The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith. An Introduction

Transcription

1 The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith An Introduction

2 The Unknowable Essence of God God is unknowable Bahá'u'lláh teaches that God is unknowable to us. He is beyond our understanding and it is impossible for us to understand His Essence. Bahá'u'lláh says: To whatever heights the mind of the most exalted of men may soar, however great the depths which the detached and understanding heart can penetrate, such mind and heart can never transcend that which is the creature of their own conceptions and the product of their own thoughts. The meditations of the profoundest thinker, the devotions of the holiest of saints, the highest expressions of praise from either human pen or tongue, are but a reflection of that which hath been created within themselves, through the revelation of the Lord, their God. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no. 148) Inadequacy of words to describe God In general, that which has been created cannot understand its creator. For instance, a table cannot understand the nature of the carpenter who made it. The carpenter s existence is totally incomprehensible to the objects he makes. As we do not have the capacity to understand the Essence of God, we should not make images of God in our minds, thinking of God for example as a man or force. The representations that followers of various religions have made of God, are nothing but a reflection of that which hath been created within themselves or in other words the fruits of their own imaginations. The words we must necessarily use to refer to the Source of our being, such as the Heavenly Father, the Heavenly Power, the Great Spirit, each express one of His names and attributes in the human tongue, which are completely inadequate to describe God. Bahá'u'lláh says: And if I attempt to describe Thee by glorifying the oneness of Thy Being, I soon realize that such a conception is but a notion which mine own fancy hath woven, and that Thou hast ever been immeasurably exalted above the vain imaginations which the hearts of men have devised. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 123) When we describe God with attributes such as All Powerful, we should remember that this is a word describing a concept that we have made. It is not in reality descriptive of God s The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 2

3 power. We can say that God is the All Powerful or the All Loving, but such terms are derived from a very limited human experience of power and love. Indeed, our knowledge of anything is limited to our knowledge of those attributes or qualities perceptible to us. To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile, the All Perceiving. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no. 19) In a prayer of Bahá'u'lláh, we can read; And at whatever time my pen ascribeth glory to any one of Thy names, methinks I can hear the voice of its lamentation in its remoteness from Thee, and can recognize its cry because of its separation from Thy Self. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 125) In the following Tablet, Bahá'u'lláh explains that God is far beyond our understanding and reach. Bahá'u'lláh also describes that whatever height, understanding, knowledge or description we might be able to reach or imagine, is itself a creation of God. Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord, my God! How can I make mention of Thee, assured as I am that no tongue, however deep its wisdom, can befittingly magnify Thy name, nor can the bird of the human heart, however great its longing, ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy majesty and knowledge. If I describe Thee, O my God, as Him Who is the All Perceiving, I find myself compelled to admit that They Who are the highest Embodiments of perception have been created by virtue of Thy behest. And if I extol Thee as Him Who is the All Wise, I, likewise, am forced to recognize that the Well Springs of wisdom have themselves been generated through the operation of Thy Will. And if I proclaim Thee as the Incomparable One, I soon discover that they Who are the inmost essence of oneness have been sent down by Thee and are but the evidences of Thine handiwork. And if I acclaim Thee as the Knower of all things, I must confess that they Who are the Quintessence of knowledge are but the creation and instruments of Thy Purpose. The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 3

4 Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or even to hint at the nature of Thine Essence. For whatever such strivings may accomplish, they never can hope to transcend the limitations imposed upon Thy creatures, inasmuch as these efforts are actuated by Thy decree, and are begotten of Thine invention. The loftiest sentiments which the holiest of saints can express in praise of Thee, and the deepest wisdom which the most learned of men can utter in their attempts to comprehend Thy nature, all revolve around that Center Which is wholly subjected to Thy sovereignty, Which adoreth Thy Beauty, and is propelled through the movement of Thy Pen. Nay, forbid it, O my God, that I should have uttered such words as must of necessity imply the existence of any direct relationship between the Pen of Thy Revelation and the essence of all created things. Far, far are They Who are related to Thee above the conception of such relationship! All comparisons and likenesses fail to do justice to the Tree of Thy Revelation, and every way is barred to the comprehension of the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Day Spring of Thy Beauty. Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute unto Thee, or the praise with which he can glorify Thee! Whatever duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the utmost Thy majesty and glory is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves. No one else besides Thee hath, at any time, been able to fathom Thy mystery, or befittingly to extol Thy greatness. Unsearchable and high above the praise of men wilt Thou remain for ever. There is none other God but Thee, the Inaccessible, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the Holy of Holies. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. no 1) The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 4

5 I loved thy Creation Why was everything created? Why where we created? These questions are very hard to answer or to understand the answer. What we know, is that Bahá'u'lláh have explained that the reason for creation is love. He says; O SON OF MAN! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty. O SON OF MAN! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life. (Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words no 3 &4) The reason for our creation is love. So although the Essence of God is far beyond our comprehension and reach, His love touches our lives and our beings ceaselessly and continuously. The way this love flows to us is through the Manifestations of God. The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 5

6 The Manifestations of God The need of an Intermediary Having created the creation including us, God does not leave us alone and without guidance. Whenever humanity moves away from God and forgets His Teachings, a Manifestation of God appears and makes His Will and Purpose known to us. The reason why God sends Manifestations is that God is far beyond our comprehension and reach. Therefore God cannot directly interact with man. It needs to be through an intermediary who reveals to humanity the Will of God and when we listen to them, we are listening to God. The word manifest means just that, to reveal, to bring forth that which was previously hidden or unknown. He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. no 20) The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No man s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. no 21) Shoghi Effendi clarifies further that the Manifestations of God are not God but distinctly different. The human temple that has been made the vehicle of so overpowering a Revelation must, if we be faithful to the tenets of our Faith, ever remain entirely distinguished from that "innermost Spirit of Spirits" and "eternal The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 6

7 Essence of Essences" that invisible yet rational God Who, however much we extol the divinity of His Manifestations on earth, can in no wise incarnate His infinite, His unknowable, His incorruptible and all embracing Reality in the concrete and limited frame of a mortal being. Indeed, the God Who could so incarnate His own reality would, in the light of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, cease immediately to be God. (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 112) The Oneness of the Manifestations of God It is very important not to confuse the Manifestations of God with God. There is an example from the physical world that can help us understand this concept of Manifestation of God as taught by Bahaullah. In this world, the sun is the source of all warmth, light and life. Without the power of the sun, life would not exist on this planet. However, the sun itself does not nor can it descend to earth. Neither can we try to approach it. If any of these were attempted, we would be completely consumed by its heat. But suppose we take a wellpolished mirror and point it towards the sun. In it we will see the image of the sun, and the more perfectly polished the mirror is, the more perfect the image will be reflected. The Manifestations of God are like perfect Mirrors that reflect the Light of God in all its Splendour. And all these Mirrors reflect the same Light. Bahá'u'lláh says; These sanctified Mirrors, these Day Springs of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never fade. These Tabernacles of Holiness, these Primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are made manifest. These attributes of God are not, and have never been, vouchsafed specially unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of God, His well favored, His holy and chosen Messengers are, without exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His attributes. They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the comparative potency of their light. The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 7

8 Even as He hath revealed: Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. It hath, therefore, become manifest and evident that within the tabernacles of these Prophets and chosen Ones of God the light of His infinite names and exalted attributes hath been reflected, even though the light of some of these attributes may or may not be outwardly revealed from these luminous Temples to the eyes of men. That a certain attribute of God hath not been outwardly manifested by these Essences of Detachment doth in no wise imply that they who are the Day Springs of God s attributes and the Treasuries of His holy names did not actually possess it. Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these beauteous Countenances have, each and every one of them, been endowed with all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, dominion, and the like, even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all earthly majesty. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. no 19) Inasmuch as these Birds of the Celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they therefore are regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness. (Baha'u'llah, Kitab i Iqan, p. 152) There are absolutely no distinctions to be made among the Manifestations of God. They all have the same attributes and capacity. They all have the same attributes within them but not all Manifestations of God have outwardly manifested all the attributes. They have only outwardly manifested what has been within the capacity of humanity to understand. This however, in no way, means that they did not possess the attributes. Bahá'u'lláh warns us strongly against making any kind of distinction between the Manifestations of God. Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 8

9 repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. no 24) Abdul Baha says: Likewise the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one though in name and nomenclature they differ. Man must be a lover of the light no matter from what day spring it may appear. He must be a lover of the rose no matter in what soil it may be growing. He must be a seeker of the truth no matter from what source it come. Attachment to the lantern is not loving the light. Attachment to the earth is not befitting but enjoyment of the rose which develops from the soil is worthy. Devotion to the tree is profitless but partaking of the fruit is beneficial. Luscious fruits no matter upon what tree they grow or where they may be found must be enjoyed. The word of truth no matter which tongue utters it must be sanctioned. Absolute verities no matter in what book they be recorded must be accepted. (Foundation of World Unity p 15). The Two Stations of the Manifestations of God The Manifestations of God have two stations, one divine and one human. And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself. To this testifieth the tradition: "Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is." And in like manner, the words: "Arise, O Muhammad, for lo, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together and made one in Thee." He similarly saith: "There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants." The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: "I am but a man like you." "Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 9

10 more than a man, an apostle?" These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God's all pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 64) Bahá'u'lláh gives testimony to the dual station of Himself in the following writing; "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 quoted in Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 113) It is lacking understanding of this dual station of the Manifestations of God that have perplexed many. Bahá'u'lláh says; We have already in the foregoing pages assigned two stations unto each of the Luminaries arising from the Daysprings of eternal holiness. One of these stations, the station of essential unity, We have already explained. No distinction do We make between any of them. The other is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit. It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Well springs of divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of divine wisdom, all their utterances are in reality but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they therefore feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same. The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 10

11 It hath ever been evident that all these divergences of utterance are attributable to differences of station. Thus, viewed from the standpoint of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead, Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been and are applicable to those Essences of being, inasmuch as they all abide on the throne of divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine Concealment. Through their appearance the Revelation of God is made manifest, and by their countenance the Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it is that the accents of God Himself have been heard uttered by these Manifestations of the divine Being. Viewed in the light of their second station the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards, they manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete self effacement. Even as He saith: I am the servant of God. I am but a man like you. (Baha'u'llah, Kitab i Iqan, p. 177) The Manifestations of God as Divine Physicians Bahá'u'lláh in one of His Tablets refers to the Manifestations of God as physician. He says; The All Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements. We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, soretried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves included, in the mesh of their devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an enemy. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no 106) A doctor, when seeing a patient, is knowledgeable about the human body, the doctor has knowledge about the organs, their interaction, their chemical balances etc. When a patient comes, the doctor examines him and runs some tests. From these, he understands what the ill is and then prescribes the remedy. The Manifestations of God have the knowledge of reality, of the interconnectedness of our world and about the inner essence of human The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 11

12 beings. They have the knowledge of what the world and humanity needs to cure its illnesses. They give the unerring prescription to humanity. The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 12

13 True Religion The prescription ordained for humanity is what we call religions. If all religions are one, one might ask, why do we have several Manifestations of God with and different religions with seemingly contrasting teachings in the world? In Accordance to the Needs and Capacity of the Age One important reason why the different Manifestations have come at different times and why their teachings outwardly differ from each other is that they have advanced teachings adapted to the level of humanities understanding. Bahá'u'lláh says; 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. Consider the sun. How feeble its rays the moment it appeareth above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approacheth its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light. How steadily it declineth until it reacheth its setting point. Were it, all of a sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause injury to all created things. In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no. 38) These principles and laws, these firmly established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 132) Continuing on the metaphor of the physician, Bahá'u'lláh further explaines that the remedy given at one stage of the illness is different from the remedy necessary at another stage of the illness. Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day should not be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before. How The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 13

14 could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every stage of his sickness a special remedy? In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined the world... they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus able to scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own knowledge. ((Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no. 34) The Purpose of Religions Seeing that all Manifestations of God come from the same source, that the Revelation they give to mankind are all in complete harmony with each other, one might wonder as to what is the purpose of true religion. 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. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab i Iqan, p. 240) Bahá'u'lláh refers to a transformation that expresses itself both outwardly and inwardly. By outwardly transformation is meant what we can call social transformation. Bahá'u'lláh explains this in more detail when He says; This Wronged One testifieth that the purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony. Dissension and strife have always been, and shall remain, rejected by God. The Books, the Scriptures and Holy Writings of previous ages have all proclaimed the joyful tidings that the purpose underlying this most mighty Revelation is none other than the rehabilitation of the world and its nations; that perchance the power of utterance may prevail over the power of arms, and the world's affairs be administered through the potency of love. We ask God, the True One, to invest all with the mantle of trustworthiness, for that is the world's comeliest garment. (Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 331) Inwardly transformation concerns the transformation of individuals, by which is meant; The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 14

15 and inmost selves. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no. 132) All religions have had and will continue to have these twofold purposes. The teachings of all religions, at its core, are the same. The aim on any religion is recognized in all other religions. From this perspective, there is only one religion. Bahá'u'lláh says; This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, no. 70) The Fundamental Verities of the Bahá'í Faith Page 15