and a woman. This passion
may therefore be viewed as a metaphor of the highest expression of love which a
man may experience: the unselfish, total love towards the Absolute, i.e. God
Himself. The object of love is important, as regards its results in daily life.
In fact the consequence of such insanity will be either destructive or
constructive depending on whether its object is beneficent or maleficent. It is
one thing to eat a healthy food giving strength and energy to the body, and
another to become poisoned by a venomous draught.
Love and knowledge. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `When reality envelops the
soul of man, love is possible,' [174] and He
explains: ` When man's soul is rarefied and cleansed, spiritual links are
established, and from these bonds sensations felt by the heart are produced.
The human heart resembleth a mirror. When this is purified human hearts are
attuned and reflect one another, and thus spiritual emotions are
generated.' [175]
Knowledge assists man in choosing the object of his love: the closer to reality
this knowledge is, the closer to the Absolute is the object of love, and the
nobler are the deeds produced through his will.
Love and courage. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Love is a light
that never dwelleth in a heart possessed by fear'; and moreover: ` A
lover feareth nothing and no harm can come nigh him.' The logic of love
would have the lover ready to do anything that he may reach his beloved, even
to offer ` a hundred lives'. Therefore Bahá'u'lláh writes:
` The steed of this Valley [of love] is pain.' This pain is caused
not only by the separation from the beloved, but also because love ` seeth
life in death': in the reunion with the beloved, the lover longs for total
annihilation, and is there any greater pain than the dying to oneself? In the
path of the spiritual search the lover is ready to give up the attributes of
his natal self that he may take on the divine qualities. For this purpose,
` at every step he throweth a thousand heads at the feet of the
beloved'. [176]
The growth of love. The capacity of loving -- as any other reality
within man -- is a potential capacity, bound to develop. This growth is a
gradual change of the object of love, from the love of the natal self to the
love of greater and more universal realities, until it focus upon the Self of
God, the Logos.
Man is endowed with dynamics, attributes and capacities which assist him in
developing his own capacity of loving: the dynamics of joy and pain, the
attribute of purity, the capacity of knowing reality, and thus of somehow
choosing the object of his love. But none of these endowments will prove
sufficient to preserve the soul from the destruction ensuing from a love, whose
object is unworthy. Divine assistance is needed. ` Wouldst thou the mind
should not entrap thee? Teach it the science of the love of God', writes
Bahá'u'lláh. And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that this science
is religion, suggesting that man should always adhere to such laws of the
Universal Mind as are expounded by the Manifestation of God, so that he may not
be deceived by his own mind, in its proposing objects of love.
Bahá'u'lláh writes moreover: ` The lover's teacher is the Loved
One's beauty; His face their lesson and their only book', [177]
suggesting that the world of creation is a marvelous school of the love of
God, if man only learns how to look at it.
Will
Knowledge, as self-consciousness, and love, as awareness of such
feelings as are generated from attraction, qualify choice, or will. Will,
therefore, seems to be the choice of a satisfying attraction or, in other
words, the choice of the object of love. This choice is made by the soul. The
soul is confined within the condition of `servitude', [178] and of powerlessness, yet it has been endowed by God
with the bounty of free will or free choice. ` The essence of all power is
God's', [179] writes
Bahá'u'lláh; and moreover: ` Know, also, that the life of man
is from the Spirit and to turn indeed is from the soul.' [180]
And also: ` All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be
manifested only as a result of your own volition', [181] suggesting that the soul is free to manifest either
its divine nature or its animal nature. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... in the
choice of good and bad actions he [man] is free, and he commits them according
to his own will.' [182]
And moreover: `God, himself, cannot compel the soul to become spiritual; the
exercise of a free human will is necessary.' [183] Explaining this particular human condition, `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `...
this condition is like that of a ship which is moved by the power of the wind
or steam; if this power ceases, the ship cannot move at all. Nevertheless, the
rudder of the ship turns it to either side, and the power of the steam moves it
in the desired direction... in all the action or inaction of man, he receives
power from the help of God; but the choice of good or evil belongs to the man
himself.' [184]
The soul therefore may ` turn', or make his choice of inner and outer
attitude, according to such attraction as it feels and to its understanding of
that attraction. The choice of the world of creation -- which in man expresses
itself as animal nature -- is the easiest choice, because it does not imply any
change, any transition from an inferior to a superior stage. On the contrary,
the choice of the world of the Kingdom -- which in man expresses itself as
divine nature -- is a difficult choice, at least at the beginning, because it
implies an awareness of a remote reality, a change, a transition from an
inferior to a superior stage: it is the second birth or spiritual progress.
In the Bahá'í texts, human freedom is viewed as a moral liberty
of choosing between the attraction towards the world of nature and the
attraction towards the world of the Kingdom, between love of the natal self and
love of the Self of God. Most of the facts and circumstances of human life
belong to a process which eludes the command of human will. They may be viewed
as expressions of the will of God. Therefore, whosoever rebels against them
somehow rebels against the will of God Himself. Man's dignity and freedom lie
in his striving to mirror forth the qualities of the world of the Kingdom in
such particular circumstances as are his lot. In fact, these circumstances are
both an outcome of his choices and of a chain of events which do not depend on
him. He may try to modify those facts and circumstances in his life which do
not mirror forth the world of the Kingdom, so that they may do it. On the other
hand, he may rebel against the will of God in several ways. One of the most
widespread kinds of rebellion in the Western world is the attitude of changing
pain into despair. Pain cannot be avoided. Whenever acutely-felt needs cannot
be satisfied, or realities encountered in which the light of the world of the
Kingdom is too dimly reflected, any soul feels pain. Rebellion occurs whenever
a soul dwells unduly upon such unpleasant aspects of life, whenever it indulges
in its painful feelings, whenever it does not show those concrete and positive
attitude through which that need may be satisfied, that dim light may become
more brilliant. In fact, God has willed joy and high aims for us. ` I will no
longer be sorrowful and grieved, I will be a happy and joyous being... 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', [185] is the promise `Abdu'l-Bahá exhorts us to make
in one of His prayers. And elsewhere He gives the following advice to an
inquirer: ` Then better for thee to bow down thy head in submission, and put
thy trust in the All- Merciful Lord.' [186]
It is clear that human choice, or the exercise of the `power of will', [187] depend on both attraction (or love), and
knowledge. Man chooses what he knows will satisfy such needs as he is aware of,
because he feels them as pain. That is why `Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
` Regarding the "two wings" of the soul: These signify wings of ascent. One
is the wing of knowledge, the other of faith, as this is the means of the
ascent of the human soul to the lofty station of divine perfections.' [188]
And elsewhere He says that faith is: `love that flows from man to God...
attraction to the Divine, enkindlement...' [189]
Knowledge, therefore, is but the first step into the path of spiritual
progress. Through his knowledge man becomes, on the one hand, conscious of his
needs, and, on the other, aware of the means through which those needs may be
satisfied. Having attained such consciousness and awareness, he will be ready
to make his choice by the agency of his will. His heart will be ready to choose
its `attachment', [190] an attachment that
may be called in this context love. Will, in this context, is the choice of the
object of attachment, or of love. Only at this point will he be ready to act,
and his action will thus be guided by a faith which is both `conscious
knowledge' [191] and `love'. [192]
Action
If knowledge, love and will must be conducive to action, an effort is
requested from the soul. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Success or
failure, gain or loss must, therefore, depend upon man's exertions.' And
moreover: ` The greater the effort exerted... the more faithfully will it
[the soul] be made to reflect the glory of the names and attributes of
God.' [193]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `we must strive with energies of heart, soul and
mind to develop and manifest the perfections and virtues latent within the
realities of the phenomenal world.' [194]
And moreover: `Capacity is in accordance with striving and sincerity.' [195]
Therefore, the soul leads the body to act in the world of creation on the
grounds of its understanding of reality and of the attraction it has decided to
follow, prompted in this decision by its, sometimes vague, feeling that its
needs will be satisfied thereby. Any action implies a change of a previous
condition, and therefore requires an effort. The soul is possessed of the
required qualities for its efforts to be successful: steadfastness,
perseverance, firmness, courage and many other qualities of the soul which are
indispensable for any action. [196]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` ... the soul hath limitless manifestations of
its own.' [197]
In fact, the powers of knowledge, love and will are three great categories of
qualities expressed by the soul in accomplishing the purpose of its creation.
In each of these three categories, many qualities may be recognized. These
qualities are reflections of the divine qualities of the world of the Kingdom,
and constitutes potential endowments at the disposal of any human soul in its
endeavour of approaching, step by step, the goal of its existence: to return
conscious into that world of the Kingdom whence it came forth unconscious.
Moreover as knowledge, love and will are closely interrelated, so knowledge,
will and action -- being their outcome -- should be viewed not as three
successive and independent steps of a linear process, whose reciprocal
relations are univocal cause-effect relations. They should rather be viewed in
the light of the concept of unity and of the evolution of reality set forth in
the Bahá'í texts. They are the outcome of three aspects of a
single reality, the soul, and therefore they interact. Sometimes, in the sight
of God there is no difference between intention and action: ` Every act ye
meditate is as clear to Him as is that act when already accomplished,' [198]
writes Bahá'u'lláh. Knowledge and love influence will, and will
is conducive to action. But each one of them is influenced as well by the
other. Knowledge is no longer the same, once will has been fulfilled, through
the impulse of love, in an action. Any action confirms or denies cognitive or
volitional-affective data through a dynamics which is very similar to
biological feed-back. [199]
Moreover, knowledge, love and will are so strictly interrelated that divided
from one another they lose their meaning. An unconscious and involuntary action
is not the same as a conscious and a voluntary one. [200]
Whenever knowledge, love and will are not translated into actions, they lose
importance. The cognitive, affective, volitional and practical aspects of human
reality are therefore closely interrelated and, depending on the circumstances,
they confirm or deny one another.
The dynamics of the choice
Such are the reasons and the dynamics of the choice. The following steps
are required, so that the choice may be properly directed:
- Whenever the cognitive powers are properly used, knowledge of
reality is achieved.
- Knowledge of reality fosters the soul's `attraction to the Divine',
which, in the words of `Abdu'l-Bahá, is faith, in its meaning of `the
love that flows from man to God.'[201]
- Faith is realized as `conscious knowledge and the practice of
good deeds'202 whenever the attraction to the world of the
Kingdom is favoured.
- The attraction to the world of the Kingdom and the conscious
knowledge of reality are conducive to the willing acceptance of any consequence
ensuing for the soul from its efforts to become attracted towards the world of
the Kingdom. This is the real meaning of sacrifice.
- All these conditions (knowledge, love and will as expressed through
action) attract `the power of the Holy Spirit',[203]
which in its turn transforms the nature of man and draws out of him his
potential divine virtues, or in other words his capacities.
(vi) As man's divine virtues emerge, he becomes more and more fit to reach his
spiritual goal, and the process of his spiritual growth becomes more and more
easy and speedy.
Now it is clear that knowledge, love and will are not enough for a man to
produce concrete and positive results through his actions. `Abdu'l-Bahá
writes: ` ... every great Cause in this world of existence findeth visible
expression through three means: first, intention; second, confirmation; third,
action.' Therefore a confirmation is required so that intention may be
translated into action. In the same text, He explains that
` confirmation' means ` the confirmations of the Kingdom', ` a
Dynamic power', ` the power of the Word of God': [204] in other words the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
The Bahá'í texts say that if we are to receive such a
confirmation, we should -- out of pure love -- orientate our choices and
efforts according to the prescriptions of the Manifestation, that is towards
the world of the Kingdom. Only thus will such divine virtues be achieved as are
both means for the entrance into the Kingdom and qualifications of the
enlightened souls, i.e. fruits of spiritual progress.
Whenever, on the contrary, a man decides that he will not follow the guidance
of the Manifestation of God, either because he does not know it, or because,
although he knows it, he has nevertheless preferred to turn his back on reality
and to rely upon his own fancies, the process will follow a quite different
course. Mostly, a man decides that he will favour his attraction towards the
world of nature whenever he has used improperly his cognitive powers and has
thus not understood the greater importance of the world of the Kingdom when
compared to the world of creation. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes in this regard:
` ... some souls are ignorant, they must be educated; some are sick, they
must be healed; some are still of tender age, they must be helped to attain
maturity, and the utmost kindness must be shown to them.' [205]
This concept is reminiscent of the `Socratic identification of science and
virtue'. [206]
On the grounds of this fundamental mistake, such a man places his faith --
which is both knowledge and love -- in an unworthy reality and his deeds will
mirror forth the qualities of that same reality. Those deeds therefore will not
be conducive to love, unity and cooperation, but will manifest the law of
self-centredness and of the struggle for existence with the survival of the
fittest, typical of the world of creation or nature. Thus his love will not be
attraction towards the world of the Kingdom, but only attachment, i.e. bondage
to the material reality in which he was created so that he might become
detached from it. As there is no spiritual love within him, neither will there
be any willing acceptance of pain and suffering, whose meaning he has not
understood. To him such pain will be both retribution for a wrong choice, and
an encouragement to change his ways. Since such a man makes no sacrifice, the
power of the Holy Spirit will not be attracted and none of the divine virtues
enshrined in his inner reality will become manifest. He will sink deeper and
deeper into the world of creation, at whose service he will have put his own
mind, `God's greatest gift to man'; [207]
` daily [will] he strut abroad with the characteristic of a wild
beast', be it ` a ferocious tiger', or ` a creeping, venomous
viper' and will become ` viler than the most fierce of savage
creatures.' [208]
In this condition, the qualities of the world of nature will emerge in that
man: cruelty, ruthlessness, aggression, selfishness, as well as fear, anguish,
anxieties, agony, cares; and he will not be able to escape them. He will
experience the hell of his ` insistent self', with its ` evil
promptings' and ` carnal desires.' [209]
His spiritual progress will stop. Of such men Christ said: ` ... let the
dead bury their dead,' [210] and
Bahá'u'lláh wrote that they abide in ` the abode of dust'
or in the ` plane of heedlessness'. [211]
Until they abandon such behaviour, they will not reach the goal intended for
men: knowing their own true being, which is divine, through the realization of
divine virtues.
The choice is thus a dynamic process, rich in negative and positive feed-backs.
But each forward step will lead to higher levels of knowledge, will and
action.
The soul as the mirror of human choices[212]
The results of the choice are manifest in the soul, which will mirror forth
either the natural emotions of its natal self, i.e. the darksome world of
nature, or its spiritual feelings and divine virtues, i.e. the luminous world
of the Kingdom, depending on whether the attraction towards the former or the
latter has been chosen. Between these two extremes there are indeed many
intermediate degrees, closer to one or to the other end depending on the
spiritual progress achieved, and which are actually expressed by human beings
in their daily lives. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` 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 the other, some achieving the highest station,
some a middle one, others remaining at the lowest stage of being.' [213]
The bounties of the spirit, reflected within the soul, become visible in the
world of creation -- through the instrumentality of the body -- as spiritual
knowledge, feelings, deeds and words.
Spiritual knowledge. 214
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... keenness of understanding is due to
keenness of vision.' [215] And
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes to an inquirer: ` Verily, it [the Holy Spirit] is
the shining morning and the rosy dawn which will impart unto thee the lights,
reveal the mysteries and make thee competent in science, and through it the
pictures of the Supreme World will be printed in thy heart and the facts of the
secrets of the.Kingdom of.God will shine before thee.' [216]
Elsewhere He writes: ` Once a soul becometh holy in all things, purified,
sanctified, the gates of the knowledge of God will open wide before his
eyes.' [217]
It is the Holy Spirit that bestows the bounty of knowledge. The Holy Spirit
opens the inner eye and therefore confers a deeper comprehension of both the
material and spiritual worlds.
Moreover, spiritual perception and virtues are closely interrelated, because
whoever shows forth any virtue will have an experience of it, and therefore
will know it. It follows that any virtuous man has a deeper spiritual
understanding of the world of the Kingdom to which his own virtues belong.
Spiritual feelings. Spiritual feelings are virtues of the world of the
Kingdom reflected in human hearts. Whoever is adorned therewith will not need
words or deeds to manifest them. They are part of his individuality and
personality. They radiate from him, as a light from its source. Of these men
the Báb, quoting the Qur'án, said: `On that day will We set a
seal upon their mouths; yet shall their hands speak unto Us, and their feet
shall bear witness to that which they shall have done.' [218]
Joy is one of the most typical feelings of spiritual men.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Whoso keepest the commandments of God
shall attain everlasting felicity.' [219]
And `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Afflictions and troubles are due to the state
of not being content with what God hath ordained for you. If one submits
himself to God, he is happy.' [220]
And moreover: `The most great, peerless gift of God to the world of humanity
is happiness born of love -- they are the twin sisters of the superman; one is
the complement of the other.' [221]
But He says also: `Although the bestowal is great and the grace is glorious,
yet, capacity and readiness are requisite. Without capacity and readiness, the
divine bestowal will not become manifest and evident... Therefore we must
obtain capacity in order that the signs of the mercy of the Lord may become
revealed. We must endeavour to make the soil of the hearts free from these
useless weeds and sanctified from the thorns of useless thoughts in order that
the cloud of Mercy may bestow its power upon it.' Therefore, only a sacrifice
met for the sake of love will deliver man from the natural emotions of his
natal self, will confer upon him `capacity and readiness', [222] and will enable him to achieve true happiness.
Happiness is a `spiritual state', [223] and
is `... dependent upon the susceptibilities of the heart and the attitude of
the mind'. [224] He writes: ` As to
material happiness, it never exists; nay, it is but imagination, an image
reflected in mirrors, a spectre and shadow... It is something, which but
slightly removes one's afflictions... All the material blessings... bestow no
delight on the mind, nor pleasure to the soul: nay, they furnish only the
bodily wants...
` As to spiritual happiness, this is the true basis of the life of man,
because life is created for happiness, not for sorrow; for pleasure, not for
grief... This great blessing and precious gift is obtained by man only through
the guidance of God.'
He writes also that spiritual happiness is ` ... light... glad-tidings... the
Kingdom... life... the fundamental basis from which man is created, worlds are
originated, the contingent beings have existence and the world of God appears
like unto the appearance of the sun at midday. This happiness is but the love
of God', whereas sorrow is ` darkness... disappointment... the earthly
world... non existence'. ` Were it not for this happiness,' He adds,
` the world of existence would not have been created.' [225]
This condition of ` spiritual enjoyment' is of such importance, that He
mentions it among the peculiar traits of man ` to which the animal can never
attain', because it ` depends from the acquisition of heavenly
virtues' 226 animals are debarred from.
Spiritual deeds. Spiritual deeds are in the Bahá'í view of
life those actions which, suggested by love, promote the unity of mankind,
through a well pondered voluntary action. Whether they are humble actions in
the modest sphere of a limited personal existence or great deeds relevant to
the well-being of the whole of mankind, their meaning is always the same: `to
render effective the will of God and give it material station.' [227]
In fact, God's will for today is that the divine attribute of unity may become
manifest in the world and that a society of unity and peace may be created.
Such deeds are well-pleasing unto God, because when they are weighed `in the
scales of divine teachings', [228] they
comply with them. This topic has been previously discussed.
Spiritual words. As to spiritual words, `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The
heart is like a box, and language is the key.' Then He adds: `... the function
of language is to portray the mysteries and secrets of human hearts.' [229]
Words may be thus viewed under two aspects:
(i) Words are the key to open the `boxes' of the hearts;
(ii) Words portray the mysteries and secrets of human hearts.
The Bahá'í texts recommend certain conditions, so that words may
be properly used as unique and powerful means of communication.
First, Bahá'u'lláh attaches the greatest importance to words:
` ... the impression which each word maketh is clearly evident and
perceptible... One word may be likened unto fire, another unto light, and the
influence which both exert is manifest in the world... One word is like unto
springtime causing the tender saplings of the rose-garden of knowledge to
become verdant and flourishing, while another word is even as a deadly
poison,' [230]
He writes. And elsewhere: ` ... the tongue is a smouldering fire, and excess
of speech a deadly poison.' [231]
Numerous are His counsels we should follow, if our words are to ` possess
penetrating power' whereby they may ` exert [their]
influence.' He recommends ` hearts which are detached and pure...
spirit... pure and heart stainless', so that words may be possessed of
` penetrating power.' He recommends moreover ` tact and wisdom', so
that ` moderation' may be achieved, as well as ` leniency and
forbearance'. [232]
The Bahá'í texts recommend that, once the use of words is
perfected, they should be devoted to the fostering of unity and peace in the
world. This purpose may be achieved in two fundamental ways: teaching the Faith
and consultation.
- Teaching the Faith. The best use of words, in such a world of
unity and peace as Bahá'u'lláh wants mankind to build, is for the
opening of `the city of the human heart',[233] or for causing `the bushes to be enkindled and the
call "Verily, there is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Unconstrained" to be
raised therefrom',[234] i.e. for the
kindling in human hearts of love of the Manifestation of God.
- Consultation. The proper use of words represents moreover
one of the fundamental elements of that method of confrontation of ideas and
deliberation Bahá'u'lláh describes as an expression of `the
maturity of the gift of understanding', one of the `two luminaries'
enlightening the `heaven of divine wisdom', and which He recommends as a
unique instrument of `welfare' and `wellbeing', as `a cause of
awareness and awakening', 235 i.e. the method of
consultation.
Consultation is recommended not only as an effective method of finding
solutions to personal and interpersonal problems, but is also prescribed for
the administration of public affairs. Issues of social life find a better
solution whenever groups of specially elected or appointed people meet in
consultation. Consultation will be well conducted and will produce good results
only when certain simple technical rules are observed, and whenever the hearts
of those consulting (where the required words for any exchange of ideas during
consultation find their origin) are well advanced in their spiritual progress.
Without these prerequisites, consultation will not be optimal, it will be more
difficult to find solutions, and it will be more likely that those solutions
may be wrong. Nevertheless consultation, however imperfect it may be, is in
itself a means of spiritual perfecting, because any effort aimed at achieving a
harmonious view of an issue is in itself an effort towards spiritualization.
Consultation is therefore recommended also as an instrument of personal and
collective spiritual progress. We may now well understand why the
spiritualizazion of mankind is required for any real improvement of the
political and social conditions of the world.
* * *
Spiritual knowledge, feelings, deeds and words are therefore an
expression of the qualities of the soul -- knowledge, love and will --
manifested in the world of creation through the instrumentality of the body.
The Perfect Man, the Manifestation of God, in His perfect consciousness of
inner and outer reality, realizes a perfect unity and harmony between these
expressions of His reality. Imperfect man, in his almost total ignorance of
reality, realizes disharmony and conflict and creates difficulties for himself
and for others. Spiritual progress implies a growing consciousness of inner and
outer reality and a more and more bountiful confirmation of the spirit and
therefore an increasing harmony between knowledge, feelings, deeds and
words.
The journey of the soul
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the human spirit is a Divine Trust, and it must
traverse all conditions, for its passage and movements through the conditions
of existence will be the means of its acquiring perfections... when the human
spirit passes through the conditions of existence, it will become the possessor
of each degree and station.' [236]
Human life is therefore a `journey', a `pilgrimage' of the soul, the `journey
back to God', and `the pathway of life is the road which leads to divine
knowledge and attainment', [237]
whereas ` every atom in existence and the essence of all created things'
have been ordained by God for man's ` training'. [238]
Preexistent as an undifferentiated potentiality in the divine world of the
Kingdom, the human soul appears as a potentially self-conscious individuality
in the world of creation at the moment of conception. The purpose of its
journey through the mineral, vegetable, animal and human kingdom is for the
soul to make the experience and to acquire the qualities of those kingdoms, so
that it may go back adorned with consciousness and will into that world of the
Kingdom whence it departed unconscious, and whose attraction it has always
felt, albeit obscurely and dimly.
It is the pen of a poet that assists us in expressing the feelings of this
human condition: the mystical pen of Rumi, that tells of the consuming yearning
of the soul in its remembrance of that world of the Kingdom whence it departed
and from which it feels so remote:
Listen to the reed how it tells a tale, complaining of
separations -
Saying, `Ever since I was parted from the reed-bed, my lament hath caused man
and woman to moan.
I want a bosom torn by severance, that I may unfold (to such a one) the pain of
love-desire.
Every one who is left far from his source wishes back the time when he was
united with it.
In every company I uttered my wailful notes, I consorted with the unhappy and
with them that rejoice.[239]
It is once again his pen which suggests a prayer -- mentioned by
Bahá'u'lláh Himself in His Four Valleys -- to be raised up
to God, that He may assist our souls in their quest:
O Lord! O Thou Whose bounty granteth wishes
I stand before Thee, all save Thee forgetting.
Grant that the mote of knowledge in my spirit
Escape desire and the lowly clay;
Grant that Thine ancient gift, this drop of wisdom,
Merge with Thy mighty sea.[240]
That same inspired pen thus describes -- after a toilsome journey through
endless times and spaces -- the enraptured amazement of self-annihilation and
of the vision of God in the innermost heart:
Cross and Christians, from end to end
I surveyed; He was not on the Cross.
I went to the idol-temple, to the ancient pagoda;
No trace was visible there.
I went to the mountains of Herat and Candahar;
I looked: He was not in that hill-and-dale.
With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Qaf;
In that place was only the `Anqa's habitation.
I bent the reins of search to the Ka'ba;
He was not in that resort of old and young.
I questioned Ibn Sina of his state;
He was not in Ibn Sina's range.
I fared towards the scene of `two bow-length' distance';
He was not in that exalted court.
And.I gazed into my own heart;
There I saw Him; He was nowhere else.
Save pure-souled Shamsi Tabriz
None ever was drunken and intoxicated and distraught.[241]
End notes:
[1] Paris Talks, p.85.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `...true life is not the life of the flesh
but the life of the spirit. For the life of the flesh is common both to men and
animals, whereas the life of the spirit is possessed only by the pure in heart
who have quaffed from the ocean of faith and partaken of the fruit of
certitude. This life knoweth no death and this existence is crowned by
immortality.'(Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.120.)
[2] Some Answered Questions,
pp.189-90.
[3] Promulgation, p.241.
[4] See Some Answered Questions,
pp.185-190; Promulgation, pp.17, 30, 54, 58, 61, 80, 90, 172, 178,
241-2, 332, 357, 417. See above p.97 and no. 76.
[5] Promulgation, p.17. See ibid.
p.360.
[6] Some Answered Questions, p.17. As to
the meaning of dreams, Shoghi Effendi wrote through his secretary: `That truth
is often imparted through dreams no one who is familiar with history,
especially religious history, can doubt. At the same time dreams and visions
are always coloured and influenced more or less by the mind of the dreamer and
we must beware of attaching too much importance to them.' (Quoted in
Bahá'í Institutions (comp.), p.107.)
[7] As to the meaning of the words self or ego,
see above pp.126-7 and no. 45.
[8] Promulgation, p.242. See ibid.
pp.242-3, 464.
[9] Ibid. p.59.
[10] Some Answered Questions, p.152.
[11] Paris Talks, p.89. This argument,
supporting the immortality of the soul on the ground of its motion, seems
similar to an argument set forth by Plato in his Phaedrus.
[12] `The Three Realities' in Star of the
West VII, 119. This argument may paralleled by an argument set forth by
Plato in His Phaedo, stating that the soul is immortal because it is not
an accident, but a substance.
[13] Promulgation, p.307. See
ibid. p.242, 306. This argument may be brought back to argument b.i
[14] Divine Philosophy, p.124.
[15] Promulgation,p.308. See
p.308. This argument may be brought back to argument b.1.
[16] Promulgation, pp.417, 308.
[17] See Divine Philosophy, p.124.
Some Answered Questions, p.229; Promulgation, p.308. This
argument may be brought back to argument no. (i) immediately above.
[18] Paris Talks, p.91.
[19] Promulgation, p.260. See
ibid. pp.260, 306, 415; Paris Talks, p.91. This argument seems
similar to the arguments set forth by Plato in his Phaedo and by St
Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Contra Gentiles, when they declare that the
soul is immortal because it is `simple.'
[20] Some Answered Questions, p.225.
[21] Paris Talks, p.91. See Some
Answered Questions, p.225; Promulgation, pp.307-8; Paris
Talks, p.91. This argument seems similar to the argument produced by Platon
in his Menon, by St Augustine in His Soliloquia and by St Thomas
Aquinas in his Summa Contra Gentiles, when they say that the presence of
truth in the soul is a warrant for its immortality.
[22] Paris Talks, p.93. St Thomas
Aquinas mentions this argument as a signum (as something that seemingly
reveals something else) in his Summa Theologica.
[23] ibid. p.93 See Paris Talks,
p.93.
[24] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in
Bahá'í World XV, p.40. See `Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections, pp.184-5; Paris Talks, p.92; Divine
Philosophy, p.119.
[25] Divine Philosophy, p.119.
[26] Some Answered Questions, p.223.
[27] Paris Talks,pp.89-90. See
ibid. p.93. As to this argument, upholding the immortality of the soul as
`a requirement of human moral life', N. Abbagnano writes: `This argument was
not successful in ancient times; it has rather proved the reason (very often
hidden) why philosophers were lead to seek out other arguments proving the
immortality of the soul.'(Dizionario di Filosofia, p.471.)
[28] Paris Talks, p.89. It is the
ancient, recurring argument called consensus gentium (general consent),
set forth by Cicero in his Tusculanae Disputationes.
29 Gleanings, p.158.
[30] Paris Talks, p.93.
[31] Divine Philosophy, p.119. The
argument of the consensus becomes more pregnant, when that
consensus is not given by common people, but by such authorities as the
Manifestations of God.
[32] Some Answered Questions,
pp.115-16.
[33] Gleanings, pp.160, 182.
[34] `Survival and Salvation', in Star of
the West, VII, p.190.
[35] Promulgation, 421.
[36] `Survival and Salvation', in Star of
the West, VII, p.190.
[37] Some Answered Questions, p.239. It
seems that `Abdu'l-Bahá gives to the word `substance', in this
statement, the Aristotelian meaning: that which necessarily is what it is.
[38] `Survival and Salavation', in Star of
the West, I, p.190. Essence, in this statement, seems accepted in its
meaning of `necessary essence', i.e. `substance.'
[39] Promulgation, p.464.
[40] Quoted in M. M. Rabb, `The Divine Art of
Living', in Star of the West, VII, p.151.
[41] Paris Talks, p.25.
[42] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, XIV, p.8.
[43] Promulgation, p.60.
[44] `Survival and Salvation', in Star of
the West, I, p.190.
[45] Promulgation, p.60.
[46] Tablets, p.611.
[47] ibid. p.591.
[48] Promulgation, pp.464-5. The word
`form' here refers to an immaterial reality; it is not therefore used - it
seems - in its Aristotelian meaning of `substance of things which are possessed
of matter', but in its Scholastic meaning of `necessary essence, or substantial
principle which characterizes a being and determines its specific nature'.'
(See N. Abbagnano, Dizionario di Filosofia, pp.145-7.)
[49] Promulgation, pp.465, 258. The
Bahá'í texts attach the greatest importance to human
consciousness; however, consciousness is viewed as one of the divine qualities
of human soul and not as its essence, such as in the case of certain modern
philosophers. In the Bahá'í texts, the greatest importance is
attached also to love and will.
[50] Kitáb-i-Íqán,
p.101.
[51] Promulgation, pp.418, 239, 464.
For an interesting discussion of this topic See W. S. Hatcher, `The
Concept of Spirituality', in Bahá'í Studies, XI, pp.19-23.
He says: `A close examination of the psychology of the spiritual growth process
as presented in the Bahá'í writings indicates that the proper and
harmonious functioning of our basic spiritual capacities depends on recognizing
a hierarchical relationship among them. At the apex of this hierarchy is the
knowing capacity.' And he supports his statement quoting passages from the
Bahá'í texts. Then he writes: `In the above passages and in many
others not quoted, the hierarchical ordering of spiritual faculties is the
same: Knowledge leads to love which generates the courage to act (i.e., faith)
which forms the basis of the intention to act (i.e., motive and good will)
which in turn leads to action itself (i.e., good deeds.) Of course, the
knowledge which starts this psycho-spiritual chain reaction is not just any
kind of knowledge, but the knowledge of God which is equivalent to true
self-knowledge.' (ibid. pp.19-20.)
[52] Gleanings, pp.160, 191.
[53] Promulgation, pp.286, 239.
[54] Epistle, p.112.
[55] Selections, p.167.
[56] `Survival and Salvation', in Star of
the West, VII, p.190.
[57] Some Answered Questions, p.196.
[58] Promulgation, pp.418, 69, 303.
59 Gleanings, p.160.
[60] Promulgation, pp.285, 85.
Bahá'u'lláh writes that for every man God `poureth forth'
a `share of the flood of grace' and then He adds: `Let none,
therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion
of some might lie in the palm of a man's hand, the portion of others might fill
a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure.' Gleanings, p.8.)
Elsewhere He writes: `Unto each one hath been prescribed a pre-ordained
measure....' (ibid. p.149.)
[61] Gleanings, p.194.
[62] Promulgation, p.377.
[63] Gleanings, p.160.
[64] Divine Philosophy, p.127.
[65] Promulgation, pp.335, 70.
[66] ibid. Pp.85, 24.
[67] Some Answered Questions, p.212.
[68] Promulgation, pp.293, 378.
[69] `Recent Tablets to Baháis
in America', in Star of the West, II, p.58. Bahá'u'lláh
writes: `All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested
only as a result of your own volition.'(Gleanings, p.149)
[70] Promulgation, p.70.
[71] Divine Philosophy, p.129.
[72] As to the topic of self-realization,
See W.S. Hatcher, `The Concept of Spirituality', in
Bahá'í Studies, XI. See moreover D.C. Jordan,
Becoming Your True Self: The Meaning of Deepening.
[73] `The Federation of the World', in Star
of the West, XIV, p.297.
[74] Divine Philosophy, pp.127, 128.
[75] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, XIV, p.8.
[76] Gleanings, p.159.
[77] Tablets, p.611.
[78] Promulgation, p.464.
[79] Divine Philosophy, p.130.
[80] Selections, p.288.
[81] Divine Philosophy, pp.129, 128,
114. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `He [man] has the innate character, the
inherited character, and the acquired character which is gained by education.
`With regard to innate character, although the divine creation is purely good,
yet the varieties of natural qualities in man come from the difference of
degree; all are excellent, but they are more or less so, according to the
degree...
`The variety of inherited qualities comes from strength and weakness of
constitution - that is to say, when the two parents are weak, the children will
be weak; if they are strong, the children will be robust...
`But the difference of the qualities with regard to culture is very great, for
education has great influence...Education has a universal influence, and the
differences caused by it are very great.'(Some Answered Questions,
pp.212-4.)
Therefore, in the Bahá'í view, individual characters depend on
the interaction of those three factors and on the efforts exerted so that those
God-given qualities (innate character and inherited qualities) may be mirrored
forth in the plane of concrete reality, under the particular circumstances
allotted by God Himself (characters acquired from education.) Since those
efforts are conscious and voluntary, (See above pp.190-6, 265-70 and
below pp.331-5), each individual is responsible of his own personality under
his own particular circumstances.
[82] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, V, p.8.
[83] Gleanings, p.164.
[84] `Survival and Salvation', in Star of
the West, VII, p.190.
[85] Some Answered Questions, p.144.
[86] Promulgation, p.59.
[87] Some Answered Questions, p.201.
[88] Promulgation, p.293.
[89] Bahá'u'lláh writes: `The
soul of man should be likened unto this sun, and all things on earth should be
regarded as his body...The soul of man is the sun by which his body is
illumined, and from which it draweth its sustenance, and should be so
regarded.' (Gleanings pp.154-5.)
[90] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, IV, p.37.
[91] Promulgation, pp.259, 416.
[92] Divine Philosophy, p.123.
[93] Paris Talks, p.98.
[94] Tablets, p.611.
[95] Gleanings, pp 154, 164.
96 Tablets, p.611.
[97] Paris Talks, p.86.
[98] See also H.A. Weil, Closer than
your Life Vein, pp.42-70.
99 `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in Bahá'í World,
XV, p.38.
100 Tablets, p.611.
[101] ibid. pp.39-40.
[102] Selections, p.48.
[103] Paris Talks, p.86.
104 Tablets, p.309.
[105] Some Answered Questions,
p.210.
[106] This concept deserves further
discussions and studies in the light of the concept of the spiritual nature of
man. Then many aspects of human behaviours and neurosis will be better
understood, and more effective ways of curing and preventing the so called
psychosomatic diseases will be discovered. See H.B. Danesh, `Health and
Healing', in World Order, III, no. 3, p.15.
[107] Promulgation, p.157.
[108] Gleanings, p.65.
[109] See Some Answered Questions,
pp.300-305. For an interesting exposition of these three fundamental spiritual
powers of man, See W.S. Hatcher, `The Concept of Spirituality', in
Bahá'í Studies, XI, pp.19-23.
As to these attributes - knowledge, love and will - as expressed in the act of
creation, see above pp.75-6.
[110] Some Answered Questions,
p.277.
[111] See Some Answered Questions,
p.227; Promulgation, pp.86, 90; Paris Talks, p.86.
[112] Promulgation, pp.357, 417.
[113] Some Answered Questions,
p.227.
[114] Promulgation, p.325.
[115] Some Answered Questions,
p.157.
[116] Selections, p.155.
[117] Promulgation, p.357.
[118] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West. IV, p.8.
[119] Promulgation, p.417.
[120] Quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art
of Living', in Star of the West, VIII, p.230.
[121] Selections, p.159.
[122] Promulgation, pp.357, 417.
[123] Selections, pp.170.
124 `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in Bahá'í World,
XV, p.38.
[125] Some Answered Questions,
p.210.
[126] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.38.
127 Tablets, p.611.
[128] Some Answered Questions,
p.209.
[129] Divine Philosophy, p.92.
[130] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.38.
131 Selections, p.170.
[132] Some Answered Questions,
p.208.
[133] Promulgation, p.325.
134 ibid.
[135] Some Answered Questions,
p.157.
[136] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `He has
given us material gifts and spiritual graces, outer sight to view the lights of
the sun and inner vision by which we may perceive the glory of God. He has
designed the outer ear to enjoy the melodies of sound and the inner hearing
wherewith we may hear the voice of our Creator.'(Promulgation, p.90.)
[137] See Promulgation, pp.187, 270.
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes moreover: `...the sight of the heart is
illumined. It discerneth and discovereth the divine Kingdom. It is everlasting
and eternal.' (Selections, pp.37-8.)
For a preliminary study of the knowledge of the heart, see J. McLean,
`The Knowledge of God: An Essay on Bahá'í Epistemology', in
World Order, XII, no. 3, p.3; A. Bausani, `Cuore, cervello, mistica,
religione', in Opinioni Bahá'í, II, no. 1, p.5.
The word intuition has its etymology in the locution intus ire, to go
inside. It suggests therefore a kind of knowledge which goes beyond the
surface, or the qualities of things, reaching to the core, or essence. Insight
means to see inside.
[138] Some Answered Questions,
p.157.
[139] For the concept of insight, See
above pp.4-5, 135-6, 139-40.
[140] Paris Talks, p.97.
[141] ibid. p.175. As to the concept of
meditation, see above pp.120, 121. 153.
[142] Selections, pp.160, 164.
[143] Tablets, p.706.
[144] See H.A. Weil, Closer Than
Your Life Vein, pp.48-55.
[145] Paris Talks, p.174.
[146] `Abdu'l-Bahá delivered a very
interesting speech on the topic of intuition, which is recorded in the
collection of His French talks. See Paris Talks, pp.173-6.
[147] Promulgation, pp.258, 17, 58,
51, 178.
[148] See Promulgation, pp.17, 30,
58, 61, 173, 177, 241, 332. As to the differences between men and animals,
see above pp.63-4.
[149] Paris Talks, p.85.
[150] Promulgation, pp.291, 293, 63,
312-3, 316. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `This gift giveth man the
power to discern the truth in all things.'(Gleanings p.94.)
[151] Promulgation, p.48.
[152] ibid. p.61.
[153] Some Answered Questions, p.250.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `This gift [consciousness]
...leadeth him to that which is right.'(Gleanings, p.194.)
[154]Divine Philosophy, p.117.
[155] `Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in M.M.
Rabb, The Divine Art of Living' in Star of the West, VII, p.161.
[156] Hidden Words, Persian, no.
19.
[157] Promulgation, p.255.
[158] Paris Talks, p.180.
[159] Selections, pp.63, 189, 35.
[160] Promulgation, p.255.
[161] `Abdu'l-Bahá says also that men
are possessed of `...spiritual instinct, surely never given in vain.' (Paris
Talks, p.90.)
[162] This process is one of the expressions
of a fundamental condition in the world of existence: the previously mentioned
process of `demand' and `supply' (Promulgation, p.83) which in man, a
conscious being, expresses itself as the process of joy and pain. See
above pp.86-7.
From the cognitive sphere we have thus come to the affective sphere. First, man
knows and understands reality. Then he feels the attraction towards reality and
becomes conscious of his own relation to it: he feels attracted to or rejected
by it; he loves or hates it; he receives from it joy or pain. The soul is
originally attracted towards such aspects of reality as it is in need of. Such
a need is felt by the soul as a pain, which continues until the need is
satisfied.
This capacity is expressed in the human body as sensitivity to pain, one of the
most important instruments for the protection of physical integrity. Congenital
agnosia to pain is a very dangerous condition: anyone affected by it may be
horribly mutilated, without being aware of it.
[163] Quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art
of Living', in Star of the West VIII, 230.
[164] Paris Talks, p.65.
[165] Divine Philosophy,
pp.129-30.
[166] Selections, p.190,
[167] Promulgation, p.53.
[168] ibid. pp.204-5.
[169] Bahá'u'lláh writes,
alluding to the prevailing irreligion of our times: `In this day the tastes
of men have changed, and their power of perception hath altered. The contrary
winds of the world, and its colours, have provoked a cold, and deprived men's
nostrils of the sweet savours of Revelation.' (Bahá'u'lláh,
quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Promised Day, p.119.)
[170] Tablets, p.63.
[171] Secret of Divine Civilization,
pp.97-8.
[172] Paris Talks, p.179.
[173] Seven Valleys, pp.8, 10.
[174] Promulgation, p.234.
[175] Selections, p.108.
[176] Seven Valleys, pp.55, 9.
[177] Seven Valleys, pp.49, 53.
[178] Some Answered Questions,
p.230.
[179] Gleanings, p.341.
[180] Quoted in Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, XIV, p.8.
[181] Gleanings, p.149.
[182] Some Answered Questions,
248.
[183] Quoted in J.M. Grundy, Ten Days in
the Light of `Akká, p.6.
[184] Some Answered Questions,
pp.249-50.
[185] Bahá'í Prayers,
pp.80-81.
[186] Selections, p.51.
[187] Promulgation, p.83.
[188] Tablets, p.178.
[189] Paris Talks, p.180.
[190] Divine Philosophy, p.133.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `...the heart must have some attachment.'(ibid.
p.133.)
[191] Tablets, p.549.
[192] Paris Talks, p.180.
[193] Gleanings, pp.81, 262.
[194] Promulgation, pp.90-1.
[195] Divine Philosophy, p.114.
[196] It is vitally important that the soul
act in conformity with what it understands and its chosen attraction.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `The first and foremost duty prescribed
unto men, next to the recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, is the duty
of steadfastness in His Cause.'(Gleanings,p.290.) In this regard
`Abdu'l-Bahá wrote, praising a group of believers: `[they] remain
steadfast under all conditions, neither at the first sign of trouble do their
footsteps slip. They are not changeable, playing fast and lose with some
project and soon giving it up. They do not, for some trivial reason, fail in
enthusiasm and zeal, their interest gone. No, in all they do they are stable,
rock solid and staunch.'(Selections, p.219.)
[197] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel', in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.38.
[198] Gleanings, p.150.
[199] Feed-back or retroaction is a process
through which in a given system, if A influences B, any variation produced by A
in B in its turn modifies A in its acting upon B.
[200] For an explanation of this concept,
See Some Answered Questions, pp.300-305. See above pp.72-3,
155.
[201] Paris Talks, p.180.
202 Tablets, p.459.
[203] Paris Talks, p.85.
[204] Quoted in Peace (comp.),
p.13.
[205] Selections, p.28.
[206] N. Abbagnano, Storia della
Filosofia, p.70. This Socratic concept is expounded in Plato's
Protagoras.
[207] Paris Talks, p.41.
[208] Selections, p.288.
[209] ibid. pp.242, 205.
[210] Matt. 8:22. The same concept is
explained also in a famous Islamic tradition, mentioned by
Bahá'u'lláh in His Kitáb-i-Íqán:
`... two of the people of Kúfih went to `Alí, the Commander of
the Faithful. One owned a house and wished to sell it; the other was to be the
purchaser. They had agreed that this transaction should be effected and the
contract be written with the knowledge of `Alí. He, the exponent of the
law of God, addressing the scribe, said: "Write thou: A dead man hath bought
from another dead man a house. That house is bounded by four limits. One
extendeth toward the tomb, the other to the vault of the grave, the third to
the Sirát, the fourth to either Paradise or hell".' (p.119.)
[211] Seven Valleys, pp.4, 5.
[212] See H.A. Weil, Closer than
your Life Vein, pp.58-60.
[213] Selections, p.171.
214 Bahá'u'lláh mentions in His
Kitáb-i-Íqán a divine knowledge and a Satanic
knowledge. See above, p.13 and no.64.
[215] Tablets, p.35.
[216] ibid. p.706.
[217] Selections, p.191.
[218] Nabíl-i-A'zam, The
Dawn-Breakers, p.92.
[219] Gleanings, p.289.
[220] Quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art
of Living', in Star of the West, VII, p.187.
[221] Quoted in `A Fortune That Bestows
Eternal Happiness', in Star of the West, XIII, p.103.
[222] Quoted in `Capacity and Spiritual
Revelation', in Star of the West, XIII, p.214.
[223] Quoted in `A Fortune That Bestows
Eternal Happiness', in Star of the West, XIII, p.103.
[224] Quoted in `From the Unpublished Diary
of Ahmad Sohrab', in Star of the West, XIII, p.153.
[225] Quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art
of Living', in Star of the West, VII, p.163.
226 Promulgation, p.185.
[227] Quoted in M.M. Rabb, `The Divine Art
of Living', in Star of the West, VII, p.161.
[228] Divine Philosophy, p.98.
[229] Promulgation, p.60.
[230] Tablets, p.173.
[231]
Kitáb-i-Íqán, p.193.
[232] Tablets, pp.188-9, 173.
[233] Gleanings, p.304.
[234] Tablets, p.143.
235 Quoted in The Heaven of Divine Wisdom
(comp.), pp.5, 1, 5. For a discussion of the topic of consultation see
The Heaven of Divine Wisdom. A Compilation; J.E. Kolstoe, Consultation:
A Universal Lamp of Guidance.
The main characteristics of consultation are thus epitomized in a recent paper
written by Dr H.B. Danesh:
`a) The main goal of consultation is to increase the level of unity, harmony
and understanding among the participants...
`b) The most important objective of consultation is to act with justice so that
the rights of every person affected by the decision are safeguarded...
`c) The most essential tools for consultation are frankness and openness, on
the one hand, and mutual respect and trust, on the other...
`d) All ideas, once expressed in the course of consultation, become the
property of the communicating group and not of the individual who initially
expressed the idea.' (H.B. Danesh, `Conflict-free Conflict Resolution'.
Unpublished.)
[236] Some Answered Questions,
p.200.
[237] Promulgation, pp.294, 336,
294.
[238] Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden
Words, Persian, no. 29.
[239] Quoted in R. A. Nicholson, Selected
Poems from the Divan Shamsi Tabrizi, p.5.
[240] Seven Valleys, p.54.
[241] Quoted in Nicholson, Selected
Poems, pp.71-3.
Chapter 9
9
Human Evolution
Since man is the outcome of the evolution of the world of creation, he himself
is subject -- as any other created thing -- to that `law of progression' [1] whereby any creature appears as a seed, then
develops through successive degrees, until it attains maturity and yields its
fruit.
Human evolution may be studied in two different perspectives: individual and
collective evolution, [2] and should be
considered in the light of the three aspects of human nature: material,
intellectual, and spiritual. [3]
Individual evolution
The characteristics of this process have been previously examined. We
will now summarize them, dwelling only upon certain aspects, so that a more
comprehensive view may be obtained.
Material evolution
Material evolution has its beginning in the fertilization of the ovum
and its conclusion in the death of the body. It is the object of study of
biological sciences: embryology, anatomy, physiology, auxology, gerontology.
Since the material evolution of individual beings is an expression of that `law
of progression' to which all created things are subject, it is no wonder that
the stages a human embryo goes through while it develops in its mother's womb
are very similar to such stages as humanity has collectively traversed during
its development on the earth. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the development
and growth of man on this earth, until he reached his present perfection,
resembles the growth and development of the embryo in the womb of the
mother...'. [4]
Intellectual evolution
Intellectual evolution is a gradual process characterized by `...
periods, or stages, each of which is marked by certain conditions peculiar to
itself'; `... in the human kingdom', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `man reaches
maturity when the lights of intelligence have their greatest power and
development.' [5]
The age of intellectual maturity is of the greatest importance in the life of a
man. It is that age when he begins to make use of his -- by that time ready --
intellect, so that its assigned functions may be carried out: knowing outer and
inner reality and assisting in the process of spiritual fulfillment.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` ... man should know his own self and
recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement,
wealth or poverty.' Therefore He recommends the power of understanding to
be used firstly as an instrument through which, on the one hand, the Divine Law
and, on the other, individual capacity of responding to that same Law may
become known. And He adds immediately after: ` Having attained the stage of
fulfillment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such
wealth as he acquireth through crafts and professions is commendable and
praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom...'. [6]
Therefore He also recommends the power of understanding to be used not only
for purely inner, but also for outer -- personal and social -- purposes.
Bahá'u'lláh writes moreover: ` ... keenness of understanding is
due to keenness of vision', [7] while
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... a sound mind cannot be but in a sound body', [8] pointing out how closely interrelated are
intellectual, spiritual and material developments.
Spiritual evolution
Spiritual evolution is a deliberate and conscious process whereby
spiritual qualities bestowed upon human souls in the form of `individuality'8
develop and become manifest as spiritual knowledge, words, feelings and
actions, characterized by their being conducive to unity in the world. It is
that process the Holy Gospels refer to as `second birth' [9] and the Bahá'í texts as `spiritual
progress', [10] or `spirituality'. [11]
Spiritual progress is the highest evolution man undergoes; it is the purpose of
his creation; the reason why he is called `fruit' [12] of existence. In fact material evolution is fulfilled in
him and a new order and condition appear, through which the evolutionary
process goes further, i.e. the spiritual order and condition.
In the spiritual plane, evolution moves forward indefinitely, because in that
plane evolution is the acquiring of the ideal and divine virtues of the world
of the Kingdom. Now, since a man will never be able to attain perfection as
regards those divine qualities, then it follows that this evolutionary process
is infinite and eternal. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the virtues of humanity
and the possibilities of human advancement are boundless. There is no end for
them, and whatever be the degree to which humanity may attain, there are always
degrees beyond... There is a consummation for everything except virtues...'. [13]
Virtues are gifts bestowed by God; if we say that they are limited, we say
that God is limited. Moreover, to say that a man could attain perfection, in
ever one of these virtues is tantamount to saying that he could attain God's
perfection. This argument is among the rational proofs of the immortality of
the soul, as has been previously expounded.
* * *
Though individual human evolution proceeds on three different levels,
yet it is a single process. Moreover these three aspects of human evolution are
very similar in character. For example, if we carefully investigate material
and intellectual development, we will see that it is characterized by
successive detachments or separations from previous situations, which became
obsolete as a consequence of growth. When a newborn baby comes out of its
mother's womb, it must detach itself from the placenta, which during the time
before its birth has been for it an indispensable means of life. Afterwards it
must detach itself from its mother's breast, which after its birth and for a
certain time has been its primary source of food. Once the child has become
detached from its mother's breast it must, as it grows, detach itself from
mother herself, who for a time has been its great protector, so that it may
proceed in its mastery of its world. Afterwards, it must detach itself from
many other situations, both physical and mental, which are useful at a certain
stage of its growth, but which become useless and even dangerous as it attains
higher levels of maturity. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` If ye be
seekers after this life and the vanities thereof, ye should have sought them
while ye were still enclosed in your mothers' wombs, for at that time ye were
continually approaching them, should ye but perceive it. Ye have, on the other
hand, ever since ye were born and attained maturity, been all the while
receeding from the world and drawing closer to dust.' [14]
As material life is the embryo's goal and the embryo prepares for it during
those thirty-eight weeks it passes in its mother's womb, so life in the world
of the Kingdom is man's goal while he lives on the earth and he must prepare
for it. Those successive detachments typical of the evolutionary processes he
undergoes during his earthly life may therefore be viewed as a prelude to the
final detachment, the entrance into the Kingdom beyond death; and as metaphors
of the spiritual virtue of detachment, i.e the choice of the attraction towards
the world of the Kingdom at the expense of the attraction towards the world of
creation.
Human education
The concept of men as `intelligent beings created in the realm of
evolutionary growth' [15] or creatures
possessed of the capacity of material, intellectual and spiritual growth, is
the foundation of Bahá'í pedagogy.
It would be useless to search in the Bahá'í texts for `a definite
and detailed educational system': we could not find it. In fact `... the
teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá... simply offer
certain basic principles and set forth a number of teaching ideals that should
guide future Bahá'í educationalists in their efforts to
formulate an adequate teaching curriculum, which would be in full harmony with
the spirit of the Bahá'í Teachings, and would thus meet the
requirements and needs of the modern age.' [16]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` ... education cannot alter the inner essence of
a man, but it doth exert tremendous influence, and with this power it can bring
forth from the individual whatever perfections and capacities are deposited
within him.' [17]
Education is, therefore, intended as that process through which potential
individual qualities are gradually brought forth. From this point of view, the
entire evolutionary process is an educational process.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Consider, for instance, the revelation of
the light of the Name of God, the Educator. Behold, how in all things the
evidences of such revelation are manifest, how the betterment of all beings
dependeth upon it. This education is of two kinds. The one is universal. Its
influence pervadeth all things and sustaineth them. It is for this reason that
God hath assumed the title, "Lord of all the worlds". The other is confined to
them that have come under the shadow of this Name, and sought the shelter of
this most mighty Revelation.' [18]
This evolutionary-educational process, stretching from the atom to Perfect Man,
is ultimately the best pedagogical pattern. As that universal process of
evolution of the world of existence proceeds along three lines -- material,
intellectual and spiritual -- and consists in the gradual appearance of the
qualities of the world of the Kingdom, so human education must proceed
simultaneously along the same lines and must aim at assisting individuals to
manifest their peculiar potential qualities. Thus `Abdu'l-Bahá concisely
explains, in one of His Tablets, the criteria of such education: ` All
humankind are as children in a school, and the Dawning-Points of Light, the
Sources of divine revelation, are the teachers, wondrous and without peer. In
the school of realities they educate these sons and daughters, according to
teachings from God, and foster them in the bosom of grace, so that they may
develop along every line, show forth the excellent gifts and blessings of the
Lord, and combine human perfections; that they may advance in all aspects of
human endeavour, whether outward or inward, hidden or visible, material or
spiritual, until they make of this mortal world a wide-spread mirror, to
reflect that other world that dieth not.' [19]
It is the Manifestation of God who bestows upon men whatever they need for
their education. Human educators should aim at drawing from His teachings a
pedagogical system whereby individuals may be assisted in manifesting in act
their God-given material, intellectual and spiritual potentialities. [20]
In the light of these concepts, every human being is viewed as a ` mine rich
in gems of inestimable value', [21]
inimitable, unique, and as such to be considered with the greatest respect from
the very beginning of his existence, as soon as the ovum is fertilized.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Man is even as steel, the essence of
which is hidden: through admonition and explanation, good counsel and
education, that essence will be brought to light. If, however, he be allowed to
remain in his original condition, the corrosion of lusts and appetites will
effectively destroy him.' [22]
And elsewhere: ` Education can, alone, cause it [the mine of human hearts]
to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.' [23]
No wonder therefore that the principle of universal compulsory education is
one the Bahá'í principles.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Unto every father hath been enjoined the
instruction of his sons and daughters in the art of reading and writing and in
all that hath been laid down in the Holy Tablet. He that putteth away that
which is commanded unto him, the Trustees are then to take from him that which
is required for their instruction, if he be wealthy, and if not the matter
devolveth upon the House of Justice.' [24]
Such is the importance attached in the Bahá'í texts to the
education of children that in the Bahá'í view most of the
problems afflicting modern society will not be solved until this vital
prerequisite is properly met. [25]
Material education. As to material education, Bahá'í texts
give a few fundamental principles about hygiene and health which modern medical
scholars and students would do well to peruse and develop. In fact the
Bahá'í texts pay the greatest attention to the problem of
prevention, which is today an object of general interest, [26] and propose many ideas on this topic.
- The idea that the body, as the temple of the soul, should be kept
away from anything may cause `repugnance'27 is the
foundation of hygiene, to which Bahá'u'lláh attaches the greatest
importance.[28]
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains aspects of cleanliness and purity in one of His
most well-known Tablets, where He writes: `First in a human being way of
life must be purity, then freshness, cleanliness, and independence of
spirit.' Then He adds: `And although bodily cleanliness is a physical
thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the
spirit.'[29]
And He explains this concept through a comparison between bodily cleanliness
and music which, though it is mere sound, may yet stir deep feelings within
human hearts.[30]
- The recommendation of moderation in daily living is another
fundamental factor in preserving good health. `... the temperance and
moderation of a natural way of life' enable man to preserve that `state
of equilibrium' whereby `whatever is relished will be beneficial to
health'.[31]
- The injunction to abstain from every habit-forming substance (not
only drugs, but also alcohol[32]) as well as
the exhortation to abstain from smoking[33]
are other important factors of material education.
- The recommendation of the pursuit of spiritual growth is another
factor of physical health. Spiritual growth enables man to guide his emotions
-- and among these also sexual emotions -- instead of repressing them or
yielding to them, and is thus conducive to a feeling of spiritual joy, which is
an important factor of physical health.[34]
- The injunction of bearing fruits in life through an useful work
contributes to that feeling of personal fulfillment which is indispensable for
a healthy life. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `... when occupied with
work one is less likely to dwell on the unpleasant aspects of life.'[35]
In the Bahá'í texts, human work is released from the divine curse
mentioned in the Book of Genesis: `cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;... in the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread'.[36]
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `We have graciously exalted your
engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One... When
anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is
regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but
a token of His infinite and all-pervasive bounty.'[37]
- Collective commitment to the task of creating and preserving a
healthy and balanced civilization in the world will contribute to such a social
environment as will favour the healthy development of human beings.[38]
Moreover, love of God and the vision of the world as a garden to cultivate and
beautify, imply an effort to protect and improve the natural environment, which
will undoubtedly be to the advantage of the physical health of mankind.[39]
- The recommendation that girls should study `whatever will nurture
the health of the body and its physical soundness, and how to guard their
children from disease'40 contributes to the promotion of the
awareness of the necessity of preventive medicine and to the acquisition of the
ability of practise it.
Intellectual education. The Bahá'í texts intellectual
education is viewed as a fundamental and inescapable aspect of human life.
Parents -- or in their absence or incapacity, society itself -- have the sacred
duty of assuring that each human being not only knows how to read and write,
but also how to carry out a useful work. [41]
Thus every individual will be independent and his special potentialities will
not be lost to society. Moreover, individuals are enabled through intellectual
education to avail themselves of all those bounties, whether natural products
or fruits of human ingeniousness, which God has bestowed upon the world of
creation for the benefit of mankind.
According to the Bahá'í texts, intellectual education should
inculcate certain fundamental concepts of vital importance for the creation of
a true international culture:
- free and unfettered search after truth;
- freedom from every kind of prejudice, be it racial, religious,
national, social, cultural or of any other kind;
- the oneness of mankind;
- the oneness of religion;
- harmony between science and religion, reason and faith, so that
superstition and materialism, both conducive to prejudice and conflict, may
disappear from the world;
- an auxiliary international language, so that communication may be
greatly improved, even among people of very distant countries.
Spiritual education. By spiritual education is meant that kind of
education which, on the one hand, enables man to understand his own spiritual
nature and to learn the dynamics of its development so that once maturity has
been attained, he may autonomously foster his own spiritual growth, and, on the
other, which trains him from his early childhood so that he may manifest in his
life the qualities of the world of the Kingdom and not the traits of the world
of creation.
Spiritual education should begin early if this twofold purpose is to be
achieved. It is recommended that spiritual laws be taught in early childhood, [42] that at the same time feelings conducive to
the desire to observe these laws be inspired in the hearts of children, [43] and that the habit of such attitudes be
inculcated in them. Two inner attitudes seem of vital importance in the
attainment of these goals: `love of reality' [44] and love of God. Through the former, man is spurred
towards that knowledge of reality that enables him to escape from the
self-deception of blind imitation. Through the latter, not only does he accept
the sacrifice required in the path of spiritual progress, but as well he
attains to a joy born of the inner experience of the qualities of the world of
the Kingdom, a joy by which he is motivated in his actions. Thus man makes
progress in all the three fundamental aspects of his reality: knowledge, love
and will. The secret of his equilibrium and serenity lies in such a harmonious
growth.
When a child is given a material, intellectual and spiritual education in the
light of the teachings of the Manifestation of God, he will be assisted to
fulfil the purpose of his creation, within the limits of his personal
endowments and particular circumstances. This is one of the most important
aspects of such a unitary, balanced and harmonious concept of human life as
emerges from the Bahá'í texts. This education is also the most
important means through which the long cherished ideal of the oneness of
mankind will be realized. In other words, this education both purposes the goal
of unity, and also assists every individual in acquiring the instruments
(qualities and capacities), required to attain it and the eagerness to do so.
Finally, it improves individual behaviour and thus creates an optimal social
environment within which any individual potentiality may become manifest. [45]
The evolution of mankind
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `the body politic may be likened to the human
organism.' And moreover: `the world of humanity may be likened to the
individual man himself.' [46]
This analogy between the individual and the collectivity extends to the
development of humanity. As individual human beings grow to maturity from
zygotes or fertilized human ova, traversing successive stages of development in
the three aspects -- physical, intellectual and spiritual -- of their reality,
so mankind itself evolves through successive stages of development in its
physical, intellectual and spiritual nature. [47]
Material evolution
If we study the evolution of life on the earth, we will recognize a
thread through which we could go back in time and discover the ancestors of
mankind, material entities quite different in their material attributes from
present human beings. However, each of these ancestors was a potential human
being, because present human beings derive (albeit after a very long time) from
them, and not from other creatures, however similar they may be. Therefore
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `When we were in the mineral kingdom, although we
were endowed with certain gifts and powers, they were not to be compared with
the blessings of the human kingdom.' Those ancient stages are stages of
immaturity and preparation. He says: `In the world of existence man has
traversed successive degrees until he has attained the human kingdom. In each
degree of his progression he has developed capacity for advancement to the next
station and condition. While in the kingdom of the mineral, he was attaining
the capacity for promotion into the degree of the vegetable. In the kingdom of
the vegetable he underwent preparation for the world of the animal, and from
thence he has come onward to the human degree, or kingdom. Throughout this
journey of progression he has ever and always been potentially man.' [48]
Thus `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that man has always been in existence, as
regards his spiritual reality. His evolution was and is a continuous, although
not uniform, process, through which his potentialities have been gradually
becoming manifest and continue to do so. And yet he was not always in
existence, as regards his physical reality, in the shape we see today: in this
respect he has undergone successive transformations. However, since his
physical reality is temporary, whereas his spiritual reality is lasting, the
latter is undoubtedly of much greater importance than the former. Therefore we
could say that man, as regards his more important spiritual reality, has always
been in existence, independently of all those changes his physical body has
undergone throughout the ages on the earth. This is a confutation of the theory
whereby a man is a descendant of the animals and belongs to the animal kingdom.
Though `Abdu'l-Bahá pursues this confutation through persuasive
arguments, yet He does not deny that in past ages the human body was quite
different from what it is today. The most important arguments of
`Abdu'l-Bahá's refutation are summarized here: [49]
- The universe is and ever has been free from imperfection;
- man is the apex of the world of creation;
- if man was not always in existence in the world, then there was a time when the
world of creation was imperfect;
- therefore man has always been in existence.[50]
The same argument is set forth also in other words: if the purpose of the
universe is that the divine perfections may appear in the world, and if these
divine perfections have their highest expression in the universe through man,
then it is impossible for man not to have always been in existence, for in that
case creation would have been imperfect, and God Himself would be imperfect.
Man is here intended -- says `Abdu'l-Bahá -- as the Perfect Man, the
Manifestation of God.[51]
- Every creature owes its own perfections to five factors regarding
its component elements: their quality, their proportionate quantities, their
mutual balance, the mode and method of their combination, their mutual
influence. To all this the influence and action of the different beings should
be added. Whenever the same conditions are realized, the ensuing creature is
the same. Therefore, man was always a man. `... [W]hen these existing
elements', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `are gathered together according to the
natural order, and with perfect strength, they become a magnet for the spirit;
and the spirit will become manifest in them with all its perfections.' Thus,
according to the different characteristics of these five factors, from the
combination of the elements a mineral, a vegetable, an animal or a human being
will respectively come into existence.[52]
- `Abdu'l-Bahá says that undoubtedly: `... man at a time was an
inmate of the sea, at another period an invertebrate, then a vertebrate and
finally a human being standing erect'. There-fore, when we see vestiges of
disappeared organs in him, this means only that his previous shape was
different from his present one and that his outward appearance has changed. But
just as a human embryo is a human being from the very beginning, though it is
quite different in its aspect from an adult human being, so also primitive man
was a man from the beginning.[53]
- Human discoveries and inventions cannot be the outcome of faculties
shared by men and animals. In fact, animals are very often possessed of
superior physical capacities in comparison with man. Therefore, `... if there
were not in man a power different from any of those of the animals, the latter
would be superior to man in inventions and the comprehension of realities.'
From this argument it becomes clear that man is endowed with something which
makes him totally different from animals.[54]
- Animals appeared on the earth before man, because their constitution
is simpler. Therefore a shorter lapse of time was required for them to be
framed in the laboratory of nature. It is only a temporal priority. Men and
animals are like the fruits of the same tree; they attain maturity at different
times, but more recent men do not come from more ancient animals.[55]
- Certain traces of organs in human body are considered as a proof of
its animal descent. However those vestiges. could be organs whose function is
as yet unknown, just as with many other things in the universe.[56]
Moreover we know with certainty that human organs have undergone great changes
in the course of evolution.[57]
In conclusion: modern scientists consider man in his physical nature, and
uphold that in ancient ages he was an animal. There is a semblance of truth in
their assumption, provided man be viewed only in his physical aspects. But if
we say that men are `intelligent beings created in the realm of evolutionary
growth' [58] and if we remember that `in the
beginning of his [man's] formation the mind and spirit also existed, but they
were hidden; later they were manifested', [59]
a conclusion may be arrived at agreeing both with scientific theories and the
explanations given by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Man has undergone material,
intellectual and spiritual evolution; in the course of his evolution his shape
and behaviour have changed; but potentially he was always a man, even when his
typical human quality -- the power of understanding -- was as yet undeveloped.
As in the zygote the adult man is potentially existent, so `... in the
protoplasm, man is man', says `Abdu'l-Bahá; even in the `mineral' man
already exists. [60]
Intellectual evolution
According to recent paleontological discoveries, the first expressions
of human intellect are the primitive lithic industries (choppers and chopping
tools) dating back three million years ago. Australopithecus may have been
responsible for that important step. They appeared about five million years ago
and disappeared after four million years, and are considered as hominids, and
not human beings.
Man used his mind first -- as may be easily understood -- for exploring and
knowing material reality; food, shelter, protection against natural phenomena,
ways of living in common with his fellow-beings, were his earliest cares.
The earliest signs from which we may infer that man had begun to investigate
spiritual reality are much more recent: they could be the earliest remnants of
the cult of the dead, which started sporadically about 75,000 years ago, and
became a usual practice 35,000 years later. But when and how the concept of a
spiritual and transcendent reality was first conceived by a human being is
likely to remain a hidden secret.
In the light of what has been said about man in previous chapters, man could be
described as a creature which knows how to produce tools (because he knows, and
knows how to modify, material reality) and leaves behind traces of cult
(because he is, albeit dimly, aware of spiritual reality and modifies his own
behaviour in consequence). After all, it is a question of definition: are human
zygotes men or not? And what are embryos and foetuses? And newborn babies,
children, adolescents? Is a man only an adult human being at the age of his
full psycho-physical maturity? Then what shall we say of a spiritually immature
man? Is that a man? Undoubtedly, the Manifestation of God alone is a Perfect
Man, since He manifests the whole perfection of the Self of God, i.e. the image
of God he has in Himself. Yet whoever has been potentially endowed with this
image is also man, no matter how much of that potentiality has become actuality
within him. As the zygote is man from the very beginning, because a man and
not, for instance, a chimpanzee will issue forth from it, so also man are `the
protoplasm' and the `mineral' from which a man, as we see him today, will be
born in the course of long ages.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The important factor in human improvement is the
mind... otherwise, no result will be attained from betterment of the mere
physical structure.' [61]
This idea is shared by most modern paleontologists when they say that culture,
an outcome of human intellect, is the reason for man's supremacy over other
living creatures. F. Facchini says: `Evolutionary history teaches that man's
success on the earth is mostly due to his culture...'. [62]
Up to now intellectual development has not been homogeneous in the different
parts of the world. There was a time when different species of hominids and men
coexisted on the earth: Australopithecus and Homo habilis, Homo habilis and
Homo erectus, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Even today we see in the world men
of many different levels of intellectual development: men of cybernetics and
informatics live in the same planet as so called primitive people: Australian
Arandas, African Pygmies, Guyanan Wai-wais, Burnei Keniahs, whose intellectual
development is of a quite different level.
One of the most typical and promising traits of our present age is the concrete
and real possibility that such differences may disappear. Technological tools
are available, the cultural drive is present everywhere in the world. Many
knowledgeable, assenting and enlightened human beings are striving towards such
a goal. Though it is mostly viewed as difficult and remote, yet groups of
people all over the world -- among them the Bahá'ís -- already
see how this long cherished hope may be realized, and propose and promote
action so that it may come about. [63]
That the human mind has been used only from recent times is undoubtedly an
encouraging fact. Human history and pre- history, during which we know that
mind has been used, is in fact very short -- a few thousand years -- in
comparison to the millions of years of human evolution. Therefore it is hoped
that intellectual evolution will produce great results in human individual and
social behaviour. At present, modern society is founded upon the struggle for
existence with the sometimes metaphorical but all-too-often, alas, literal
survival of the fittest. Human society thus still resembles an animal society,
and is quite remote from a true human society, which should be founded upon
such cooperation as intellect demonstrates and humanity requires.
The intellectual development of humanity is conducive to the flourishing of
that aspect of civilization `Abdu'l-Bahá calls material. In fact, as man
develops in his intellect, he investigates material reality. Material science
is produced, and that is conducive to `material progress' and `material
civilization'. [64]
This aspect of civilization `ensures the happiness of the human world', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá; however `alone [it] will not satisfy', because `its
benefits are limited to the world of matter', whereas man is not a mere
material being, but primarily a spiritual being. `Abdu'l-Bahá says
moreover: `... although material advancement furthers good purposes in life, at
the same time it serves evil ends' and `in material civilization good and evil
advance together and maintain the same pace'. Material civilization can both
build `schools and colleges, hospitals, philanthropic institutions, scientific
academies and temples of philosophy' and also produce `means and weapons for
human destruction'.
The divine or spiritual civilization deriving from spiritual progress is the
indispensable prerequisite of a happy human life. `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and material
civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine civilization. With one
wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are essential.' He says moreover:
`material civilization is like unto the lamp, while spiritual civilization is
the light in that lamp... material civilization is like unto a beautiful body,
and spiritual civilization is like unto the spirit of life.' [65]
According to the Bahá'í texts, mankind is today well advanced in
the field of material civilization, and the flourishing of a divine
civilization which will enlighten the whole world is at hand.
Spiritual evolution
Spiritual evolution becomes manifest in human history as an increasing
capacity of man to manifest his divine qualities through his knowledge,
actions, feelings and words. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... that the splendour
of the Sun of Reality may be revealed fully in human hearts as in a mirror...
This is the true evolution and progress of humanity.' [66]
` The chain of successive Revelations' 67 has been guiding
(and continues to guide) man towards an ever deeper understanding of spiritual
reality and a more and more perfect moral capacity. From the concept of the
existence of God and the awareness of good and evil taught by Adam, to the
concept of the `unity of God' [68] taught by
Abraham, who -- in `Abdu'l-Bahá's words -- was ` the Founder of
Monotheism'; [69] from the concept of the
due observance of the `law of God' which Moses `founded' to `the attainment of
supreme human virtues through love' [70]
suggested by Christ, to the union of a people and the founding of a nation upon
the divine law [71] taught by Muhammad, man,
guided by these `agents of one civilizing process' [72] has passed through various phases in his knowledge of
spiritual reality and in his manifesting of it through his actions and
undertakings. We are just now emerging from a vision of spiritual reality which
could be described as mythological -- `we see through a glass, darkly' [73] said St Paul -- and after a quite defective
expression of spiritual truth, we now stand on the threshold of an era when --
as Christ said to His disciples -- the Holy Spirit is leading mankind `into all
truth'. [74]
This Gospel statement is certainly difficult to understand. However, it would
appear that a man who has attained his physical maturity and who has learnt how
to avail himself of his mind, will face the issue of spirituality in a totally
new way when compared with the past. Therefore, `Abdu'l-Bahá joyously
announces: `Development and progression imply gradual stages or degrees... Now
is the beginning of the manifestation of spiritual power'; `now [the world of
humanity] is approaching maturity'; [75] and
moreover: ` ... the Manifestation of the Most Great Name
[Bahá'u'lláh] `... was an expression of the coming of age, the
maturing of man's inmost reality in the world of being.' [76]
Human mind has been prepared and trained throughout the ages; today at last it
is ready to attain a deeper knowledge of the mysteries of transcendency and the
spiritual laws of the universe. Therefore, man is at long last ready to take
into his hands the reins of his own spiritual development, by conforming
himself to those means and methods which have been previously mentioned. `It is
like the birth from the animal kingdom into the kingdom of man', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá. These words remind us of the stupendous revolutions
through which man gradually emerged from an animal way of living, and became
the creature he is today: upright position, speech, the discovery of fire, the
production of the earliest tools, agriculture, the earliest societies, etc. No
wonder that the Bahá'í texts foresee, beyond the immediate dark
horizons, a luminous future for mankind on the earth. `This time of the world',
says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `may be likened to the equinoctial in the annual
cycle... this is the spring season of God.' Therefore, the incoming age will be
such as mankind `will realize an immeasurable progress upward', and `spiritual
effulgences will overcome the physical, so that divine susceptibilities will
overpower material intelligence...'. [77]
The spiritual development of mankind is conducive to the development of divine
civilization, whose real founders are the Prophets. `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`Their mission is the education and advancement of the world of humanity. They
are the real Teachers and Educators, the universal Instructors of mankind.'
`Mankind receives the bounties of material civilization as well as divine
civilization from the heavenly Prophets. The capacity for achieving
extraordinary and praiseworthy progress is bestowed by Them through the breaths
of the Holy Spirit, and heavenly civilization is not possible of attainment or
accomplishment otherwise.' [78]
This capacity of educating mankind is the foremost proof through which the
Manifestations of God may be distinguished from the great heroes of history.
Historians will therefore have to re-read the annals of the peoples of the
world in the light of this important concept. It will thus become manifest that
there is no civilization which is not founded upon a Divine Revelation. Up to
now the Manifestations of God exerted their influence upon a single people or
small groups of peoples. That is why so many civilizations and cultures exist
in the world. Today thanks to the preliminary work done by the ancient
`preliminary Manifestations', [79]
mankind has attained its maturity, so that a global teaching may be
understood, and a world civilization may be established. This will certainly
not signal the end of the spiritual evolution of mankind. This evolution will
continue throughout the ages, propelled by the teachings of many other future
Manifestations. [80]
In the course of history, material and spiritual civilization advanced at the
same rate and not one after the other, or the one in opposition to the other.
Each civilization manifested in different degree one or the other aspect,
depending upon the circumstances and the intellectual and spiritual maturity
attained within its sphere of influence. Today, our civilization is
characterized by a great material and intellectual development and a quite poor
spiritual development. A dangerous disharmony has resulted and the whole world
is affected by its consequences. This disharmony will be corrected only when
mankind makes sufficient progress in its spiritual nature also.
The future civilization -- whose model, methods and ways are clearly set forth
in the Bahá'í texts -- will be the civilization of a mature
mankind. Its progress will therefore be infinite. `Abdu'l-Bahá says:
`There is no limitation to the spirit of man, for spirit in itself is
progressive, and if the divine civilization be established, the spirit of man
will advance. Every developed susceptibility will increase the effectiveness of
man. Discoveries of the real will become more and more possible, and the
influence of divine guidance will be increasingly recognized. All this is
conducive to the divine form of civilization.' [81]
Contemporaneousness of material, intellectual and spiritual evolutionary
processes
Though the evolutionary processes of mankind develop along three
different lines, material, intellectual and spiritual, yet they are a single
process, whose stages coincide to a certain extent. Simpler capacities appear
earlier; more complex capacities appear at a more advanced stage of
development. Therefore material evolution begins earlier. A special bodily
structure is formed. This structure is conducive to certain material
behaviours, and these in their turn are conducive to the expression of certain
intellectual and spiritual qualities. Going back to the origin of man -- seven
to eight million years ago, according to paleontologists -- the upright
position released forelimbs from locomotion, and left them at man's disposal so
that he could use them for the manipulation of objects. These activities in
their turn were the cause of the quantitative and qualitative development of
encephalic structures, which thus became fit for an early expression of the
mental faculties of the soul. It was about three million years ago that man
began to produce handmade products. Through that activity, mental faculties
developed. Mind was then trained: first, it knew material reality; then --
undoubtedly directed by ancient Manifestations of God whose traces have been
lost due to ` their extreme remoteness, as well as to the vast changes which
the earth hath undergone since their time' 82
-- it became aware of and began to study spiritual reality too. As mind
continues to develop man is acquiring a wider and deeper inner perception of
reality and thus he is raising his aims toward transcendent goals of love and
unity, order and peace.
Discontinuity of evolutionary process
Since the revelations of the Manifestations of God are the mainspring of
human development, human progress has not been uniform, but discontinuous. On a
diagram, we should represent it not as an ascending and continuous line, but as
an ascending and broken one. In fact, in the course of human history periods
characterized by great upheavals and innovations have been followed by periods
of fruition, and afterwards by periods of stagnation and even regression.
`Abdu'l-Bahá likens this evolutionary process to the succession of
seasons in the course of the solar year: springtime is characterized by an
outburst of life; in summer and autumn trees and plants grow and yield their
fruits; in winter there is an apparent decay and stagnation of every form of
life (trees shed their leaves, certain animals go into hibernation,
once-flourishing vegetation withers and apparently dies). Modern scientists
agree with this important concept, as regards both biological and historical
evolutionary process. As to biological evolution, F. Facchini writes: `The
concept of evolution implies that transformations are somehow gradual. However
today phases of acceleration and of slackening are generally accepted.' [83]
As to historical evolution, E. Laszlo describes a `succession of relatively
prolonged periods of stagnation and epochs of revolutionary change.' [84]
Social evolution
The material, intellectual and spiritual development of mankind has
always had important expressions within society. As man advances in his
progress, he achieves a better understanding of the importance of
socialization. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Some of the creatures of existence
can live solitary and alone, A tree, for instance, may live without the
assistance and cooperation of other trees. Some animals are isolated and lead a
separate existence away from their kind. But this is impossible for man. In his
life and being, cooperation and association are essential. Through association
and meeting we find happiness and development, individual and collective.' [85]
Social development is a gradual process, as is any other kind of development.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... there are periods and stages in the life of the
aggregate world of humanity.' Since `The body politic may be likened to the
human organism', various stages may be distinguished in social evolution.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The world of humanity has, heretofore, been in the
stage of infancy; now it is approaching maturity.' The characteristics of the
various ages mankind has gone through during its social evolution reflect the
grade of maturity of mankind. This maturity expresses itself in `the collective
expressions of unity' man-kind is capable of attaining. In fact, as
`cooperation and association are essential' [86] for man, so his capacity of forming widening groups
including increasing numbers of increasingly different human beings is the sign
of his progressive social growth. [87]
This concept is shared by some contemporary scholars. F. Facchini says:
`Evolutionary history shows that man's success is mainly due to his culture,
through an increasing tension of communication and by virtue of widening
unities whose importance should be stressed. Undoubtedly the onward march of
mankind has been beset with competitions and struggles, that may have been
conducive to important turning-points.' [88]
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` Every imperfect soul is self-centred and
thinketh only of his own good. But as his thoughts expand a little he will
begin to think of the welfare and comfort of his family. If his ideas still
more widen, his concern will be the felicity of his fellow citizens; and if
still they widen, he will be thinking of the glory of his land and of his race.
But when ideas and views reach the utmost degree of expansion and attain the
stage of perfection, then will he be interested in the exaltation of humankind.
He will then be the well-wisher of all men and the seeker of the weal and
prosperity of all lands. This is indicative of perfection.' [89]
Shoghi Effendi explains that human evolution `... has had its earliest
beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the
achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the
city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and
sovereign nations.' [90]
But as `now is the beginning of the manifestation of spiritual power', and
mankind `is approaching maturity', [91] so the
highest possible level of cooperation and unity in the world -- the unity of
mankind -- can be at last attained. This concept is not new: some consider it
to be merely utopian, but its advent is predicted and its realization is
promoted by the most enlightened minds. And it may well be foreseen that just
as `the spirit of a rising nationalism among the peoples liberated from the
Napoleonic yoke', strongly opposed to as it was by `the members of the Holy
Alliance', [92] succeeded in conquering the
whole world, so likewise today, `the process of nation building' [93] being completed, the concept of the unity of the
nations, although strongly opposed by unrestrained nationalistic forces in the
recent past decades and despite the fact that it is still today considered
utopian, may become in a not distant future an operating reality for the good
of all mankind. `Brotherhood' is -- in the words of `Abdu'l-Bahá --
`potential... natal... intended in humanity'. [94]
Therefore mankind, far from being `incorrigibly selfish and aggressive', [95] as many think today, is possessed of the
capacity of co-operation with his fellowmen, and such co operation is the
purpose of his creation. [96]
Until mankind expresses such potential capacity, any real global progress will
be unattainable.
This is why the Bahá'í texts exalt the greatness of this day
which they call ` Day of God', the day of the spiritual maturity of
mankind. Bahá'u'lláh refers to it thus: ` The potentialities
inherent in the station of man, the full measure of his destiny on earth, the
innate excellence of his reality, must all be manifested in this promised Day
of God.' [97]
An early social and organizational expression of this stage of maturity --
which will be realized by degrees as any other process of growth in the world
of being -- might be the establishment of `a social system at once progressive
and peaceful, dynamic and harmonious, a system giving free play to individual
creativity and initiative but based on co- operation and reciprocity'. [98]
Such a society will undoubtedly ensure peace and justice and may therefore be
viewed as an early stage of that advent of the Kingdom of God which was the
promise of the ancient religions. [99]
Up to now, paleontology and history describe the evolution of mankind from
Australopithecus to Homo habilis, to Homo erectus, to Homo sapiens: mankind has
traversed in its collective growth the stages of physical, psycho-physical and
intellectual maturity. This is the day of its spiritual maturity, and mankind
is on the verge of its attainment. Spiritual maturity implies that man learn
how to escape the yoke of nature in his social behaviours as well as in his
individual life. Once, the crowd was viewed as a blind element, an easy prey of
the lowest passions and of animal instincts. This view is true of an
animal-like society founded upon the law of competition. It is to such a
society that Konrad Lorenz refers when he writes: `The Ten Commandments begin
to lose their fundamental effectiveness when the anonymity of human society
increases... The imagination of human heart is not evil from youth onwards,
humans are good enough for eleven-man societies, but not good enough to commit
themselves for an anonymous, personally unknown member of a mass society...' [100]
In the Bahá'í view, man must be taught from his childhood the
concept of the unity of mankind. A society will consequently appear in whose
contexts the instincts -- which in the Bahá'í texts are mostly
referred to as natural emotions of the natal self -- will be under the guidance
of a spiritually enlightened intellect. Such a society will be founded upon
cooperation and, in due time, upon love, and will therefore begin to mirror
forth into the world the unity of the divine world of the Kingdom.
A crucial stage of human development has begun. In this stage the virtues of
the spiritual world revealed by Christ so that they might become manifest in
the life of individuals and in personal relations, can and must become the rule
even in social life. This is the stage of the spiritualization of society. Thus
man fulfils the purpose of his creation: `the attainment of the supreme virtues
of humanity, through descent of the heavenly bestowals', `so the body of the
world will receive its vivification through the animating virtue of the
sanctified spirit of man'. [101]
Evolution-creation drew forth from the chaos of original matter the ordered
universe we know today, with its most exquisite fruit: man. Thanks to his
characteristic and extraordinary power of understanding and through the
indispensable assistance and guidance of the Holy Spirit, man can mirror forth
in the physical plane of existence the excellence of the world of the Kingdom.
From the original chaos of an animal-like society, with its prevailing law
` homo homini lupus' theorized by Hobbes, [102] man through his efforts of voluntary and conscious
submission to the enlightened divine guidance vouchsafed by the Manifestation
of God creates a society where the natural emotions of the natal self are
guided and harmonized by the qualities of the spirit, and thus equilibrium,
beauty, love and creativity become manifest. It is impossible to imagine a
higher stage in the material plane of existence. This stage is the apex of
social evolution and a mighty sign of God, made manifest in this world of
creation through human efforts guided by the Holy Spirit.
End notes:
[1] Promulgation, p.302.
[2] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Just as he [man]
advances by progressive stages from the mere physical world of being into the
intellectual realm, so must he develop upward in moral attributes and spiritual
graces. In the process of this attainment he is ever in need of the bestowals
of the Holy Spirit.' (Promulgation, p.288.)
[3] E. Laszlo says: `Scientific evidence of the
patterns traced by evolution in the physical universe, in the living world, and
even in the world of history is growing rapidly. It is coalescing into the
image of basic regularities that repeat and recur. It is now possible to search
out these regularities and obtain a glimpse of the fundamental nature of
evolution -- of the evolution of the cosmos as a whole, including the living
world and the world of human social history... We can now begin to make sense
of he confusing tangle of facts and events that make up the history of human
societies and understand the most basic laws of change and transformation.'
(Evolution, pp.5-6.)
[4] Some Answered Questions, p.183. This
concept is reminiscent of the famous statement by E.H. Haeckel: `Ontogenesis
summarizes phylogenesis.' (Generelle Morphologie der Organismen.)
[5] Promulgation, p.438.
[6] Tablets, p.35.
[7] `Tablet to Dr. A. Forel' in
Bahá'í World, XV, p.38.
[8] Divine Philosophy, p.127.
[9] John 3:1-8.
[10] Promulgation, p.142.
[11] Paris Talks, p.112.
[12] Divine Philosophy, p.105.
[13] Promulgation, p.377.
[14] Gleanings, p.128.
[15] Promulgation, p.129.
[16] Letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
quoted in Bahá'í Education (comp.), p.70.
[17] Selections, p.132.
[18] Gleanings, pp.189-90.
[19] Quoted in Bahá'í
Education (comp.), p.30.
[20] This pedagogical concept implies that man
is potentially capable of learning and that his educators should merely assist
him in making a good use of his own qualities, so that he may find his own
solutions and answers to his manifold problems, in the awareness that absolute
Truth is far beyond the reach of man. See above, pp.8-9. As such, this
pedagogical concept is reminiscent of the ancient Socratic maieutic method.
[21] Gleanings, p.260.
[22] Quoted in Bahá'í
Education (comp.), p.3.
[23] Gleanings, p.260.
[24] Kitáb-i-Aqdas, in
Synopsis, p.15. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... universal education is a
universal law.' (Promulgation, p.300.) He writes moreover: `If the
parents are able to provide the expenses of this education, it is well,
otherwise the community must provide the means for the teaching of that
child.' (Selections, p.304.)
[25] This concept is explained in its manifold
aspects by the Universal House of Justice (see above, p.20, n.92) in its
weighty The Promise of the World Peace, addressed `To People of the
World' in 1985.
[26] The idea that medical science should
prevent, rather than cure disease, is not new in the history of medicine. Yet
general interest began to focus upon it only after the International Conference
on Primary Health Care held at Alma-Ata on 6-12 September 1978. During that
Conference, a new definition of health was worded, as `a condition of complete
physical, mental and social well-being', and not merely as `absence of sickness
and disease'; it was stated moreover that `the promotion and protection of
human health is a conditio sine qua non for a sustained economical and
social progress.'
27 The Báb writes: `God loveth those who are pure. Naught
in the Bayán and in the sight of God is more loved than purity and
immaculate cleanliness...' (Selections, p.80.) And moreover: `As
this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs to the
former is felt by the latter. In reality that which taketh delight in joy or is
saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body not the body itself. Since the
physical body is the throne wherein the inner temple is established, God hath
ordained that the body be preserved to the extent possible, so that nothing
that causeth repugnance may be experienced.' ( ibid. p.95.)
[28] Bahá'u'lláh sets forth in
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, His great Book of Laws, certain specific
commandments concerning hygiene and health. He prescribes to His followers
`to be the essence of cleanliness'.(Synopsis, p.51.) Moreover He
sets forth laws concerning personal and environmental hygiene and the treatment
of sickness and disease. Other counsels on this topic are given in many other
of His Writings.
[29] This Tablet by `Abdu'l-Bahá is
known among the Bahá'ís as the Tablet of Purity. See
Selections, pp.146-50.
[30] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `It is
even as a voice wondrously sweet, or a melody played: although sounds are but
vibrations in the air which affect the ear's auditory nerve, and these
vibrations are but chance phenomena carried along through the air, even so, see
how they move the heart. A wondrous melody is wings for the spirit, and maketh
the soul to tremble for joy. The purport is that physical cleanliness doth also
exert its effect upon the human soul.' (Selections, p.147.)
[31] Selections, pp.153, 155.
[32] The Bahá'í laws strictly
forbid the consumption of habit making drugs and inebriating drinks: `As to
opium, it is foul and accursed... For opium fasteneth on the soul, so that the
user's conscience dieth, his mind is blotted away, his perceptions are eroded.
It turneth the living into the dead. It quencheth the natural heat. No greater
harm can be conceived than that which opium inflicteth.'
(Selections, pp.144-5.) He writes moreover: `... this wicked hashish
extinguisheth the mind, freezeth the spirit, petrifieth the soul, wasteth the
body and leaveth man frustrated and lost.' (`Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in
a letter addressed by the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, 6 October 1967.) As
to alcohol, Bahá'u'lláh writes in His
Kitáb-i-Aqdas: `It is forbidden for an intelligent person to
drink that which depriveth him of his intelligence; it behoveth him to engage
in that which is worthy of man, not in the act of every heedless
doubter'.
[33] The Bahá'í texts do not
explicitly forbid smoking, but they discourage it. In this regard,
`Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `[smoking] is dirty, smelly, offensive -- an
evil habit, and one the harmfulness of which gradually becometh apparent to
all. Every qualified physician hath ruled -- and this hath also been proven by
tests -- that one of the components of tobacco is a deadly poison, and that the
smoker is vulnerable to many and various diseases. This is why smoking hath
been plainly set forth as repugnant from the standpoint of hygiene... smoking
is deprecated, abhorrent, filthy in the extreme; and, albeit by degrees, highly
injurious to health. It is also a waste of money and time, and maketh the user
a prey to a noxious addiction... this habit is therefore censured by both
reason and experience, and renouncing it will bring relief and peace of mind to
all men. Furthermore, this will make it possible to have a fresh mouth and
unstained fingers, and hair that is free of a foul and repellent smell. On
receipt of this missive, the friends will surely, by whatever means and even
over a period of time, forsake this pernicious habit. Such is my hope.'
(Selections, pp.147-8.)
[34] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Joy gives us
wings! In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and
our understanding less clouded. We seem better able to cope with the world and
to find our sphere of usefulness. But when sadness visits us we become weak,
our strength leaves us, our comprehension is dim, and our intelligence veiled.
The actualities of life seem to elude our grasp, the eyes of our spirits fail
to discover the sacred mysteries, and we become even as dead beings.' (Paris
Talks, pp.109-10.)
[35] Tablets, p.175.
[36] Genesis 3:17-9.
[37] Tablets, p.26.
[38] The Universal House of Justice in its
Promise of World Peace points out the main practical goals to achieve so
that `... a social system at once progressive and peaceful, dynamic and
harmonious, a system giving free play to individual creativity and initiative
but based on cooperation and reciprocity' (p.3) may be created, a system that
is, however, considered as utopian by most contemporary thinkers, in their
rather pessimistic view of mankind.
[39] For a discussion of the
Bahá'í concepts about nature and environment, see The
Bahá'í Statement on Nature and Environment issued by the
Office of Public Information of the Bahá'í International
Community in October 1987 when the Bahá'ís joined the Network on
Conservation and Religion of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). See also
A.L. Dahl, Perspective on Nature and the Environment.
40 Selections, p.124. For a discussion of the
Bahá'í teachings about health and healing see Health and
Healing: Some Aspects. A Compilation; H.B. Danesh, `Health and Healing', in
World Order, XIII, no.3, p.15; E. Zohoori (comp.), The Throne of the
Inner Temple.
[41] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `In this
new and wondrous Cause, the advancement of all branches of knowledge is a fixed
and vital principle, and the friends, one and all, are obliged to make every
effort toward this end, so that... every child, according to his need, will
receive his share of the sciences and arts -- until not even a single peasant's
child will be found who is completely devoid of schooling.' (quoted in
Bahá'í Education (comp.), p.39.) He says moreover: `In
addition to this widespread education each child must be taught a profession,
art or trade, so that every member of the community will be enabled to earn his
own livelihood.' (Divine Philosophy, p.79.)
[42] As to the necessity of giving to children
an early spiritual education, `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `A child is as a
young plant: it will grow in whatever way you train it. If you rear it to be
truthful, and kind, and righteous, it will grow stright, it will be fresh and
tender, and will flourish. But if not, then from the faulty training it will
grow bent, and stay awry, and there will be no hope of changing it.'
(quoted in Bahá'í Education (comp.), p.47.) He writes
moreover: `It is extremely difficult to teach the individual and refine his
character once puberty is passed. By then, as experience has shown, even if
every effort be exerted to modify some tendency of his, it all availeth
nothing... Therefore it is in early childhood that a firm foundation must be
laid. While the branch is green and tender, it can easily be made
straight.' (ibid. p.24.)
[43] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `The
individual must be educated to such a high degree that he would rather have his
throat cut than tell a lie, and would think it easier to be slashed with a
sword or pierced with a spear than to utter calumny or be carried away by
wrath.' (quoted in Bahá'í Education, p.24.)
[44] Promulgation, p.49.
[45] For a concise discussion of this topic
see J. Savi, The Child and Spiritual Life in the Family: A
Bahá'í Perspective.
[46] Promulgation, pp.98, 202.
[47] In this regard `Abdu'l-Bahá
writes: `The suckling babe passes through various physical stages, growing
and developing at every stage, until his body reacheth the age of maturity.
Having arrived at this stage it acquireth the capacity to manifest spiritual
and intellectual perfections. The lights of comprehension, intelligence and
knowledge become perceptible in it and the powers of its soul unfold.
Similarly, in the contingent world, the human species hath undergone
progressive physical changes and, by a slow process, hath scaled the ladder of
civilization, realizing in itself the wonders, excellencies and gifts of
humanity in their most glorious form, until it gained the capacity to express
the splendours of spiritual perfections and divine ideals and became capable of
hearkening to the call of God. Then at last the call of the Kingdom was raised,
the spiritual virtues and perfections were revealed, the Sun of Reality dawned,
and the teachings of the Most Great Peace, of the oneness of the world of
humanity and of the universality of men were promoted.' (Selections.
pp.285-6.) In these words most of the concepts which will be explained in the
following pages are beautifully summarized.
[48] Promulgation, pp.90, 225.
[49] See Promulgation,
pp.225-6, 355-61; Some Answered Questions, pp.176-199. Thus Shoghi
Effendi wrote through his secretary on this important topic: `We cannot prove
man was always man for this is a fundamental doctrine, but it is based on the
assertion that nothing can exceed its own potentialities, that everything, a
stone, a tree, an animal and a human being existed in plan, potentially, from
the very "beginning" of creation. We don't believe man has always had the form
of man, but rather that from the outset he was going to evolve into the human
form and species and not be a haphazard branch of the ape family.
`You see our whole approach to each matter is based on the belief that God
sends us divinely inspired Educators; what they tell us is fundamentally true,
what science tell us today is true; tomorrow may be entirely changed to better
explain a new set of facts.' (quoted in Arohanui, p.85.)
[50] See Some Answered Questions,
pp.177-8.
[51] See ibid. pp.195-7.
[52] ibid. p.201, See ibid. pp.178-9.
[53] Promulgation, p.359. See ibid.
pp.358-9; Some Answered Questions, pp.182-4.
[54] ibid. p.187. See Promulgation,
pp.359-60; Some Answered Questions, pp.187-8.
[55] See Some Answered Questions,
p.192.
[56] See ibid. p.184.
[57] See ibid.
[58] Promulgation, p.129.
[59] Some Answered Questions, p.184.
[60] Promulgation, pp.359, 225. See
ibid. p.225.
[61] ibid. p.278.
[62] F. Facchini, Il Cammino
dell'Evoluzione Umana, p.229.
[63] The Universal House of Justice states in
its Promise of World Peace that the existence of the
Bahá'í community is `another evidence that humanity can live as
one global society, equal to whatever challenges its coming of age may entail',
and present it as a `model for study' to all those who are interested in the
solutions the Bahá'í community is advancing and practicing.
(p.24.)
[64] Promulgation, pp.142, 101.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Progress is of two kinds: material and spiritual.
The former is attained through observation of the surrounding existence and
constitutes the foundation of civilization. Spiritual progress is through the
breaths of the Holy Spirit and is the awakening of the conscious soul of man to
perceive the reality of Divinity. Spiritual progress ensures the happiness and
eternal continuance of the soul. The Prophets of God have founded the laws of
divine civilization.' ( ibid. p.142.)
[65] Promulgation, pp.142, 101, 109,
12, 11.
[66] Ibid. p.59.
67 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p.74.
[68] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered
Questions, p.13.
[69] Slections, p.55.
[70] Promulgation, pp.406, 5.
[71] See Some Answered Questions,
pp.18-24; Promulgation, pp.117, 128, 346-7, 367-8, 401.
[72] The Universal House of Justice,
Promise, p.7.
[73] I Cor. 13:12. For an explanation
of this verse by St Paul, see Promulgation, pp.11-3.
[74] John 16:13.
[75] Promulgation, pp.131, 38.
[76] Selections, p.56.
[77] Promulgation, pp.305, 38, 131.
[78] Promulgation, pp.364, 375.
[79] . Shoghi Effendi, World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, p.166. For a preliminary study of this topic,
see G. Townshend, Christ and Bahá'u'lláh.
[80] In this regard Shoghi Effendi wrote: `It
should also be borne in mind that, great as is the power manifested by this
Revelation and however vast the range of the Dispensation its Author has
inaugurated, it emphatically repudiates the claim to be regarded as the final
revelation of God's will and purpose for mankind. To hold such a conception of
its character and functions would be tantamount to a betrayal of its cause and
denial of its truth. It must necessarily conflict with the fundamental
principle which constitutes the bedrock of Bahá'í belief, the
principle that religious truth is not absolute, but relative, that Divine
Revelation is orderly, continuos and progressive and not spasmodic or final.'
(The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.115.)
[81] Promulgation, p.101.
82 Gleanings, p.172. Explaining the statement by
Bahá'u'lláh that `the universe hath neither beginning nor
ending', `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `Briefly, there were many universal
cycles preceding this one in which we are living. They were consummated,
completed and their traces obliterated. The divine and creative purpose in them
was the evolution of spiritual man, just as it is in this cycle. The circle of
existence is the same circle; it returns. The tree of life has ever borne the
same heavenly fruit.' (Promulgation, p.220.)
[83] F. Facchini, Il Cammino
dell'Evoluzione Umana, p.16.
[84] E. Laszlo, Evolution, p.101.
[85] Promulgation, p.35.
[86] ibid. pp.86, 438, 98, 37-8, 190, 35.
[87] This is the expression of the gradual
growth of the power of love, typical of man. For a deeper discussion of this
concept, see H.B. Danesh, `The Violence Free Society: A Gift for Our Children',
in Bahá'í Studies, VI, pp.20-1, 33-7.
[88] F. Facchini, Il Cammino
dell'Evoluzione Umana, p.229.
[89] Selections, p.69.
[90] World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, p.43.
[91] Promulgation, pp.131, 37-8.
[92] See World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, pp.44-5.
[93] The Universal House of Justice,
Promise, p.3.
[94] Promulgation, p.129.
[95] The Universal House of Justice,
Promise, p.3.
[96] F. Facchini writes: `...the
process of human adaptation implies an increasing co-operation, in view of new
social and economical requirements, and of impending dangers threatening the
future of mankind and involving not merely single peoples, but the whole of
mankind. `This co-operation should not be intended only on an international
level. It is a great movement that must come about among individuals, families,
social strata, peoples. In this sense co-operation becomes an indispensable and
indivisible value, and not a mere way of life.
`Unity for the future of mankind must traverse and develop through the manifold
expressions and co-operative actions among human beings.' (F. Facchini, Il
Cammino dell'Evoluzione Umana, p.229.)
[97] Gleanings, p.340.
[98] The Universal House of Justice,
Promise, p.3.
[99] . Shoghi Effendi writes in this regard:
`His [Bahá'u'lláh's] mission is to proclaim that the ages of the
infancy and of the childhood of the human race are past, that the convulsions
associated with the present stage of its adolescence are slowly and painfully
preparing it to attain the stage of manhood, and are heralding the approach of
that Age of Ages when swords will be beaten into ploughshares, when the Kingdom
promised by Jesus Christ will have been established, and the peace of the
planet definitely and permanently ensured.' (The Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh, p.3.)
[100] Lorenz, The Waning of Humaneness,
pp.126-7.
[101] Promulgation, pp.4, 331.
[102] Hobbes, Leviathan, p.13. This
famous statement, taken from Asinaria, a comedy by Plautus (3rd-2nd
century BC, the greatest of Roman playwrights) was revived by Bacon (1561-1626)
and Hobbes (1588-1679).
Chapter 10
10
The World of The Kingdom
In our quest throughout the universe we have found traces of God made manifest,
according to the different capacities of the various kingdoms of the world of
creation. These are the expressions of the world of the Kingdom in the
creatures. In this sense, Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Every created
thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His knowledge, a sign of
His sovereignty, a revelation of His names, a symbol of His majesty, a token of
His power, a means of admittance into His straight path...' [1] These traces are of such great relevance to our purpose of
`comprehending the reality of things, as they exist', [2] that it seems opportune here to summarize them briefly, so
as to focus on what we can understand about the world of the Kingdom.
The world of the Kingdom within the creatures
The traces of the world of the Kingdom become manifest in the world of
creation in different ways and degrees, depending on the capacities of the
creatures. The `power of attraction' binding together the `elemental atoms' [3] of `original matter' [4] is but the simplest expression, in the material level, of
the spiritual reality of love.
The `perpetual motion' which moves those elemental atoms is the expression of
the dynamism of the `universal energy'.. [5]
The `law of progression' [6] and the perpetual
evolution to which all beings and the world of creation as a whole are subject
are `the expressions of spirit in the world of matter' [7] as progressiveness.
The `power of growth' [8] typical of the
vegetable world is a further expression of the progress typical of the world of
the Kingdom.
The `power of sense perception' [9] of the animal
world is `the lowest degree of perception' [10]
and yet it is a glimmer of the knowledge of the world of the Kingdom.
Other traces of that supernal world are the continuity of creation, the
infinity of the universe, the infinite variety and `the absolute order and
perfection' [11] of its phenomena, the oneness
of its laws, the intimate relation among created things which are, therefore, a
part of an organic unity and, last but not least, individuality -- in the sense
of uniqueness of phenomena -- as a sign of the divine unity.
Nor are these all the traces of God within our reach. On the one hand, God has
caused the world of creation to be an `outer expression or facsimile of the
inner kingdom of the spirit' [12] and, on the
other, He has bestowed upon man an extraordinary power which ` apprehends the
spiritual... (and) sees the world of the Kingdom': [13] the power of knowing through his mind and insight.
Therefore, whenever the world of creation is seen through the eye of the
spirit, the world of the Kingdom will become manifest in each of the phenomena
of existence. This is `the metaphorical nature of material reality' which has
been so keenly discussed by J.S. Hatcher. [14]
Since the world of creation is somehow a metaphor of the world of the Kingdom,
it provides continuous and endless opportunities for reflecting upon and
understanding spiritual reality. The Bahá'í texts, like all other
Holy Scripture, are rich in metaphors offered by the Manifestation of God for
our understanding of spiritual truth. Spiritual truth belongs to a plane of
existence transcending the sense perception to which human beings are bound,
and is therefore difficult to represent or understand. In the
Bahá'í texts, the sun is at various times a metaphor of the
Essence of God, or the Word of God, or spirit, or the Manifestation of God.
Enlarging the metaphor, the succession of the four seasons as the sun makes its
transit through the zodiacal stations is suggested to represent the
evolutionary cycle of the great revealed religions. [15] The lunar cycle is suggested by `Abdu'l-Bahá as a
metaphor of the gradual spiritual growth of human beings. [16] The same concept is expressed through other metaphors as
well: daylight increasing from dawn to noon, [17] or a germinating seed which grows and yields its fruit, [18] or the soil, which must be cultivated if the
seeds thrown upon are to yield their fruit, [19] or a mirror which must be polished and cleaned from dust
if it is to mirror forth the light of the sun, [20] or a bird which, once its wings are grown, does not
remain upon the earth, but wings its flight towards the sky. [21] Water is another metaphor suggesting the Word or the
teachings of God: [22] ` rain-showers of
divine mercy' which ` cleanse the human heart', [23] or an ` ocean' in whose waters men are invited to
immerse themselves that they ` may unravel its secrets, and discover all the
pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depth', [24] or ` rivers' which water ` the soil of
hearts' drawing forth from them ` the tender herbs of wisdom and
understanding'. [25] The idea of a
`journey' or `pilgrimage' [26] is suggested as
a metaphor for human life.
The Bahá'í texts are an inexhaustible source of such metaphors
and thus a precious instrument through which we may be trained in our
understanding of that correspondence between the material world (the world of
creation) and the spiritual world (the world of the Kingdom) so that the
ancient dualism between spirit and matter may find its solution. Thus will be
healed the painful fracture in the heart of a man who wants to learn to express
his divine nature in a plane of reality -- material reality -- which tends to
dim it, but which should not for that reason be viewed as inherently evil. When
material reality is illumined through its metaphorical -- or educational --
meaning, it will disclose to our eyes all its beauty, a beauty which is in
itself a metaphor of the Divine beauty of its Creator. And when we discover in
the world of creation His beauteous traces, we will, at long last, be no longer
broken within ourselves -- soul and body, as two enemies -- and we will exclaim
like Doctor Faustus: `Stop, fleeting moment, you are beautiful.' And our
Lucifer will be disappointed, because our love for this earthly life will not
bind our soul to an inferior reality, but will be an instrument for its
edification through that same life whose true meaning we will have at long last
understood and learnt to love.
The world of the Kingdom within man
Among the numberless phenomena of creation, man is the creature intended
to reflect the entire beauty of that world of the Kingdom to which his soul
belongs.
From time immemorial the Manifestations of God have come into the world one
after the other to guide man into the way of virtues in order that man may give
expression to them in this world more completely and perfectly. In His Sermon
on the Mountain [27] Jesus indicated the
heights of spirituality any human being may attain to. In His Hidden
Words[28] and in many other of His
Writings, Bahá'u'lláh -- after almost two thousand years --
renewed and broadened this pattern of spirituality, and at the same time
announced that the day of human spiritual maturity has come.
This is an age when each human being gradually -- the times being ripe -- will
manifest in himself, through his own efforts, the wonders of the world of the
Kingdom, and these wonders will enlighten the world.
In this sense, a man may be viewed as the raw material from which an artist
draws forth an inspiring work through his genius, inspiration and ability. Man
can, metaphorically, be the artist or the creator of himself. [29] If he avails himself of his God-given instruments and of
the ` gems' 30 he has been endowed with, and if he consciously
and willingly strives -- out of his love of God -- to observe the laws of
revelation, then he will create in himself such incomparable harmony of
spiritual feelings as will be conducive to his own happiness, to the
edification of his fellowmen, and to collective progress. This is the meaning
of the old tale of the Beast transformed into a handsome prince by Beauty out
of her love, or of the ugly duckling which grows into a beautiful swan, or of
that fine Japanese poem introduced to me by H.B. Danesh:
I asked the almond tree
`Sister, speak me of God!'
And the almond blossomed.
That such a goal of inner perfection, of fulfillment of the self, of active and
constructive participation in collective progress should be attained through
such a barren, hard and fatiguing path, which has apparently nothing in common
with the light and joy of the goal it leads to, may seem strange, and even
unjust and cruel.
St Teresa of Avila [31]31 said: `I
am not surprised, my Lord, that Thy friends are so few, if Thou dealest with
them in such a way.' This path has been variously described in the Sacred
Scriptures and in mystical writings. Jesus said: `... strait is the gate, and
narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. '32
Bahá'u'lláh poetically described it as the ` valley of
love', but He said also that ` the steed of this valley is pain; and if
there be no pain this journey will never end.' [33] `Abdu'l-Bahá mentions the ` stony path of
God'; [34] in one of His prayers, He
writes: ` This, Thy servant, hath advanced toward Thee, is passionately
wandering in the desert of Thy love' 35 and describes Himself as
`this wanderer in the wilderness of God's love'. [36] The modern mystic, Thomas Merton, mentions a `night of
the senses' preceding the contemplation of God and describes a heavy `journey
through the desert' filled with `aridness' and `desolation' [37] leading unto the vision of the Lord. In the sixteenth
century, St John of the Cross mentions a `night of sense and spirit' that `the
soul should first traverse, if it is to attain to the stage of perfection'. [38]
However, if man does not of his own free-will tread this path -- the path of
purification from the ` satanic self' 39 he will not be able to
demonstrate through his deeds that he has chosen the attraction towards the
world of the Kingdom and given up the ties binding him to the world of
creation, and therefore he will not be able to acquire experience of that
divine Kingdom.
Once again the words of a poet can assist us: the Persian mystic `Attár,
who conveys through his verses the eagerness of that inner yearning, a yearning
which, supported by perseverance, endeavour and fortitude, urges man to
painfully climb those heights beyond which an initially remote and unknown joy
will be found in the nearness of God.
Moths gathered in a fluttering throng one night
To learn the truth about the candle's light,
And they decided one of them should go
To gather news of the elusive glow.
One flew till in the distance he discerned
A palace window where a candle burned -
And went to nearer; back again he flew
To tell the others what he thought he knew.
The mentor of the moths dismissed his claim,
Remarking: `He knows nothing of the flame'.
A moth more eager than the one before
Set out and passed beyond the palace door.
He hovered in the aura of the fire,
A trembling blur of timorous desire,
Then headed back to say how far he'd been,
And how much he had undergone and seen.
The mentor said: `You do not bear the signs
Of one who's fathomed how the candle shines'.
Another moth flew out -- his dizzy flight
Turned to an ardent wooing of the light;
He dipped and soared, and in his frenzied trance
Both Self and fire were mingled by his dance -
The flame engulfed his wing-tips, body, head;
His being glowed a fierce translucent red;
And when the mentor saw that sudden blaze,
The moth's form lost within the glowing rays,
He said: `He knows, he knows the truth we seek,
That hidden truth of which we cannot speak'.
To go beyond all knowledge is to find
That comprehension which eludes the mind,
And you can never gain the longed-for goal
Until you first outsoar both flesh and soul;
But should one part remain, a single hair
Will drag you back and plunge you in despair -
No creature's Self can be admitted here,
Where all identity must disappear.[40]
It is obviously impossible to describe the infinite richness and variety of
attributes, qualities, capacities and endowments which a man may express during
his earthly life. As `Man is a creation intended for the reflection of [the]
virtues', [41] of a perfect world of the
Kingdom, so if those virtues are infinite, the potentialities of human nature
are infinite as well. In the Bahá'í texts, there is a wealthy of
passages in which the infinite potentialities vouchsafed unto man are described
through exhortations, loving counsels, descriptions of inner realities or
examples of spirituality. Some of the powers of the soul have been already
discussed. Each of these powers is, so to speak, assisted by infinitely many
spiritual virtues through which it may be brought into operation in daily life.
In the sphere of direct or indirect knowledge there is consciousness,
certitude, wisdom, eloquence and also justice, equity and honesty. In the
sphere of love, there is attraction toward the Kingdom, love of God, charity,
benevolence, selflessness, courtesy, kindness, loving-kindness, goodness,
patience, tolerance, compassion and mercy; and moreover, there is brotherhood,
friendship, respectfulness, purity, chastity and holiness as well as harmony,
trust-worthiness, honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, equity, justice,
faithfulness, loyalty, integrity, uprighteousness, frankness, humility,
meekness, joy and radiance. In the sphere of will, there is tranquility,
moderation, temperance, freedom, fear of God, trust in God, resolution,
steadfastness, fortitude, diligence, perseverance, patience, endurance,
gratitude (even in troubles), spirit of sacrifice and courage. And these are
not all the human possibilities. It is only a short and incomplete list of the
potential qualities that a human being may concretely manifest in the world of
creation, if he only makes an effort. This is the most luminous trace of the
world of the Kingdom that a man may discover. However, at this point, a
personal endeavour is required; a living experience has to be obtained.
Abstract knowledge of these `exemplars' [42]
will not be of much use. It is only through a direct perusal of and meditation
upon the Sacred Words that minds may be enlightened, that the urge to fulfill
them may be kindled in the hearts and the required forces bestowed. Thus may be
attained a knowledge which, far from being an abstract, or merely intellectual,
will be an inner experience, a way of being. And whoever attains that knowledge
will, though he lives on the earth, indeed be getting closer to Paradise, which
is reunion with God and His good-pleasure. [43]
The meeting with God within human hearts is the core of the aim and purpose of
the earthly journey: the soul learns, through deeds performed and feelings
experienced upon the earth, the practice of virtues, and thus becomes aware of
the virtues by its own experience. In this way man discovers `the world of
exemplars' within himself and, in so doing, he knows God, for those `exemplars'
are the reflections of His attributes. This is the meaning of the Islamic
tradition mentioned by Bahá'u'lláh in His
Kitáb-i-Íqán: ` He hath known God who knoweth
himself.' [44] This tradition re-echoes the
aphorism `know thyself', attributed to Thales and engraved by Chilon of Sparta
on the pediment of the famous Temple of Delphi. In past ages, these words could
be understood only by a few chosen ones; today they convey a truth that each
human being in the world can understand and practise for himself.
The world of the Kingdom within society
As man comes to realize and know the world of the Kingdom within
himself, he will manifest it in society as well. It is thus that civilization
is born. Civilization itself -- in its twofold aspect of material civilization,
with its offspring of science and technology, and of divine civilization, with
its progressive stages as regards man's awareness of spiritual reality, and the
attainment of higher stages of cooperation and unity within society -- is a
sign and an expression of the world of the Kingdom in the world of creation.
Civilization, on the one hand, manifests the bounties of knowledge and
learning, prosperity and success, and, on the other, is conducive to `complete
attraction and affinity', `unity and harmony', and `eternal happiness, love and
everlasting life'.. [45]
Most people today fail to recognize these signs within society. Traversing a
period of great disharmony between material civilization, which is well
advanced, and spiritual civilization, which is quite backward in comparison
with its present potentialities, the majority of mankind consider divine
civilization to be a mere utopia; while material civilization is thought to be
the outcome of unaided human efforts, without God (Whose same existence is
mostly denied) having any part in it. [46] The
Bahá'í view quite different: [47]
it will be for the history of future decades to demonstrate its soundness, as
the driving forces of history, which are always spiritual, bring about a
condition of political peace notwithstanding the present difficulties. Within
the context of this political peace, the new spiritual civilization, for which
mankind is now ready, will flourish in all its unfolding splendour.
According to the Bahá'í teachings, these possibilities and
capacities of peace, cooperation and harmony which are slowly and painfully
making their ways in the world, are among the shining traces of the world of
the Kingdom which spiritual seekers can see. Thus the contemporary flourishing
of material civilization may be viewed not only in its material aspects of
well-being and ease, nor only in its worst aspects of pollution, impoverishment
of the planet's resources, unequal distribution of material wealth, and awesome
possibilities of destruction, but also in its diametrically opposed
possibilities of realizing, through the efforts of spiritually more mature
individuals, such noble goals as the protection of the environment, the
preservation of the resources, the promotion of economical equity, and the
extension of an acceptable standard of life, of education, health and work to
all human beings, as well as the furtherance of spiritual edification. [48] The material means are available. Only the
will is missing, perhaps because most men still do not open their inner eyes
and thus they do not see the bounties of the world of the Kingdom lavished by
an All-Bountiful God throughout His creation, neither do they understand that
those bounties may be seized or ignored by us, His creatures, depending on our
own free choice.
The world of the Kingdom as the world beyond
But man cannot be satisfied with knowing the world of the Kingdom only
through its glimmerings in the creatures of the world and from the feelings he
himself experiences in his heart. Man has always been eager to know what his
condition will be when he somehow returns -- after his physical death -- into
that world. The Bahá'í texts inform us that ` the nature of the
soul after death can never be described, nor it is meet and permissible to
reveal its whole character to the eyes of men'. [49] Nevertheless, they refer to that world through metaphors
in order to permit us an understanding within the limits of our capacities, an
understanding that can foster our attraction towards that reality.
It transcends time and space
The world of the Kingdom is often referred to by
Bahá'u'lláh as the ` Placeless'; [50] and `Abdu'l-Bahá says that it is a kingdom of
`eternal life' [51] which ` transcends the
life and limitations of this mortal sphere'.. [52] Thus, the world of the Kingdom cannot be explored and
studied through the categories of time and space typical of our material
universe.
When `Abdu'l-Bahá was asked where is the world of the Kingdom, He
answered: ` ... the Kingdom of God... is within this world. The people of
this world, however, are unaware of that world, and are even as the mineral and
the vegetable that know nothing of the animal and the world of man.' In
fact, ` ... the world of existence', He writes, ` is a single world,
although its stations are various and distinct'. [53] Therefore, we are already in the world of the Kingdom
now, but we must become aware of this fact. And since it is the faculties of
mid and insight which, under the guidance of Revelation, enable us to become
aware of spiritual truth within material reality, these faculties must be
trained and developed in order to acquire such important awareness.
But above all, it should be remembered that the world of the Kingdom is
`nearness to God', and that such a nearness can be attained during this earthly
life through `the attainment of the highest virtues of humanity'. [54] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: ` Those souls
that, in this day, enter the divine kingdom and attain everlasting life,
although materially dwelling on earth, yet in reality soar in the realm of
heaven. Their bodies may linger on earth, but their spirits travel in the
immensity of space. For as thoughts widen and become illumined, they acquire
the power of flight and transport man to the Kingdom of God.' Whoever
attains this stage will understand that ` ... the Kingdom is the real world,
and this nether place is only its shadow stretching out... images reflected in
water'. [55]
Metaphors of the world of the Kingdom in the Bahá'í
texts
Although in its limited ways the material world is only ` images
reflected in water' it can yet permit us to conceive a metaphorical idea of
the world beyond.
The Bahá'í texts metaphorically describe the world of the Kingdom
as an earthly kingdom: ` the Realm of Immortality', ` the Realm of
Glory', the ` Abhá Kingdom'. [56]56 In this Kingdom, there is a ` Glorious
Height' 57 from which the Voice of God is speaking forth.
Bahá'u'lláh describes moreover the ` Sacred and inviolable
Sanctuary' of God, the ` Celestial Pavilion', all metaphors that
should be perused and deeply meditated upon to be understood. When
Bahá'u'lláh describes that Kingdom, He depicts charming country
scenery: ` rustling... leaves', a ` whispering breeze', ` flowing
waters' 58 all raising anthems of praise unto God. In one of His
prayers, He implores that He may drink ` from the sweet-scented streams of
Thine eternity', ` taste the fruits' of the ` tree of Thy
Being'. In that same prayer, He mentions refreshing ` crystal springs of
Thy love', ` meadows of Thy nearness', where He asks that He may
wander, as well as a ` fragrant breeze of Thy joy... melodies of the dove of
Thy oneness... [a] garden of Thine immortality'. [59] In those places of spiritual delight ` Maids' or
` Damsels' 60 of Heaven as well as ` heavenly
armies' 61 dwelling in ` mansions of Eternity' within
` celestial chambers', ` illumine the heaven and all that is
therein' and perfume ` all things in the Land of Holiness and
Grandeur'.. [62] This world is also
described as ` oceans above of God' whose ` billows of grace' are
surging over ` all mankind'. [63]
These metaphors disclose the beauty and the greatness of that world, when
compared to the limitations of this one, whose beauties are nevertheless a
reflection of the beauties of the former. However, once again, only through a
direct and personal perusal of the revealed Words and meditation upon them can
a glimpse of the deep inner meanings of those metaphors be caught.
Qualities of the world of the Kingdom
The world of the Kingdom is, `Abdu'l-Bahá says, `the Kingdom of
complete attraction and affinity', of `real love', that love `which exists
between God and His servants, the love which binds together holy souls, not the
love of physical bodies and organisms'; the world of the Kingdom is a world of
`light and reality... bliss and joy', of `radiance... illumination', in
comparison with the `darkness and uncertainty' of this world. It is a world of
`absolute immortality, completeness and unchangeable being', in comparison to
the `separation [and] disintegration, which characterize the world of material
existence'. It is a world of `unlimited' virtues, whereas `the virtues of the
material world are limited'. It is `a world of sanctity and radiance... of
spirituality, faith, assurance, the knowledge and love of God... a world of
lights... of love... of perfections... vivified by the breaths of the Holy
Spirit', in comparison to this `world of gloom... of defects... without
enlightenment'. [64] In that world, the veils
will be cleft asunder, ` verities will come to light, and all things unknown
before will be made clear, and hidden truths be understood'.. [65] It `is the realm of divine bestowals and the
bounties of God. It is attainment of the highest virtues of humanity; it is
nearness to God; it is capacity to receive the bounties of the ancient Lord',
in the sense that in that world the closer the `nearness to God' or the
`likeness unto' Him, the more perfectly will human potentialities be fulfilled.
This unceasing progress, which is typical of the world of the Kingdom is
animated and guided by the Manifestation of God. `In the inner world, the world
of the Kingdom, the Sun of Reality is the Trainer and Educator of minds, souls
and spirits. Were it not for the effulgent rays of the Sun of Reality, they
would be deprived of growth and development; nay, rather, they would be
nonexistent... the radiation of the light and heat of the Sun of Reality gives
growth, education and evolution to minds, souls and spirits toward the station
of perfection'. [66]
The body separates man from that world like a screen. `Abdu'l-Bahá
compares it to an ` interposed veil' which must be metaphorically
` lifted away' so that that ` world of perceptions and discoveries'
may be perceived. This will undoubtedly occur when the body dies. At that
moment, man will hasten ` away from this mortal place into the Kingdom of
God, then he will be born in the spirit; then the eye of his perception will
open, the ear of his soul will hearken, and all the truths of which he was
ignorant before will be made plain and clear.' However, this process may
begin during physical life with that which is called second birth or spiritual
progress. [67]
Human souls in the world of the Kingdom
`Abdu'l-Bahá, dwelling more specifically upon the condition of
the soul after death, informs us that at the physical death when the body is
decomposed, `only consciousness... is left...'; He says moreover: `After death
the condition is one which cannot be clearly explained in words. It is one of
comprehension, understanding, which involves all other things -- feeling, etc.'
He also says: `You will retain your individuality and will not be swallowed up
in one vast spirit. Concerning the condition of the human soul after its
ascension from the material world: the essence of the human soul is clarified
from material substances and purified from the embodiment of physical things.
It is exclusively luminous; it has no body; it is a dazzling pencil of light;
it is a celestial orb of brightness.' [68]
Therefore, if the body disappears, the mind, which depends on the body, [69] disappears as well; and when the mind
disappears, animal and human nature will disappear too. There is no longer that
tension between animal and divine nature, typical of the earthly life of man,
which has been called dual nature of the soul. The unremitting necessity of
choosing between material and spiritual attraction, typical of this earthly
life, disappears. The evolution of the soul will be a progressive and
continuous `approaching unto God', [70] the
supreme Centre of Attraction, through the agency of the bounties of the Sun of
Reality, the Manifestation of God. Thus, in the world of the Kingdom, the
Manifestation of God `continues... to be our means of contact with the
Almighty', [71] and whoever has learnt during
his earthly life how to profit from His bounties, will profit of them all the
more in the next one.
Bahá'u'lláh writes that in the world of the Kingdom, the soul
` ... will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality'. [72] And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that
` ... in the other world the human reality doth not assume a physical form,
rather doth it take on a heavenly form, made up of elements of that heavenly
realm', [73] and it remains `in the degree
of purity to which it has evolved during life in the physical body'. [74]
For man as an individual, then, earthly life is nothing but a preparation for
the life beyond, when the soul will take the consequences or reap the fruits of
its life in this world. Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Every pure, every
refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous power, and shall
rejoice with exceeding gladness'; in fact ` ... all men shall, after
their physical death, estimate the worth of their deeds, and realize all that
their hands have wrought', and ` ... the souls of the infidels...
shall... be made aware of the good things that have escaped
them' 75 and will suffer.
It is evident that the souls occupy quite different stages in the world beyond
according to `what they acquire of virtues or vices in this world'. [76] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes in this regard:
` Know that immortality belongs to such souls as have been imbued with the
spirit of life. Beside them all the others are lifeless -- they are dead, as
Christ explained in the Gospel.' [77]
However, this condition is not a static one. In fact `... nothing which
exists', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `remains in a state of repose', and `... as
the spirit continues to develop after death, it necessarily progresses or
declines; and in the other world to cease to progress is the same as to
decline; but it never leaves its own condition, in which it continues to
develop'. [78] Thus, the condition of the soul
after physical death is certainly not stationary. The soul proceeds in the
world of the Kingdom in its never-ending journey back to God.
In the world beyond, the progress of the soul is through the bounties of the
Manifestation of God, as well as by intercession of other souls, both of souls
who are still in the physical stage of their lives -- as will be seen further
on -- and of souls who have ascended into the world of the Kingdom.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... it is certain that -- those who are near the
Divine Court are allowed to intercede, and this intercession is approved by
God. But intercession in the other world is not like the intercession in this
world. It is another thing, another reality, which cannot be expressed in
words.' [79]
Relations between this world and the other
Bahá'u'lláh, further explaining the relation between this
life and the other, writes: ` The world beyond is as different from this
world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb
of its mother.' [80] Earthly life is
described by `Abdu'l-Bahá as ` the condition of a human being in the
womb, where his eyes are veiled, and all things are hidden away from him. 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...' 81 According to this metaphor, just as whatsoever is
needed for this world is acquired during intrauterine life, even though some of
those instruments are utterly useless inside the womb, so during this life such
instruments are acquired as will prove indispensable in the world beyond, and
which will be used to a certain extent in this life, too.
`... [I]n this world', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `he must prepare himself for
the life beyond.' And then He enumerates all the qualities which man must equip
himself with: `sanctity and radiance... spirituality, faith, assurance, the
knowledge and love of God... illumination... virtues or perfections... breaths
of the Holy Spirit... everlasting life'. [82]
On the other hand, just as a bodily defect acquired in the womb may have
far-reaching consequences upon the conditions of life once a person is born
into this world, so a defect in one's spiritual evolution will exert its
influence on the conditions of one's life in the world of the Kingdom.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains the condition of a man at his physical death, in
the light of this same metaphor: `At first the infant finds it very difficult
to reconcile itself to its new existence. It cries as if not wishing to be
separated from its narrow abode and imagining that life is restricted to that
limited space. It is reluctant to leave its home, but nature forces it into
this world. Having come into its new condition, it finds that it has passed
from darkness into a sphere of radiance; from gloomy and restricted
surroundings, it has been transferred to a spacious and delightful
environment... and then it praises God for its release from the confinement of
its former condition and attainment to the freedom of a new realm. This analogy
expresses the relation of the temporal world to the life hereafter -- the
transition of the soul of man from darkness and uncertainty to the light and
reality of the eternal Kingdom. At first, it is very difficult to welcome
death, but after attaining its new conditions the soul is grateful, for it has
been released from the bondage of the limited to enjoy the liberties of the
unlimited. It has been freed from a world of sorrow, grief and trials to live
in a world of unending bliss and joy. The phenomenal and physical have been
abandoned in order that it may attain the opportunities of the ideal and
spiritual.' [83]
A further metaphor suggested by `Abdu'l-Bahá, in order to explain the
relation between this earthly life and the life hereafter, is that of a garden:
` It is as if', He writes, ` a kind gardener transferreth a fresh and
tender shrub from a confined place to a wide open area. This transfer is not
the cause of the withering, the lessening or the destruction of that shrub; no,
on the contrary, it maketh it to grow and thrive, acquire freshness and
delicacy, become green and bear fruit. This hidden secret is well known to the
gardener, but those souls who are unaware of this bounty suppose that the
gardener, in his anger and wrath, hath uprooted the shrub. Yet to those who are
aware, this concealed fact is manifest, and this predestined decree is
considered a bounty.' 84 Once more the Bahá'í texts
show a benign reality which in its often inscrutable Rationality and
Providential Order is guarantee of rationality and order in its creation. And
whoever understands and complies with the meaning of that rationality and the
harmony of that order will say: `there is nothing more wonderful than that
which already exists', [85] and in that
awareness will find fulfillment and happiness.
Relations between human souls in the world of the Kingdom
As to the relations among human souls in the world of the Kingdom,
Bahá'u'lláh writes that whoever has lived in conformity with the
divine will have blissful joy: ` The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest
mansions, will circle around [him], and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones
will seek his companionship. With them that soul will freely converse, and will
recount unto them that which it hath been made to endure in the path of God,
the Lord of all worlds.' [86] When
`Abdu'l-Bahá was asked ` whether the souls will recognize each other
in the spiritual world', He answered: ` This fact is certain; for the
Kingdom is the world of vision where all the concealed realities will become
disclosed. How much more the well-known souls will become manifest. The
mysteries of which man is heedless in this earthly world, those he will
discover in the heavenly world, and there will he be informed of the secret
truth; how much more will he recognize or discover persons with whom he hath
been associated... Even they will manifestly behold the Beauty of God in that
world. Likewise will they find all the friends of God, both those of former and
recent times, present in the heavenly assemblage.' [87]
However, mutual awareness among the souls in that world depends on the grade of
their development: ` They that are of the same grade and station are fully
aware of one another's capacity, character, accomplishment and merits. They
that are of a lower grade, however, are incapable of comprehending adequately
the station, or of estimating the merit, of those that rank above them.' [88]
Thus a hierarchy exists in the world of the Kingdom: there is a great
difference between those who, having attained the life of the spirit during
their earthly life, are closer unto God; and those who, having not made
spiritual progress, are as dead. `He who is deprived of these divine favours,
although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the people of
truth,' says `Abdu'l-Bahá; and moreover: `For those who believe in God,
who have love of God, and faith, life is excellent -- that is, it is eternal;
but to those souls who are veiled from God, although they have life, it is
dark, and in comparison with the life of believers it is nonexistence.' [89]
Relationship between human souls in this world and in the other
The Bahá'í texts also describe the relationship between
those souls who have traversed earthly life and ascended into that Kingdom, and
mankind which is wearily making its way here on the earth. `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `those who have ascended have different attributes from those who are
still on earth, yet there is no real separation.' [90] In fact, pure and holy souls in the Kingdom are -- in the
words of Bahá'u'lláh -- ` the pure leaven that leaveneth the
world of being, and furnisheth the power through which the arts and wonders of
the world are made manifest'. ` The light which these soul radiate'
He writes moreover, ` is responsible for the progress of the world and the
advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world
of being, and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders
of the world are made manifest. Through them, the clouds rain their bounty upon
men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits... These souls and symbols of
detachment have provided and will continue to provide, the supreme moving
impulse in the world of being..' [91]
As the souls of the Kingdom have an influence upon this world, so the contrary
is true as well. `In prayer there is a mingling of station, a mingling of
condition', says `Abdu'l-Bahá. Then He adds: `Pray for them as they pray
for you.' [92] These concepts need to be
carefully studied and pondered so that both `the despairing slough of
materialism' and `the quagmire of superstition' [93] may be avoided.
These are certainly not all the signs of the world of the Kingdom that may be
discovered in the world of creation, within man, within society, or in the Holy
Scriptures. This brief discussion is just intended as a starting point, as an
encouragement. Seekers will undoubtedly discover other traces, understand other
metaphors, and in so doing will foster such attraction toward the world of the
Kingdom within their own selves as will kindle the eagerness to tread the path
of spirituality, both within their own hearts and in those of others. [94]
End notes:
[1] Gleanings, p.160.
[2] Some Answered Questions, p.221.
[3] Promulgation, pp.268, 284.
[4] Some Answered Questions, p.183.
[5] Promulgation, pp.284, 140.
[6] ibid. p.302.
[7] Paris Talks, p.90.
[8] Some Answered Questions, p.143.
[9] Promulgation, p.29.
[10] Some Answered Questions, p.217.
See ibid. pp.217-9.
[11] Promulgation, p.79.
[12] ibid. p.270.
[13] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets,
p.604.
[14] See J.S. Hatcher, The Metaphorical
Nature of Material Reality', in Bahá'í Studies, III, and
The Purpose of Physical Reality. A metaphor is a figure of speech which
`relates to a certain object an image which evokes immediate impressions and
feelings we experience in front of the object'. (A. Ghiselli, C. Casalgrande,
Lingua e Parola, p.394.)
[15] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... 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 ideas
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 spiritual fruitage; 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 attain spirituality; religion is renewed and
reorganized, hearts are turned unto God, and life is again bestowed upon man'.
(Promulgation, pp.93-6.) See above, pp.38 n.40; 106 n.29.
[16] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `... the
brilliant realities and sanctified spirits are likened to a shining crescent.
It has one face turned toward the Sun of Truth, and another face opposite to
the contingent world. The journey of this crescent in the heaven of the
universe ends in (becoming) a full moon. That is, that face of it which is
turned toward the divine world becomes also opposite to the contingent world,
and by this, both its merciful and spiritual, as well as contingent,
perfections become complete.' (Tablets, pp.1089.) See above,
pp.117.
[17] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... spiritual
advancement may be likened to the light of the early dawn. Although this dawn
light is dim and pale, a wise man who views the march of the sunrise at its
very beginning can foretell the ascendancy of the sun in its full glory and
effulgence. He knows, for a certainty, that it is the beginning of its
manifestation and that later it will assume great power and potency.'
(Promulgation, p.131.) See above, p.117.
[18] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the human
reality may be compared to a seed. If we saw the seed, a mighty
tree appears from it. The virtues of the seed are revealed in the tree;
it puts forth branches, leaves, blossoms, and produces fruits. All these
virtues were hidden and potential in the seed. Through the blessing and
bounty of cultivation these virtues became apparent. Similarly, the merciful
God, our Creator, has deposited within human realities certain latent and
potential virtues. Through education and culture these virtues deposited by the
loving God became apparent in the human reality, even as the unfoldment of the
tree from within the germinating seed.' (Promulgation, p.91.)
[19] `... the human reality is like the soil.
If no bounty of rain descends from the heaven upon the soil, if no heat of the
sun penetrates, it will remain black, forbidding, unproductive; but when the
moistening shower and the effulgent glow of the sun's ray fall upon it,
beautiful and redolent flowers grow from its bosom. Similarly, the human spirit
or reality of man, unless it becomes the recipient of the lights of the
Kingdom, develops divine susceptibilities and consciously reflects the
effulgence of God, will not be the manifestation of ideal bounties...'
(Promulgation, p.30.) See above, p.117.
[20] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The most
important thing is to polish the mirrors of the hearts in order that they may
become illumined and receptive of the divine light. One heart may possess the
capacity of the polished mirror; another, be covered and obscured by the dust
and dross of this world. Although the same Sun is shining upon both, in the
mirror which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in all its
fullness, glory and power, revealing its majesty and effulgence; but in the
mirror which is rusted and obscured there is no capacity for reflection,
although so far as the Sun itself is concerned it is shining thereon and is
neither lessened nor deprived. Therefore, our duty lies in seeking to
polish the mirrors of our hearts in order that we shall become reflectors of
that light and recipient of the divine bounties which may be fully revealed
through them.' (Promulgation, pp.14-15.)
[21] See ibid. pp.294, 336. He writes
moreover: `... once a bird hath grown its wings, it remaineth on the ground
no more, but soareth upward into high heaven -- except for those birds that are
tied by the leg, or those whose wings are broken, or mired down.'
(Selections, p.58.)
[22] Bahá'u'lláh often refers to
the `Water of Life' (Gleanings, p.213), as the teachings of the
Manifestation of God which, even as water, quicken the soil of human hearts.
[23] Selections, p.146.
[24] Kitáb-i-Aqdas, in
Synopsis, p.37.
[25] Gleanings, p.43.
[26] Promulgation, pp.294, 336.
[27] See Matt. 5:1-48 and
Luke 6:20-49. With such words does `Abdu'l-Bahá pay a tribute to
the moral teachings of Jesus: `...Jesus... founded the sacred Law and the
foundation of moral character and complete spirituality and to those who
believed in Him traced a special way of living which constitutes the highest
way of acting on the earth.' (Secret of Divine Civilization,
p.82.)
[28] These are the opening words of that
precious collection of aphorisms: `This is that which hath descended from
the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto
the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in
the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may
stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust,
and in the realm of the spirit obtain the gem of the Divine virtue.'
(Hidden Words, p.3.) A perusal of this booklet and the practice of the
advises offered therein will prove a sufficient means of the spiritual progress
of anyone who will exert his efforts with purity of motives.
[29] G. A. Eyford writes: `Man must work on
himself as he would upon a piece of art. His standards and criteria will be a
blend of the aesthetic and the moral as he strives to achieve beauty, purity,
virtue, goodness, unity, authenticity, and truth.' (`Aesthetics and Spiritual
Education', in World Order, XIV, no.1, p.36.) For a better understanding
of this concept, the perusal of the whole paper by G.A. Eyford is suggested.
30 Gleanings, p.260.
[31] St Teresa from Avila or of Jesus
(1515-1582), mystic, Spanish writer, reformer of the Carmelitan Order together
with her contemporary Spanish mystic St John of the Cross (1542-1591).
32 Matt. 7:14.
[33] Seven Valleys, p.8.
[34] Selections, p.226.
35 Bahá'í Prayers, p.82.
[36] Selections, p.226.
[37] New Seeds of Contemplation.
[38] St John of the Cross, Opere,
pp.350, 15.
39 Seven Valleys, p.11.
[40] Farídu'd-Din `Attár
(1117-1230). These verses are from his most famous poem, Mantiqu't-Tayr (`The
Conference of the Birds'). See ibid. p.206.
[41] Promulgation, pp.302-3.
[42] Promulgation, p.464. The word
exemplar (or archetype) is seemingly used by `Abdu'l-Bahá, in
this context, in its neo-platonic meaning of `ideas [attributes] existing in
the mind of God as models of created things'.. (N. Abbagnano, Dizionario di
Filosofia, p.65.) See above, p.147.
[43]
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `"Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?"
Say: "The one is reunion with Me; the other is thine own self".' (Tablets,
p.118). The Báb writes: `Paradise is attainment of His good-pleasure.'
(Selections, p.158.)
[44]
p.102.
[45] Promulgation, pp.4, 9.
[46] This concept is thus concisely set forth
by The Universal House of Justice in its Promise of World Peace: `...
religion and religious institutions have, for many decades, been viewed by
increasing numbers of people as irrelevant to the major concerns of the modern
world. In its place they have turned either to the hedonistic pursuit of
material satisfactions or to the following of man-made ideologies designed to
rescue society from the evident evils under which it groans.' (p.6.)
[47] Bahá'u'lláh writes:
`Religion... is 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... 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.' (Tablets, pp.63-4.)
[48] The interested reader would do well to
read Call to the Nations, a compilation of writings by Shoghi Effendi,
published in 1977 by the Universal House of Justice. In this compilation, the
most important Bahá'í texts dealing these and other important
issues are collected.
[49] Gleanings, p.156.
[50] Hidden Words, Persian no. 17.
Bahá'u'lláh mentions in His Hidden Words `the gates
that open on the Placeless', (Persian no. 17. `the realms of the
Placeless', (Bahá'u'lláh, ibid. Persian no. 39) `the
paradise of the Placeless', (Persian, no. 39) as well as in His
Kitáb-i-Íqán, `the domain of the
Placeless.'(p.157.)
[51] Promulgation, p.226.
[52] Selections, pp.194-5.
[53] ibid. pp.194-5, 193.
[54] Promulgation, p.304.
[55] Selections, pp.202, 178.
[56] Gleanings, pp.141, 301, 207.
57 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
58 Gleanings, pp.11-12, 31.
[59] Bahá'í Prayers,
pp.77-8.
60 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
61 `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `By heavenly armies those souls
are intended who are entirely freed from the human world, transformed into
celestial spirits and have become divine angels. Such souls are the rays of the
Sun of Reality... They are delivered from human qualities and the defects of
the world of nature, are characterized with the characteristics of God, and are
attracted with the fragrances of the Merciful.' (Tablets of the Divine
Plan, p.47.)
[62] Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of
the Holy Marineer.
[63] Selections, p.252.
[64] Promulgation, pp.4, 9, 256, 47,
332, 47, 90, 205, 226, 332.
[65] Selections, p.177.
[66] Promulgation, pp.304, 148, 271.
[67] Selections, pp.170, 149. To a
seeker, lamenting her separation from Him, `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote:
`We are all under the shade of the unicoloured pavilion of the world of
humanity, but heedlessness forms a veil and an obstacle. When it is removed,
the veil will be rent asunder and we shall see one another gathered up together
and present.' (`Tablets of Abdul-Baha Recently Revealed', in Star
of the West, X, p.7.)
[68] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, XIV, pp.37, 38.
[69]
In the Bahá'í texts, the mind is described as the manifestation
of the mental faculties of the soul through the agency of the brain. Since mind
is not the only cognitive means at man's disposal, it follows that though man's
intelligence (or reason, or intellect) is conditioned by his mind, yet it is
not identical with it.
As to the concept of mind, see above pp.156-7. [9-10, 176-8, 265-70,
306-7.]
[70] Paris Talks, p.66.
[71] Letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
quoted in Dawn of a New Day, p.67. Bahá'u'lláh, describing
a `true believer', writes: `his spirit will everlastingly circle
round the Will of God'. (Gleanings, p.141.)
[72] Gleanings, p.157.
[73] Selections, p.194.
[74] Paris Talks, p.66.
75 Gleanings, pp.154, 171, 170.
[76] Some Answered Questions, p.233.
[77] Selections, p.189. Shoghi Effendi,
explains some passages from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh on the
same subject in the following words written through his secretary: `The word
"perish"... does not mean that the human soul will cease to exist, but will be
deprived of all spiritual capacity and understanding... by "everlasting life"
is meant spiritual felicity, communion with the Divine Spirit'. (quoted in
Bahá'í Institutions (comp.), p.115.)
[78] Some Answered Questions, p.233.
[79] ibid. p.231.
[80] Gleanings, p.157.
81 Selections, p.171.
[82] Promulgation, p.226.
[83] ibid. p.47.
84 Selections, pp.199-200.
[85] Some Answered Questions, p.177.
[86] Gleanings, p.156.
[87] Tablets, p.205.
[88] Bahá'u'lláh,
Gleanings, p.170.
[89] Some Answered Questions, pp.225,
243.
[90] `Abdu'l-Bahá in London,
p.96.
[91] Gleanings, p.157.
[92] `Abdu'l-Bahá in London,
p.157.
[93] Paris Talks, p.143.
[94] For a deeper discussion of this topic
see J. S. Hatcher, The Purpose of Physical Reality.
Chapter 11
11
God: The Beginning and the End of all Things
The knowledge of God - ` the beginning of all things' -- is, in the words
of Bahá'u'lláh, ` the purpose of God in creating man'. [1]
Therein the Bahá'í scholar's or would-be philosopher's journey
may come to a close. From the rational proof of God's existence to the feelings
ensuing from the awareness of His existence the circle is completed.
The knowledge of God
The knowledge of God, as a theoretical and intellectual knowledge, is
little more then a trifle. Whenever it remains in the realm of thought it is
utterly useless, as is any other thought. In this sense, `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `People speak of Divinity, but the ideas and beliefs they have of
Divinity are, in reality, superstition... Divinity is not what is set forth in
dogmas and sermons...' [2]
In fact, what else could our theoretical and intellectual knowledge of God be
if not the fruit of our own imagination? `For example', says
`Abdu'l-Bahá, `if we form a conception of Divinity as a living, almighty
, self- subsisting, eternal Being, this is only a concept apprehended by a
human intellectual reality. It would not be the outward, visible, Reality,
which is beyond the power of human mind to conceive or encompass.' `Divinity is
the effulgence of the Sun of reality, the Manifestation of spiritual virtues
and ideal powers... it essentially means the wisdom and knowledge of God, the
effulgence of the Sun of Truth, the revelation of reality and the divine
philosophy.' [3]
In the light of what has been previously said, these words can now be
understood more easily. The knowledge of God is rather in the awareness and
consciousness of His qualities; in other words, it is in the effulgence of His
active attributes from human hearts, from the universe and, above all, from the
Manifestation of God. These three aspects of our knowledge of God have been
briefly discussed already. They will now be studied once more, in the hope of
outlining a more comprehensive description of their nature and of making a
deeper analysis of their meaning in human life, i.e. in the feelings they evoke
and in the attitudes they imply and qualify.
God within human hearts
From the `love of reality' [4]
that God `has deposited' within man proceed two kinds of human needs: on the
one hand is the need to know and comprehend reality. When this need is met, man
becomes aware of and feels his own powerlessness in front of that extraordinary
reality which he is trying to know and in which he is discovering an infinite
dimension and a perfect order. On the other hand, this feeling generates a
second need in man: the need to be comprehended, to feel a part of a greater
Reality, which somehow may fulfill and satisfy him. [5]
To such great Reality, the name of God is given.
The knowledge of God is therefore founded firstly upon an awareness of human
limitation and upon an obscure and confused feeling that there must be a
`source' whence such `virtues' as will satisfy human needs may come forth. [6]
This awareness, this feeling, are indeed a way of being, an inner attitude,
issuing from a complicated combination of cognitive data and beliefs, which in
their turn find their origin in the personal knowledge and experience gained by
each individual in different ways and under different circumstances. Therefore,
that feeling is an act of faith, according to our previously mentioned concept
of faith. Bahá'u'lláh even says that when this faith leads man
` to submit to the Will of God', it is the ` essence of
understanding'. [7]
Whoever is aware that God is the `source' of all perfections and that anyone if
he wants to may freely draw therefrom , has founded his life upon a bedrock and
will live in certitude and joy, and will love life and action. In fact, he will
trust that -- if he does his utmost and avails himself of his own powers with
purity of motive -- all his deeds will have their prize, at least in their
fruits. This feeling pervades many Bahá'í prayers, where God is
implored as ` Haven in distress... Shield... Shelter... Asylum and Refuge in
time of need and in... loneliness... Companion! In... anguish... Solace, and
in... solitude a loving Friend.' [8]
Such an attitude is viewed by most atheists as a sign of weakness, and such a
faith in God is considered as a quality of an infant humanity, wholly
unnecessary for an intellectually adult mankind, even prejudicial to its
development. There might be some truth in these ideas: undoubtedly such a faith
in God is founded upon an awareness of one's own weakness. However, it is
suggested that there may be some presumption in a man who thinks he may
dispense with the Divinity and the faith in it. In fact, the feeling of human
omnipotence implied in this concept is undoubtedly less mature than a mature
and proved feeling of inadequacy and dependence. Perhaps, a man who believes
any problem can be solved through unaided human reason can be likened -- such
is the idea that clearly transpires from the Bahá'í teachings [9]
-- to an adolescent with his adolescent excesses, typical of someone who has
recently gained the paramount use of reason and therefore ascribes to it
greater powers than those it actually has -- and those powers are certainly not
few. But very soon, life will show to him its limits and will persuade him to a
more moderate view.
Others, having observed the behaviour of self-styled or so-called ancient and
modern mystics, are afraid that a faith in a God who is the Lord of all things,
may be conducive to a paralysis of will, bringing man to forsake this world for
the sake of the transcendent one, and to surrender himself to a fancied will of
God requiring him to renounce any action and initiative. But all that has no
place in a truly religious view of life. Spiritual growth, as inculcated and
recommended by the Manifestations, depends upon active efforts aimed at
promoting unity and peace in the world. Any deed, which is conducive to unity
and peace, is a tangible expression of faith in God as well as of knowledge of
God. Such deeds cannot be described as the actions of a man who has forsaken
this world.
While a man performs such spiritual deeds, he will have the inner experience of
those spiritual qualities which belong to the divine world and to which he has
the capacity of giving a concrete expression in his daily life. This is a
further aspect of the knowledge of God in human hearts: the knowledge of the
divine attributes of the world of the Kingdom through a direct experience of
their effulgence as feelings and deeds manifesting them.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Could ye apprehend with what wonders of
My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a
truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a
true knowledge of your own selves -- a knowledge which is the same as the
comprehension of Mine own Being'. [10]
Through these words two fundamental aspects of life can be understood: on the
one hand, the inner struggle, which is required for self-purification; on the
other, the knowledge of one's own true self. The former is simply the effort
exerted to release oneself from attachment to the natal self with its natural
emotions; however, the natal self is not an enemy, but an instrument which we
must learn how to turn in the right direction so that it may be properly used.
The latter is the result, the outcome of the struggle and it is the expression
of the virtues realized through it. This is the key -- we repeat -- to the
understanding of the famous Islamic tradition: `He hath known God who hath
known himself' and of the ancient Greek saying: `Know thyself'. Knowing oneself
means knowing one's divine nature; and this can be attained through the
knowledge of that divine nature in its expressions through daily deeds. This is
how we can know God. Such knowledge is no theory, no intellectual abstraction.
It is a spiritual, mystical experience; it is a joy resulting from the
harmonious growth of the powers of knowing, loving and willing which have been
vouchsafed unto all human beings. Therefore, once more the Bahá'í
texts dispel that esoteric aura which has up to now enveloped certain aspects
of religion, making them disagreeable to rationalists. Nevertheless, the texts
do not suggest that man can penetrate all the mysteries of the infinite
universe God has created. This is `the mystic way' trodden `with practical
feet' [11]
which has been previously mentioned, because this mystical knowledge of the
spiritual attributes of the world of the Kingdom is obtained through a daily
practice of service.
This recognition of the image of God within man is a mighty spur to action,
because it confirms the hope that there is always a chance for man to grow
better, to amend past mistakes. In The Promise of World
Peace, 12 ignorance of true human nature and the consequent firm belief that man is
inherently quarrelsome and warlike is viewed as the main reason for the
`paralysis of will' [13]
which has so long kept mankind from any practical measure for the realization
of a lasting peace among the nations of the world. Whereas whoever recognizes
the image of God in his fellow-beings will be a staunch advocate of human
perfectibility, an attitude which will have far-reaching consequences upon
human relations: no longer personality against personality, but an image of God
beside another image of God. This recognition of a common identity -- without
denying the individuality of each human being -- this consciousness of one God
reflected in the different hearts, is the strongest tie which may bind together
human beings. It could be metaphorically likened to those nuclear interactions
(described in the Bahá'í texts as `affinity' among the `elemental
atoms') which support the entire fabric of the universe. If such a power did
not exist, nothing would be in existence. The same thing is true in the world
of humanity; the tie of spiritual identity among human beings, the foundation
of the consciousness of the unity of mankind, is the only guarantee of a
peaceful and united society. [14] This is the most important awareness mankind is going to acquire
in its new stage of development -- the stage of spiritual maturity -- towards
which it is moving as a whole, according to the ancient plan of God.
God within the universe
In our quest we have sought the traces of God throughout the universe:
we will now proceed to describe the feelings evoked within human hearts
whenever those traces are discovered.
Whoever has recognized the traces of God in the universe feels himself no
longer as a knowing, feeling and willing creature forsaken, a tiny meaningless
atom, upon a grain of dust wandering about through unbounded space. The world
around is no longer threatening and awesome, unknown and hostile to a man who
has not yet understood his own place in its context. Whoever has found God in
the universe feels the joy of being a part of a total harmony, which may
sometimes be incomprehensible in some of its aspects, but is always
fundamentally a friendly reality, because it is moving towards a known goal,
which is the expression of virtues he knows, because they are enshrined, albeit
potentially, in his innermost heart. In addition, he feels serene in his heart,
as one who can rely upon the support of mighty powers which are at the disposal
of anyone who wants to seize them, lavished by an all-loving Creator for the
progress of His creatures. These powers emanate from the same Source which
radiates those forces which bind together quarks and leptons, which make
lichens grow in the most hostile environments, which enable animals to perceive
sensible reality and to react to it, which bestow a knowledge upon man that
ranges from the perception of an earthly reality to the inner perception of a
reality which, though it cannot be known through the senses, nevertheless may
be certainly perceived by anyone who makes an effort to discover it within his
own self and in the universe.
This man does not feel that earthly life is vain; he feels the soundness and
the joy of a creative commitment which is bound to yield its fruit of inner
growth and which will therefore win its intended, longed-for prize. He
understands how this never-ending postponement of the most cherished goals is
difficult only in relation to a need for immediate satisfaction, which he will
overcome as soon as he becomes able to see the end in the beginning; for each
present condition is a seed which already contains in itself its fruit. [15]
Whoever discovers God in the universe discovers a perfect and marvelous order
in sensible reality, a subtle, miraculous equilibrium whereby that apparently
discordant world appears as an organic unit; thus he understands and feels the
necessity both of creating such an ideal order in his own personal microcosm as
well, and of attuning his own microcosm to all the microcosms which make up
society. Willingly therefore will he shoulder the challenging responsibility of
following the standards of inner personal and outer social order Revelation
sets for him, showing to him as much of `the essential connection which
proceeds from the realities of things' [16]
as he can profit from -- because he can understand it. In this way he will
achieve the development of his own potentialities and -- through the creation
of a harmonious society -- contribute to those of other human being. This is
the foundation and the mainspring of civilization.
Last but not least, a man who has discovered an order and a harmony in both
macrocosm and microcosm will be able to harmonize the objective reality of
creation with the subjective reality of his experience of his own self and of
the cosmos, and thus he will `live in conscious at-one-ment with the eternal
world'. [17]
This `at-one-ment' is the essence of joy: the aesthetic enjoyment of a common
origin, of belonging to one and the same order, whose conscious experience is
conducive to a deep love, to an attraction founded upon the same divine
fatherhood. This joy is identical, whether it comes from the contemplation of
the wonders of existence or from the observation and study of the fruits of
man's efforts to express through his own means the beauty that has been
plentifully lavished upon creation by the bountiful hand of a divine Creator.
Thus Bahá'u'lláh pours out the ecstasy of His heart enraptured
before the widespread traces of God in this world: ` Every time I lift up
mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and
Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine
earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy
bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy
majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy
grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to
discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence... I
swear by Thy might, O Thou in whose grasp are the reins of all mankind, and the
destinies of the nations! I am so inflamed by my love for Thee, and so
inebriated with the wine of Thy oneness, that I can hear from the whisper of
the winds the sound of Thy glorification and praise, and can recognize in the
murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth Thy virtues and Thine
attributes, and can apprehend from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries
that have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy realm.' [18]
God in His Manifestation
This is the apex of the knowledge of God within the reach of human
creatures. The Manifestation of God reveals to human beings as much of their
Creator as they are able to understand.
The meeting with the Manifestation of God is a deep and touching mystical
experience within the reach of any human being, if he only is willing to have
it. This century has been particularly generous to us: for crowning the ancient
religious models God sent Bahá'u'lláh, the latest of His
Messengers, no more then a hundred years ago.
The traces of His physical presence in the world are still all accessible; the
memory of His life is still alive. It is not difficult to trace the places
where He lived and passed away, objects which belonged to Him. [19]
Apart from all that, He left a hundred volumes of His writings, written in His
own handwritings or authenticated by His seal. It is through the reading of
these writings that we can really meet Him; it is through this experience that
anyone can find the way leading him unto His Lord and, through Him, unto his
own inner being. [20]
The experience of the meeting with the Manifestation of God through the reading
of His Words -- which Bahá'u'lláh recommends as a daily
practice [21]
-- may be, in the writer's view, better understood and conveyed in the light
of the following passages of Bahá'u'lláh writings, describing the
impact of His Revelation upon the entire creation.
Bahá'u'lláh writes: ` Consider the hour at which the supreme
Manifestation of God revealeth Himself unto men. 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. He is indeed the Creator without a creation. For at the
very moment preceding His Revelation, each and every created thing shall be
made to yield up its soul to God...' 22
This is the condition of mankind immediately before the beginning of any
Revelation of God. At that time the former religion is wholly submerged in its
desolate winter, and mankind is as dead. Likewise, any man whose heart has not
yet been directly touched by the quickening influence of the Word of the
Manifestation of God is himself as though dead. Bahá'u'lláh
refers to this particular human condition as the ` plane of
heedlessness', a stage in which a man has not yet hearkened to the Word of
God.
But as soon as the Manifestation of God utters His Word, a great upheaval is
stirred up, an upheaval which He describes with several metaphors: ` Verily,
We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-
subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a
token of Our grace unto men.' And yet: `In every age and cycle He hath, through
the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence,
recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the
earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His
mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favours.' 24
And moreover: ` Immeasurably exalted is the breeze that wafteth from the
garment of thy Lord, the Glorified. For lo, it hath breathed its fragrance and
made all things new.' [25]
And in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas, He writes: `... when We manifested
Ourselves to all in the world with Our most Comely Names and Our Exalted
Attributes, all things have been submerged in the Sea of Pureness.' [26]
These Words describe the effect of the revelation of the Word of God as a
universal regeneration of all things which are divested of their former
characteristics and then appear again purified, renewed, recreated. This is one
of the meanings of the metaphors of the succession of seasons, viewed as the
succession of the Manifestations of God. This is why Bahá'u'lláh
refers to His Own Advent as ` the Divine Springtime'. This ` Divine
Springtime', this recreation, this purification, this renewal are for the
individual, as soon as he meets His Lord through the reading of His Words. Such
`reading' is obviously not a mere verbal or mental reading. It is rather the
inner perception of the deep quickening power of the Divine Word. Through this
perception, a man undergoes an inner transformation whereby he will no longer
be the same. And yet, human souls do not all respond to the Word of God in the
same way. ` Some', writes Bahá'u'lláh, ` have made haste
to attain the court of the God of Mercy, others have fallen down on their faces
in the fire of Hell, while still others are lost in
bewilderment.' 27
Bahá'u'lláh likens the outpourings of His Word to the breaths of
`fertilizing winds'. In the same vein He writes: ` The whole earth is now in
a state of pregnancy. The day is approaching when it will have yielded its
noblest fruits, when from it will have sprung forth the loftiest trees, the
most enchanting blossoms, the most heavenly blessings.' [28]
The Word of God fertilizes mankind, setting a process in motion which yields
its fruit in the flourishing of a new civilization. Likewise, that Word
fertilizes any individual who has understood its quickening power, inasmuch as
it sets in motion an inner process within him which is the essence of his
spiritual growth. [29]
The time of the meeting with the Word of God is therefore of vital importance
in the life of every man, who -- since God has bestowed upon him the gift of
freedom in his own choices -- runs the risk of missing this wonderful
opportunity. [30]
In the light of these concepts the following exhortation uttered by
Bahá'u'lláh will be more easily understood: ` O Brother! Not
every sea hath pearls; not every branch will flower, nor will the nightingale
of the mystic paradise repair to the garden of God, and the rays of the
heavenly morning return to the Sun of Truth -- make thou an effort, that haply
in this dust-heap of the mortal world thou mayest catch a fragrance from the
everlasting garden and live forever in the shadow of the peoples of this city.
And when thou hast attained this highest station and come to this mightiest
plane, then shalt thou gaze on the Beloved,[31]
and forget all else... Now hast thou abandoned the drop of life and come to
the sea of the Life-Bestower[32] This is the goal thou didst ask for; if it be God's will, thou wilt
gain it.' [33] He adds: `How strange that while the Beloved is visible as the sun, yet the
heedless still hunt after tinsel and base metal. Yea, the intensity of His
revelation hath covered Him, and the fullness of His shining forth hath hidden
Him. Even as the sun, bright hath He shined,
But alas, He hath come to the town of the blind!'
Experiences of such a meeting have been described in words. There is so much
privacy in this event, that its experience can hardly be conveyed to others.
And yet, one of its manifold aspects seem to be shared by all those who
describe it: the reading of that Word becomes a real meeting as soon as the
ideas and feelings which those Words convey evoke such an echo from the heart,
produce such vibrations in its inmost chords, that it seems as though they are
coming forth from the heart's innermost essence. In those Words the seeker
meets his own self, he rediscovers truths that he had always vaguely felt in
his innermost heart and that now he finds clearly explained. [34]
This is one of the deepest experiences of mystical union a man may go through,
if he only is willing to. It is as the ancient tradition says: ` A servant is
drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I
become the ear wherewith he heareth...' 35
It is the time of the `second birth': [36]
that time the inner being of man is regenerated. All of a sudden he catches a
glimpse, according to his capacities, of that personal and individual reality
which the Manifestation of God lays bare in front of him. Through that vision,
a force is generated that, if he will only make an effort, will guide him
during all his life, nourished by all the means and methods recommended for his
spiritual progress, along the thorny path of self-purification, of sacrifice,
of love, up to self-effacement, perfect service, and finally to the stage of
unconditional love. [37]
Through that meeting, the heart is transformed; the feelings are re-created;
the urge to act is stirred up. And if man will conquer every fear, and overcome
any other attraction, and will give up himself to that love, and persistently
act according to that Word -- then in each of his actions and of their fruits
he will again and again meet the Manifestation of God, and in the Manifestation
he will meet with God. He will live for ever in Paradise. [38]
A CONCLUSION
Upon a thread of words, we have tried to cover a long way, in our efforts aimed
at `comprehending the reality of things as they exist, according to the
capacity and the power of man'. [39]
Whoever treads this path, will undoubtedly run the risk of exceeding in
knowledge, of lacking in love, of forgoing action. These are the pitfalls he
will have to avoid as he treads that path, all the more so in a modern Western
world where philosophy has become `a speech about speech'. [40]
We are reminded of the following stern admonition uttered by
Bahá'u'lláh: ` ... he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily
his death is better than his life.' 41
Should the Bahá'í would-be philosopher or scholar refrain today
from his search? Should he give up his efforts to understand the world and
himself? When `Abdu'l-Bahá was asked: `Shall we devote much time to the
study of philosophy?' He answered: `Everything must be done moderately. Excess
is not desirable. Do not go to extremes. Even in thinking do not go to excess,
but be moderate. If there is too much thinking, you will be unable to control
your thoughts.' [42]
Therefore, once again the answer lies in moderation, balance, harmonious
growth, wisdom. Knowledge, volition and action -- active expressions of the
three fundamental capacities of the soul, to know, to love and to will -- are
the three indispensable factors for any realization in human life. [43]
They must be harmoniously developed, so that none of them will overcome the
others. This is one of the most important practical conclusions of our search.
Our words are therefore intended as an invitation to a study of reality; as a
provision for the execution of those practical, preliminary exercises that life
assigns to each of us so that our capacities of knowing, loving and willing may
be trained; an encouragement and an incentive in the performance of such deeds
as will enable us to test -- before the tribunal of life -- any achieved
knowledge, any perceived attraction. But we will always be ready to renounce
any of those thoughts and attachments which -- though they have been already
weighed and meditated upon -- prove themselves in the light of facts to be
remote from reality, inasmuch as they will not be able to contribute to that
world of love and unity, peace and justice God is teaching us how to build.
End notes:
[1] Gleanings, pp.5, 70.
[2] Promulgation, p.326.
[3] ibid. pp.192, 326.
[4] ibid. p.49.
[5] For a discussion of these concepts, se W.S.
Hatcher, `The Unity of Religion and Science', in World Order, IX, no.3,
p.22.
[6] Promulgation, p.83.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... demand and supply is the law, and undoubtedly
all virtues have a centre and a source. That source is God, from Whom all these
bounties emanate.' (`Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation, p.83.) See
above, pp.86-7.
[7] Tablets, p.155. The entire aphorism
says: `The essence of understanding is to testify to one's poverty, and
submit to the Will of the Lord, the Sovereign, the Gracious, the All
Powerful.' (pp.155-6.)
[8] `Abdu'l-Bahá, in
Bahá'í Prayers, p.108.
[9] Shoghi Effendi writes: `The long ages of
infancy and childhood, through which the human race had to pass, have receded
into the background. Humanity is now experiencing the commotions invariably
associated with the most turbulent stage of its evolution, the stage of
adolescence, when the impetuosity of youth and its vehemence reach their
climax, and must gradually be superseded by the calmness, the wisdom, and the
maturity that characterize the stage of manhood.' (World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, p.202.)
[10] Gleanings, pp.326-7.
[11] D. S. Jordan, quoted in
Bahá'í World, VI, p.480.
12 The Universal House of Justice writes: `... so much have
aggression and conflict come to characterize our social, economic and religious
systems, that many have succumbed to the view that such behaviour is intrinsic
to human nature and therefore ineradicable.' (Promise, p.3.)
[13] Promise, pp.4, 350.
[14] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `And when
through the breaths of the Holy Spirit this perfect fraternity and agreement
are established amongst men -- this brotherhood and love being spiritual in
character, this loving-kindness being heavenly, these constraining bonds being
divine -- a unity appears which is indissoluble, unchanging and never subject
to transformation. It is ever the same and will forever remain the same.'
(Promulgation, p.391.)
[15] Bahá'u'lláh writes: `...
those who journey in the garden land of knowledge, because they see the end in
the beginning, see peace in war and friendliness in anger.' (Seven
Valleys, p.28.)
[16] Some Answered Questions, p.158.
[17] Promulgation, p.328.
[18] Prayers and Meditations,
pp.207-8.
[19] Bahá'u'lláh was born in
Tehran on 12 November 1817, and passed away in Bahjí (`Akká) on
28 May 1892. Many of the houses He occupied, the house where He was born and
the Mansion where He passed away are still in existence. Objects which belonged
to Him are preserved in Haifa in the International Bahá'í
Archives as historic pieces of exceptional interest. Most of His writings are
preserved in the Archives of the World Bahá'í Centre.
[20] As to the meeting with God,
Bahá'u'lláh devotes a few passages of His
Kitáb-i-Íqán to the explanation of the meaning of
the locution `Divine presence', used to indicate the same concept.
(pp.141-6.)
[21] In His Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Recite ye the verses of God every morning
and evening. Whoso reciteth them not hath truly failed to fulfill his pledge to
the Covenant of God and His Testament and whoso in this day turneth away
therefrom, hath indeed turned away from God since time immemorial.' And He
adds: `Recite ye the verses of God in such measure that ye be not overtaken
with fatigue or boredom.' (quoted in The Importance of Prayer,
Meditation and the Devotional Attitude (comp.), p.3.)
22 Gleanings, p.151.
23 Seven Valleys, p.5.
24 Gleanings, pp.29-30, 62.
[25] Quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Promised
Day, p.47.
[26] Quoted in Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl,
Bahá'í Proofs, p.86.
27 Gleanings, pp.27, 41-2. As to the concepts of paradise and
hell, see above, p.213, n.43.
[28] Quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Promised
Day, p.47.
[29] See above p.115 etc. For a deeper
discussion of the concept of spiritual growth, see A. Taherzadeh, The
Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. I, pp.73-4.
[30] That is why this time is
described in the Holy Writings as the `Day of Judgement'. At that time,
souls are judged by their capacity and willingness to respond to the Word of
God.
As to the reasons why some understand these Words, and others do not,
Bahá'u'lláh said the following enlightening words to
Nabíl, the great historian of the Bahá'í Faith: `Be
thankful to God for having enabled you to recognize His Cause. Whoever has
received this blessing must, prior to his acceptance, have performed some deed
which, though he himself was unaware of its character, was ordained by God as a
means whereby he has been guided to find and embrace the Truth. As to those who
have remained deprived of such a blessing, their acts alone have hindered them
from recognizing the truth of His Revelation. We cherish the hope that you, who
have attained to this light, will exert your utmost to banish the darkness of
superstition and unbelief from the midst of people. May your deeds proclaim
your faith and enable you to lead the erring into the paths of eternal
salvation.' (Words uttered by Bahá'u'lláh, recorded in
Nabíl, The Dawn-Breakers, p.586.)
[31] The `Beloved' is the Manifestation of
God.
[32] It is a reference to the famous Apologue
of the Pearl, from Sa'di's Golestan, thus epitomized by A. Bausani: `A
drop of water fell down from a cloud and, as it saw the great ocean, it was
dumbfounded. If the ocean exists, I am nothing, it said. But the ocean welcomed
the drop in its wide bosom and the shell trained and nourished it by its vital
power, as a prize for its humility, until the humble drop turned into a famous,
kingly pearl.' (Persia Religiosa, p.316.)
[33] Seven Valleys, pp.38-9.
[34] A famous testimony of this
meeting has been handed down by Mullá Husayn, the first person who
believed in the B b, the Herald of the Bahá'í Dispensation. In
his detailed account of the experience of his first meeting with the
Báb, in Shiraz, on the evening of 22 May 1844, he said: `This
Revelation, so suddenly and impetuously thrust upon me, came as a thunderbolt
which, for a time, seemed to have benumbed my faculties. I was blinded by its
dazzling splendour and overwhelmed by its crushing force. Excitement, joy, awe,
and wonder stirred the depths of my soul. Predominant among these emotions was
a sense of gladness and strength which seemed to have transfigured me. How
feeble and impotent, how dejected and timid, I had felt previously! Then I
could neither write nor walk, so tremulous were my hands and feet. Now,
however, the knowledge of His Revelation had galvanized my being. I felt
possessed of such courage and power that were the world, all its people and its
potentates, to rise against me, I would, alone and undaunted, withstand their
onslaught. The universe seemed but a handful of dust in my grasp...'
(Nabíl, The Dawn-Breakers, p.65.)
Another very interesting testimony has been handed down by Queen Marie of
Romania. She was not privileged to attain the presence of the Manifestation of
God, but she accepted the Bahá'í Faith after she read
Bahá'í texts. Thus she describes the feelings which were stirred
up in her heart through that reading: `If ever the name of
Bahá'u'lláh or `Abdu'l-Bahá comes to your attention, do
not put their writings from you. Search out their Books, and let their
glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating words and lessons sink into your hearts
as they have into mine... Seek them, and be the happier.' `... these Books have
strengthened me beyond belief and I am now ready to die any day full of
hope...' `The Bahá'í teaching brings peace and understanding. It
is like a wide embrace gathering together all those who have long searched for
words of hope...To those in search of assurance the words of the Father are as
a fountain in the desert after long wandering'. (Quoted in
Bahá'í World, V, pp.323-4.)
35 Seven Valleys, p.22.
[36] Promulgation, p.305.
[37] Referring to the meeting between the soul
and the Word of the Manifestation of God, `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `The
blessings of Bahá'u'lláh are a shoreless sea, and even life
everlasting is only a dewdrop therefrom. The waves of that sea are continually
lapping against the hearts of the friends, and from those waves there come
intimations of the spirit and ardent pulsings of the soul, until the heart
giveth way, and willing or not, turneth humbly in prayer unto the Kingdom of
the Lord.' (Selections, pp.192-3).
[38] `Know thou for a certainty
that whoso disbelieveth in God is neither trustworthy nor truthful... Nothing
whatever can deter such a man from evil, nothing can hinder him from betraying
his neighbour, nothing can induce him to walk uprightly.'
(Gleanings, pp.232-3.)
This is R. Rabbani's comment upon this stern words: `How unbelievably stern are
these words -- so stern, indeed, that we are tempted to discount them. But when
we pass on to His dire warnings regarding the state of human society and what
its general delinquency may well lead to, we begin to grasp the subtle depths
of this statement and we enter a field that merits profound contemplation, for
it analyses and explains, warns and prophesies about the period we ourselves
are living in. "This is the Day whereon every man will fly from himself, how
much more from his kindred, could ye but perceive it...". Split
personalities? Broken homes, divorce, shattered societies? "This is the Day
on which all eyes shall stare up with terror, the Day in which the hearts of
them that dwell on earth shall tremble...". A giant mushroom in the sky?
The sound of gunfire and bombs?' (The Desire of the World, pp.69-70.)
These stern words by Bahá'u'lláh on atheism, and the brief, but
touching comment by R. Rabbani, may appear more clear in the light of the
concepts of religion, religiousness and knowledge of God which have been
previously mentioned.
[39] Some Answered Questions, p.221.
[40] A.J. Ayer, The Concept of a
Person, p.3.
41 Tablets, p.156.
[42] Quoted in A. Kunz, `Some Questions about
Science and Religion', in Star of the West, XIII, p.143.
[43] See Promulgation, p.157.
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Index
This index is designated to refer the reader to the Bahá'í texts
wherever possible, and not only to the relevant pages in this book. For this
reason, most subheadings are direct quotations from the Bahá'í
Writings.
Note from webmaster: Readers might find the search engine for the Books directory more helpful for searching this online version of the book than the static index here, especially since the online version of the book lacks page numbers. -J.W.
A
Abbagnano, N., 19n, 144n, 147n, 170, 212n
`Abdu'l-Bahá, xvi, xvii, 1, 2, 4, 5, 20, 37n
definitions of religion by, 18n
excellent horseman, 80
His address at the Friends' Meeting House, 159
and perfections of man in activity, 2
a practical mystic, 2
Secret of Divine Civilization, The, 17
`Tablet on Purity', so-called, 185n
Tablets of the Divine Plan, 216n
travels in North America, xv
visits Stanford University, 2
Abraham, 100, 196
Abu'l-Fadl, Mírzá, 111, 232
Action (actions), 167-70
spiritual, 174
thought and, see Thought
Adam, 41, 109, 196
Addiction, see Habits
Adrons, 55n, 74
Affinity
chemical, 150
selective in the animals, 162, 315
of the atoms, see Atom
of the elements, 106
the cause of life, 106, 154
Agnosia to pain, 317 n. rr
Agnosticism, 141
Alcohol, 361 n. l
Algae, blue green 156
`Alí, Commander of the Faithful 334 n. yy
Alma Ata, Conference of, 358 n. g
Animals, 128-9, 157-66
difference between men and,
feelings of, 128-9, 158, 305-6
freedom of, 165-7
king of the world of nature,
learning, 159-61
limitations of, 162-6
man
does not come from the, 79, 190
perfect animal, 270
memory in, 128-9, 158-9 and n. e
origin of, 157-8
qualities of, 158-62
sense perception of, see Perception, sensory
Apes, see Pongides
Aquinas, St Thomas
Arandas, 380
Arc of existence, see Plotinus
Archetype,see Exemplar
archetypal virtues, 209
Aristotle, 34, 35 n. mm, 51 n. c
Eastern philospher, 10 n. k, 183 n. i
Armies
heavenly, 418 and n. v
Aspiration
natural, for immortality, 281
Atheism, 442-3, 463 and n. r
Atom (atoms)
affinity of, 106, 110-1, 401
expression
of love, 106-7, 154, 402
of spirit, 106-7
attraction of, see affinity of
conception of
of `Abdu'l-Bahá, 104-14
of scientists, 108-9 and n. ff
elemental, 105, 108, 116,
and intrinsic oneness of all phenomena, 107, see also World,
material
is indestructible, 105-6, 109
is totipotent, 107, 111-3
motion of, 106, 110
expression of the dynamism of the spirit, 154
Atomic
bomb, 111
Attachment, 333,
conscious, 313
of the heart, 327 and n. ss
Attainment
of any object, 42
`Attár, 414 and n. o
Attraction, 102
atomic, see Atom, affinity of
power of, 83, 123, 135, 401
toward the natal self, 259
toward the world of creation, 247, 250, 316, 332-3
toward the world of the Kingdom, 247, 251, 264, 316, 331, 437
conscious, 313
Attributes of God, 66-70, 115 n. jj
active, 68-70 and n. f
essential, 68-70 and n. f
identical with the Essence of God, 69
incomprehensible to man, 69-70
infinite, 70
within created things, 67-8
within man, see Man
Augustine, saint, 19 n. y, 281 n. m
Australopithecus, 378, 380, 397
Avicenna, 51 n. c
Ayer, A.J., 46, 465
B
Báb, The,
Bayán, 33 n. kk
Bacon, 399 n. rr
Backbiting
Bahá'í Community
as model for study, 381 n. gg
Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'u'lláh
quotations from
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Gleanings from the Writings
Hidden Words
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Kitáb-i-Íqán
Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh
Seven Valleys and Four Valleys
Tablet of Wisdom
Tablet of the Holy Mariner
Tablet to one of His sons
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh
texts of other Authors:
Compilations
Bahá'í Education
Huqúqu'lláh
Shoghi Effendi
Advent of Divine Justice
Promised Day Is Come
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh
Star of the West
Battaglia, S.
Bausani, A.
Beauty
Big bang, 145-7 and n. a, 148
Bird, see Metaphor
Birth, second, see Progress, spiritual
Body
heavenly, of man, 287
human,
animal nature of man,
instrument of the soul, 300
magnet for the spirit, 299
mirror of the spirit, 129
temple of the soul,
the most perfect existence, 129
veil,
Bounty
of God, see Grace
Boyle, Charles, Earl of Orrery, 138-40
Brain, see Mind
Buddha, 197-8
C
Cabanis, P., 265 n. xx
Capacity (capacities)
of created things, 88, 120, 268
of the kingdoms, 127
of man, see Man
Carnot
principle of, 153 and n. c
Cave
myth of the, see Plato
Cell
primal euchariotic, 157
Chain
of events, 325
of Revelations, see Revelation
Chance, 152
Chastity, 245
Choice,
and knowledge,
between the world of creation and the world of the Kingdom, 247
dynamics of,
freedom of,
of the attraction toward the world of creation, 247
of the attraction toward the world of the Kingdom, 247
Choppers and chopping tools, 378
Chorinthians, see Paul, saint
Christ, see Jesus
Chylo of Sparta, 418
Cicero, 284 n. s
Circle of existence, see Plotinus
Civilization
divine
divine and material
develop together, 418
harmony between, 38-41
incoming efflorescence of,
material,
modern, 187, 418-20
disharmony of, 419-20
origin of, 199
spiritual, see Civilization, divine
twofold aspect of, 418-20, 26-33
Cleanliness,
Cohesion, 192 See also Atom, affinity of
Cole, J.R.,
Collective Centre, see Soul, Man
Command of God, see God
Competition, 397
Confirmations,
Consciousness,
of the Manifestation of God,
purposes of,
Consensus gentium, 283-4
Conservation
of energy, 113
of species, 133
principles or theorems of, 94 and n. z
Consultation
Contemplation
Cooperation and unity,
Coordinator of the body, see Soul
Coppens, Y.,
Cosmological principle, 98 and bb
Cosmology,
Courage, 321,
Creation
and motion,
as emanation,
had no beginning,
is continuous, 92
knowledge, will and love, and creation, see Knowledge
laws of,
purpose of, 114
Creationism,
Creativity, 399
Cult
earliest traces of, 379
Culture
and man's success on the earth
international
Cycles, 122, 214-6
universal, 390 n. mm
D
Danesh, H.B.
Dante, 43 n. rr
Day
of Judgment, 457 n. m
of God,
Death
as a lower degree of existence, 121
as motionless and inert objects, 110
as decomposition
as transference from one degree to another, 277
of the body,
of the spirit
Deeds, see Action
Delaunay, A., 152
Delphi
temple of, 418
Demand and supply, 171-2
Democritus, 104
Desire, 180, 294
Detachment,
Devil, see Satan
Dinosaurs, 134
Dispensation,
Dream,
Drugs
habit-making, see Health
Dual nature of man, see Man
Dualism
religion-science,
spirit-matter
Dynamism
of the universal energy, 120, 402
of the world of creation, 23 and n. aa, 120, 402
E
Ear, inner
Earth
origin of,
see Metaphor
Ecological equilibrium, 99
Education of man,
intellectual,
limitations of, 194 n. n
material,
prerequisite of progress, 358
spiritual,
universal compulsory education, 357
universal, of things,
Effort,
for the realization of self, 327, 331-2,
to acquire knowledge, 8, 15, 42
Ego, see Self
Einstein, A., 12
Electrons,
Elephant and the blind men, Apologue of, 64 and n. d
Elijah,
Emanation,
and soul, see Soul
and creation, see Creation
and manifestation,
First Emanation, 75
Emotions,
conscious,
natural,
and brain,
of animals,
of the natal self
Endeavour, 234-5, see also Effort
direction of human, 235-6
for the realization of self, 234
Enlightenment, see Knowledge, gift of God
Environment,
natural
devastation of, 28
protection of, 364-5, 419
Envy,
Essence,
see also Substance
Estrangement, 252
Evil,
Evolution,
as education,
biological of living systems,
conscious and willing process in man,
expression of the spirit,
general, of the world of creation
general systemic theory of, 118 n. ll
gradual, cyclical, relative and infinite growth
guided by an Intelligent Being,
in nuce,
in the mineral kingdom
is discontinuous, 391
made possible through spirit,
mistakes of,
of individuals,
of man,
of society,
(evolution)
spiritual
of individuals,
of mankind,
intellectual
material,
spiritual,
of society,
unconscious and unwilling process in nature,
Exceeding in words, 256 *
Exemplar, 266, 288, 416 and n. q
Exertions, 327
Existence
conditions of, 74
is ever existence, 120
nonexistence cannot find, 94 **
spiritual condition of, 169
Eyford, G. A.
F
Facchini, F.
Faculty (faculties)
common, 302
mental, see Soul
Faith,
and reason,
Bahá'í,
scientific in its method, 19
Faithfulness, 245
Falsification
method of, see Popper, K.
Fanaticism, 23
Fate, 194 n. m
Faust,
Feed-back, 330 and n. uu
Feelings, spiritual
Fermi, E.,
Fidelity, 246
Force
active, 144
Form,
ethereal, 287 and n. w
heavenly, 429
Free will
Freedom
of the animals,
of choice,
of men,
G
Galileo, 12
Gamow, G.
Genesis,
Ghiselli, A.
God
attributes of, see Attributes
Command of,
Divine Presence, 453 and n. i
existence of,
rational proof of
cosmological,
limited value of,
teleological,
Grace of, see Grace
Identity of,
image of,
knowledge of,
love of, see Love
meeting with,
motive Power, 53
Names of, see Attributes of God
presence of,
Self of,
Soul of,
Supreme Centre
of Light,
traces of, 58, 59, 104, 141**
unknowable, 47-9
Word of,
Good and evil
Bahá'í concept of, 95-7 and n. aa, 175, 292
Gospel, see Jesus
Grace
of God, 13 n. k, 83,
as spirit, xx, 83
Manifestations, vehicle for the transmission of, 204
Gratton, L.
Growth
and progress, see Progress
as evolution, see Evolution
power of,
spirit of growth,
spiritual, see Progress
H
Habits, 318, 361 and n. l, 362 n. m
Haeckel, E.H.
Happiness, see Joy
Hatcher, J.S.
Hatcher, W.S.
Health
and emotions, 363
and natural environmet, 365
and social environment, 364
habit-making drugs, 361 n. l
hygiene,
inebriating drinks, 361 n. l
prevention of disease, 358 n. g
psycho-somatic diseases, 303 n. dd
smoking, 362 n. m
spiritual sicknesses, 319
Hellaby, W. and M.
Hell,
History
tribunal of,
Hobbes, T.
Holiness, 245
Holy Alliance, 395
Holy Writings
criterion of knowledge,
false interpretation of,
infallibility,
reading of,
litteral,
meditation upon,
metaphors of, see Metaphors
Homo
erectus, 380
habilis, 380
homini lupus
sapiens, 380
Humanity, see Mankind
Humility, 246
Hygiene,
I
Identity of God, see God
Illuminati, 12
Image of God, see God
Imagination,
Incarnation, 205 and n. s
Individuality,
of the soul,
after physical death,
the greatest bestowal of God to man, 228 n. hh
of things,
of the Manifestations,
Industries
primitive lithic, 378
Infallibility
of the Holy Scriptures
of the Manifestations, see Manifestations, infallibility of,
Insight, see Knowledge, intuitive
Inspiration, see Knowledge, intuitive
Instinct (instincts)
guided through reason,
of animals,
spiritual
Intellect, see also Mind, Perception, rational
criterion of knowledge,
limitations of,
the most precious gift bestowed upon man, 228 n. hh
and spiritual reality,
Intellection
Intelligence
of the animals, 159
of man
intermediary between body and spirit, 180
Intercession, 431
J
Jahoda, M.,
Jesus,
Gospels
parable of the wedding feast, xvii n. a
Sermon of the Moutain, 410
John the Baptist,
John of the Cross, **
Jordan, D.C.
Joy
essence of, 451
human birthright, 141 n. ss
material (happiness), 338
of a creative commitment, 449
of the spiritual growth,
spiritual, 337-9
the animal can never attain, 165 and n. k
Justice,
K
Kawai, M.,
Keniah, 380
Keplero,
Kingdom (kingdoms), see also World
animal,
differences among,
divine
entrance into the, 269
human,
mineral,
vegetable
world of, see World of the Kingdom
Kitáb-i-Íqán, see Bahá'u'lláh,
quotations from
Knowing, loving and willing
Knowledge
acquired, 16
and civilization
criteria of,
divine and satanic, 29 n. hh
divine gift,
efforts to acquire,
love and will, see Knowledge, volition and action
- enlightenment
intuitive,
and spiritual progress,
criterion of knowledge,
practice of,
value of, 13 and n. q
of the essence,
of God, see God
of the heart, 308 n. ii
of the Manifestation of God
of oneself,
of the qualities,
power of the soul,
spiritual,
volition and action,
and creation,
Krishna,
L
Language
international auxiliary,
Laszlo,, E.,
Lavoisier,
Laws
of nature, see nature, laws of
Leptons,
Life
all beings are endowed with, 121
in stellar bodies, 93
on earth,
preparation for the life beyond, 429
very ancient, 157
Logos, see God, Word of
Lorenz, K.,
Love,
cause of the creation of the phenomenal world, 77-8 and n. o
cause of the existence of all phenomena, 106, 315
growth of, 322-3
in the animals, 162, 315
in the world of creation,
laws of, 102, 315
of exaltation, 178, 179
of God,
towards the Self of God,
of reality, 15, 46, 369, 441
spiritual power of the soul, 315-23
unconditional, 462
Lucifer, 409
Lunar cycle, see Metaphors [404 and n. d]
M
Macrocosm,
man should be regarded as the greater world, 170 n. c
Mahmudi, J.,
Maieutic, Socratic see Socrates
Malice,
Mankind
capacity of cooperation of, 395
evolution of, 371
intellectual, 378
not homogeneous in the world, 380
material, 372
spiritual, 384
infancy of, 393
maturity of, 389
approaching, 394
oneness of, 367
selfish and aggressive, 395
Man
after his physical death
and animals
and attributes of God
artist of his own self,
as letter, 208
brotherhood of, 395
capacity of, 234, 292, 296
character of a true, 241
characters of,
collective centre,
of all human virtues, 266
of spiritual as well as material forces, 167
contradiction of, 181
creator of his own self, see artist of his own self
definitions of,
dual endowment of, 183
evolution of, see origin of
fruit of evolution, 135
has existed from all eternity, 149
highest development on man, 269
highest point in creation, 167
image of God, 179
lofty aspirations of, 178
lowest point of the arc of descent, 130
maturity of, 397
nature of,
animal,
divine,
human,
greatness and limitations of, 184
tension between animal and divine, 180
origin of,
part of physical and metaphysical world, 170
Perfect, see Manifestation of God
perfect animal, see Animal
perfectibility of, 447
possesses certain virtues of which nature is deprived, 54
powers of,
knowledge, 304-14
love, 315-23
will, 323-27
progress of, see progress
purpose of, 270
quickening of, 456-7
supreme gift conferred by God to man, 228 n. hh
temple of God
three realities of, 170
Manifacture activities, 390
Manifestation
different from emanation
Manifestation of God
and philosophers,
and Soul of God,
and spirit
intermediary of, 194
visible expression of,
and world of the Kingdom,
deeds of
proof of
denial of, 224
differences among,
divinity of, 207
double station of, 203 n. r
educators of mankind,
proof of,
emanation of God,
founders of civilization,
of divine civilization,
iconoclast, 224
in the history of mankind,
individuality of,
infallibility of,
love of,
meeting with,
messengers,
miracles of,
mirrors of God,
names of,
perfect image of God,
physicians, divine,
pre-existence of,
preliminary, 387
progressivity of,
proof of,
prophecies of,
proof of,
prophets,
purpose of,
rational soul of,
recognition of,
Soul of,
spiritual power of,
submitted unto God,
Sun of Reality,
teachings of,
threefold reality of, 200
twofold nature of, 203 n. 3
unity of,
universal,
Universal Mind, divine see Mind, Universal
vehicles of the Grace of God, see Grace **
very ancient,
Word of God,
(Manifestation of God)
words of,
proof of,
spiritual meanings of,
Martyrs,
Marx, K.,
Marie of Rumania, 460 n. p
Materialism,
causes of,
criticism of,
Matter, see also World, material, World, of creation
and sensible reality,
original,
Maturing, see Progress, spiritual
Mc Lean, J.,
Medicine,
Meditation,
Melchiorri, F.,
Memory,
nature is devoid of, ** 159 n. e
of the animals, see Animals
Mendelejeff
table of,
Merton, T.,
Mesons,
Metaphor
definition of,
in the Bahá'í texts,
bird,
cage,
dawn,
dust,
earth,
fire,
journey,
light,
lunar cycle, ***
mire,
mirror,
pearl,
pilgrimage,
prison,
rain,
seasons,
seed,
spring,
stone,
sun,
and earth,
veil,
water
Metaphysical
proof, of the immortality of the soul,
Method
scientific
Microcosm
Mind,
and brain,
and intellect,
factor of progress,
First, (Intelletto Primo)
inner,
recent use of,
the thinker, the comprehender, 84
Universal
Mirror, see Metaphor
Moderation,
Moffet, R.,
Moral
proof, of the immortality of the soul, see Soul
Moses,
Motion,
atomic,
essential, 118
is life,
logic of, 92
proof of the immortality of the soul,
voluntary
Motive Power, see God
Muhammad,
Qur'an
Mullá Husayn,
Murchie, G.,
Mysticism,
N
Nabíl-i-A'z.am,
Nash, G.
Nationalism,
Nations,
Naturalist, see Philosophers
Nature
definition of,
laws of,
world, see World, of nature
Nearness to God,
Needs
human
of being comprehended, 441
of comprehending, 441
material, 172-4
spiritual,
Neo-platonism, see Plotinus
Neutrins,
Neutron
bomb, see Atomic bomb
Newton, I., 12
Nuclear interactions, 111
Nucleosynthesis
O
Hominids, 378
Objective, attainment of,
Oneness
of being see Pantheism
of mankind
of phenomena, theme of divine philosophy see also World,
material
Orrery, see Boyle
P
Pain, 265, 316-20, 325-6, 413
Paleontology,
Pantheism,
true explanation of, 112
Parable,
see also Jesus
Paradise,
Particles,
subatomical,
Passion,
Paul, saint,
letters to Chorinthians,
Peace,
Greater,
Universal,
Pearl, apologue of the,
Pedagogy
Bahá'í, 354
Perception
inner, see Knowledge, intuitive
intellectual, see rational
rational,
criterion of knowledge, see Intellect
sense or sensory,
criterion of knowledge,
power of,
spiritual, see also Knowledge, intuitive
Perfecting, see progress, spiritual
Persecutions, see Martyrs
Personality,
Pessimism,
Peter, the apostle,
Philosophy,
and Bahá'í teachings,
definition of,
divine,
praise of, 36
Eastern,
Greek,
natural,
of reality,
philosophical traditions,
value of, 25
Western,
Philosophers
and the Prophets
Eastern
founders of material civilization, 7
Greek,
ideal of,
materialists, see Materialism
naturalists,
of Central Europe, 10 n. k
of the New World,
Persian,
Western,
Piattelli Palmarini, M.,
Piemontese, M.,
Pigmies, 380
Plan of God,
creative,
general features of, 116
individual responsibility in, 292
power of the execution of, 115
Planets,
beginning and end of, 149
Plato,
dualism in, 102
Eastern philosopher,
myth of the cave,
philosopher-king of, 1i n. f
world of Ideas, 101
Plautus,
Plotinus
arc of existence
of ascent, 130
of descent, 130
bringing forth, 130
circle of existence,
emanation,
evolution,
exemplar, 415 n. p
Neoplatonism,
founder of,
Producing something new, 131
Universal Intellect, 11 n. f
unknowability of God, 11 n. f
Pongides,
Popper, K, 24 and n. bb
method of falsification, 24
principle of refutability, 24
Positivism,
Prayer
and material means, 244
daily,
Predestination, 194 n. m
Pre-existence,
essential, 69
of God, 69
of the world of the Kingdom,
of time, 69
Prejudice,
and imitation, 16
definition of, 16
freedom from prejudice, 367
means of war, 24
Pride,
Prigogine, I.,
Progress,
expression of spirit in the world of matter, 125
fruit (outcome) of knowledge,
fruit (outcome) of efforts,
future,
intellectual,
material,
spiritual,
and physical health, 363
conscious and willing,
is infinite, 276
means for, 245
moved by the Holy Spirit, 192
obstacles to, 248
Prophecies, see Manifestations of God
Prophet, see Manifestation of God
Protons,
Protoplasm,
Proto-universe,
Punishments and rewards of the other world, 283
Purification, 262
Purity,
Q
Quark,
Qur'án,
R
Rabbani, R.
Reading of the Writings, see Writings, Holy
Reality
love of,
collective, see Soul
definition of,
essential, unknown, 20
is one,
is pure spirit,
is truth
material or sensible,
educational meaning of,
metaphorical meaning of,
metaphysical or spiritual,
school of,
science of,
universal,
Reason
and brain, see Mind, and brain
faith and,
rational faculty*, see Intellect, Perecption, rational
supreme,
Universal,
Recami, E.
Refutability,
principle of, see Popper, K.
Reincarnation,
Religion (religions)
and science,
separation between religion and scientific truth, 62
cause of civilization, 33
cause of unity, 418 **
cycles of, 215
decline of, 216
definitions of,
science of reality, 204
science of the love of God, 323
the greatest bestowal of God in the world of humanity, 228 n. hh
two aspects of, 219
Repose
absolute, does not exist in nature, 110
Retro-action, see Feed-back
Revelation (revelations)
a guidance for man, 42
as elixir,
chain of,
of the Soul of God
progressive
Rumi,
Rutherford,
S
Sacrifice
meaning of,
of life, 245
of self,
Sa'dí
Saní'í
Satan,
Satanic self, see Self
Schaefer, U.,
Science,
abuse of, 28
and insight, 194 n. n
and religion,
and virtue, 333
and natural philosophy,
divine,
limitations,
man of,
method of,
of reality,
spiritual,
use of, 245
useful
useless,
Scriptures, Holy, see Holy Writings
Search
free and independent
method of,
Seasons, see Metaphor
Scholars, Bahá'í
fundamental principle of,
Second birth, see Progress, spiritual
Seed,
Seeker
conduct of, 16
Self
attraction toward, see Attraction
cause of sorrows,
conquering the natal, 260
dying from the, 265
elimination of, 252
love of,
natal,
natural emotions of, see Emotions, natural, of natal self
of God, see God
realization of,
sacrifice of,
satanic, 414
selfish disorders, 319
struggle against, 252
two meanings of, 248 and n. rr
Self-centredness, 248-52, 333
Self-sacrifice, 245
Sense of feeling,
of the animals, 158
Sense perception
criterion of knowledge,
lowest degree of perception, 9
Sensibility
of the animals, 128
Service,
Shame
sense of,
Shoghi Effendi
quotations
from writings of,
The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh
The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh
from letters written on behalf of,
Shook, G.,
Sickness, 301
spiritual, 319
Silence,
Simple,
substance
Singleness, mathematical, 146
Sleep,
Smoking,
Society
development of, 392
likened to the human organism, 371
modern,
of the Friends,
Socrates,
identification of science and virtue,
maieutic of,
Sorrow, 257-60
Soul (souls)
after physical death, 427-37
capacity of feeling joy and pain, 316-20, 322
collective centre, see Man, collective centre
comes into being with conception of physical body, 202, 275, 299,
356
coordinator and motor of the body, 302-4
dual nature of, see Man, dual nature of
emanation of God, 83-4, 275, 287
enlightened
qualifications of, 245-8
existence of the
denial of the, 271-2
proof of the, 272-4
limited value of, 284-5
faculties of the, see Powers of the
immortality of the,
proof of the
limited value of, 284-5
metaphysical, 275-82
moral, 282-4
(soul)
imperfect, 393-4
individuality of the, see Individuality
journey of the, 344-6
mental faculties, see Soul, powers of the
mirror of human choices, 335-44
not subject to change, 291, see also Substance, innate
passionate, 294
pleasing and tranquil, 294
powers of the, 302-44
spiritual, or mental faculties, 306
appearance of, 389-90
rational, 176-8, 202
relation between body and, 299-304
spiritual qualities of the, 302 etc., 415-7
substance, 276-80,
unknowable, 285-6
Soul
of God, see God
Soul
of the Manifestation of God, see Manifestation of God
Species
conservation of, 133
phenomenal, 134 n. qq
Spin,
Spirit,
action of, upon,
and matter, unity of,
animal,
definition of,
degrees of, 83
animal, see Spirit, animal
Greatest, see Spirit, Greatest
Holy, see Spirit, Holy
human, see Spirit, human
of faith, see Spirit, of faith
vegetable, see Spirit, vegetable
divine,
emanates from the world of the Kingdom,
Greatest,
Holy,
light and knowledge,
human,
is eternal,
powers of,
indwelling, 60
is the greater power, 107
is progressive, 90
of faith,
quickening, 107
reality is,
unity of,
vegetable,
Spiritual world, see World, spiritual
Spirituality,
and knowledge,
Spiritualization of mankind,
Spring, divine, see Metaphor
Steadfastness, 245, 328 and n. tt
Struggle
for existence,
inner
Subconscious
Submission
unto the Will of God,
Substance,
innate, transformation of, is impossible, 122
inorganic,
organic
Sun
metaphor,
of Reality,
of Truth,
Superstition,
Sympathetic nerve, see Faculty, common
Systems,
living, 150
biological evolution of,
prebiotic, 155
T
Taherzadeh, A.,
Taletes, 418
Teaching
the Faith,
prerequisites for,
Teleology,
Teresa from Avila
Terminology
Bahá'í
destiny, (predestination)
devil, see Satan
dispensation,
emotions, natural,
faith,
fate,
good and evil
hell,
Identity
of God
individuality,
Logos,
love
man
Manifestations of God,
mind,
(Terminology, Bahá'í)
First
Universal
Universal, Divine
natural laws,
nature
divine, of man
paradise,
personality,
philosophy,
predestination,
reality
religion,
Satan,
science,
scientific method,
second birth,
self,
natal,
Self of God,
soul
Soul of God,
spirit
Holy
Greatest
of faith
spiritual progress,
spirituality
theology
will
of God
Word of God,
world of the Kingdom,
Tertullianus,
Texts, Bahá'í
philosophical language of,
Theology,
science of Divinity
Theorems of conservation,
Thomas, saint
Thought
and action,
Townshend, G.,
Traces of God, see God
Tradition
criterion of knowledge, see Holy Writings
philosophical and religious, see Philosophy
Transformation, 190
of substance, depend upon divine bounty, 123
of man,
spiritual, see Progress, spiritual
Tribunal of life and history,
Tripartition of being, 74 n. k
Truth see also Reality
absolute
free and independent search after, see Search
Truthfulness, 245, 246
U
Ulysses, 33 and n. rr
Unconscious, 189 n. j
Understanding
essence of, 442 and n. c
power of
and spiritual vision, 350
limitations of,
the most praiseworthy power of man, 179
Uniqueness of phenomena, 103, 403
Unity
and cooperation,
as moral criterion
collective expressions of, 393
of religions
of spirit and matter
of worlds of nature and spirit
Universal House of Justice,
The Promise of World Peace
Universality,
Universe
free from imperfection
infinite
is not fortuitous, 152
laboratory, 113
oneness of the laws of, 98 n. bb
origin of,
workshop, 113
Upright position, 390
V
Value, 141, 164, 185, 189 n. j, 243
Van Lawick Goodall, J., 160
Vegni, G., 108
Via eminentiae, 68
Via negationis, 68, 71
Virtue
archetypal, 209
divine, 168, 267, 331
potential in man, 169
human, see of man
of humanity, see of man
of man, 166, 352, 415
of the world of the Kingdom, 415
Vision, inner (spiritual), 267, 307-12, 350. See also Knowledge, inner
W
Wai-wais, 380
War
religious,
prejudices, means of, 24
Water, see Metaphors
Weil, H., 310 n. ll
West, see World, modern Western
Will, 193-4
free, see Free will
First, 75, 76, 77, 131
of God, 91, 232, 325
power of the soul, 323-7
Primal, see First
Winterburn, G., 129 n. pp
Wisdom
Tablet of, see Bahá'u'lláh
Word (words)
exceeding in,
meaning of,
of God see God, word of
power of, 341
Work
World (worlds)
beyond 421-38
material or of creation,
balance of phenomena, 99
change, essential attribute of, 103
deathless in its duration, 92
educational meaning of, 409
evidences that proclaim the perfection of God, 72
evolution of,
fac-simile of the inner kingdom of the spirit, 101
illusion, 122
imperfect, 103
inequality in degree, 125
infinite in its range, 92
inter-dependence of phenomena, 99
intrinsic oneness of phenomena, 118
is always growing and evolving, 116
metaphor of spiritual world, 99
mirror of the image of God, 114
molteplicity of, 90
order and perfection of,
perpetual motion of, 110
reality of,
shadow stretching out of the world of the Kingdom, 423
show, vain and empty, 91
metaphysical,
nodern Western,
(World)
of creation, see World, material
of existence,
degrees of, 73-5
of God,
countless, 93
of nature,
and, of reason
is imperfect,
of reason, see World of nature and world of reason
of the Kingdom
acquiring the qualities of,
creative forces of, 196
entrance into, 245
laws and truths of, 226
qualities of, ***
spiritual,
Writings see Holy Writings
Z
Zoroaster, 197, 198
Zohoori, E., 365 n. q
Zygote, 144, 379, 380
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