Bahá'u'lláh:
His Teachings
Bahá'u'lláh presents a vision of life that insists upon a fundamental
redefinition of all human relationships--among human beings themselves,
between human beings and the natural world, between the individual and
society, and between the members of society and its institutions. Each of
these relationships must be reassessed in light of humanity's evolving
understanding of God's will and purpose. New laws and concepts are
enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh so that human consciousness can be freed from
patterns of response set by tradition, and the foundations of a global
civilization can be erected. "A new life", Bahá'u'lláh
declares, "is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of
the earth."1
Because the implications
of Bahá'u'lláh's message are both social and
spiritual, His
teachings redefine the very concept of religion. He is not the Founder of
a religion as religion is conventionally understood, but rather the
Prophet of civilization and collective transformation--the
"Originator of a new universal cycle" in human history.2
His message transcends all religious categories. His vision of the oneness
of humankind involves not just the deepening of human solidarity, the
safeguarding of human rights, or the establishment of an enduring peace,
but rather "an organic change in the structure of present-day
society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced."3
His prescriptions for the moral reformation of human nature are unique in
their approach and universal in their applicability.
At a moment when
civilization has lost touch with the underlying spiritual and ethical
moorings that anchor human relations, the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh
reconnect the individual soul to the world of the sacred and shed new
light on humankind's collective destiny. In addressing those fundamental
yearnings that incline each human being towards transcendence, Bahá'u'lláh
affirms that a loving Creator has fashioned the universe with the "clay
of love" and placed within every heart the "essence"
of Divine "light" and "beauty."4
Humanity, He says, has arrived at the dawn of its maturity, when its "innate
excellence" and latent creative capacities can at last find
complete expression.5 His Revelation has "breathed
a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh
potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide
regeneration."6
As repeatedly emphasized
throughout Bahá'u'lláh's writings, the primary purpose of God in
revealing His will through His Manifestations
is to effect a transformation in the spiritual and material life of human
society:
...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.7
Bahá'u'lláh, like
Abraham, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad and the other Divine Messengers who
preceded Him, tapped the deepest roots of human motivation opening up new
realms of moral, intellectual, and cultural achievement. "Noble
have I created thee," is the Divine assurance, "Rise
then unto that for which thou wast created."8
He states that "the purpose for which mortal men have...stepped
into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the
world and live together in concord and harmony."9
"Let each morn," He urges, "be better than its
eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in
service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches ... Guard
against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind,
whether young or old, whether high or low."10
The transformation called
for by Bahá'u'lláh is directed to the inner life and character of every
human being and to the organization of society--a transformation that
engenders cooperation, compassion, rectitude of conduct, and justice. In
linking spiritual development to personal behavior, Bahá'u'lláh wrote "that
the citadels of men's hearts should be subdued through the hosts of a
noble character and praiseworthy deeds."11
He exhorts the world's peoples to "illumine their beings with the
light of trustworthiness
," "the ornament of honesty," and the "emblems"
of "generosity."12 Service
to humankind is the purpose of both individual life and all social
arrangements: "Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let
your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of
mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men."13
And further: "The progress of the world, the development of
nations, the tranquility of peoples, and the peace of all that dwell on
earth are among the principles and ordinances of God."14
Bahá'u'lláh clearly
affirms the deep connection between the practical and spiritual dimensions
of human existence. The creation of social structures that promote the
development of both individual and collective capacities--capacities of
the mind and spirit--receives particular emphasis in His teachings. Human
beings, He says, have been "created to carry forward an
ever-advancing civilization."15 The
attainment of "knowledge," "wisdom,"
and "spiritual perception" should be the central object
of human endeavor.16 The pursuit of "Arts,
crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its
exaltation."17 But "in all
things," is His advice, humanity must "seek"
the "Middle Way" for "whatsoever passeth
beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial
influence."18
Just as the physical world
is dependent upon the generative power of the sun's rays for its
development, so the individual soul's ability to realize its true
potential depends entirely upon its response to the interventions of God
in human history. It is the creative power of the Revelations of God that
unlocks the spiritual, moral, and intellectual capacities latent in human
nature. Unaided by this Divine power, human nature remains the prisoner of
instinct and of static cultural imperatives. In this regard, Bahá'u'lláh
refers to His laws and teachings as the "choice Wine"
that is "the breath of life unto all created things."19
They are "lamps" of God's "loving
providence" and the "keys" of His "mercy."20
Humanity, the highest
point of creation, contains within itself the capacity to reflect all the
Divine attributes, and the soul of each human being is indelibly imprinted
with the image of its Creator. "The soul," Bahá'u'lláh
says, "is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most
learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however
acute, can ever hope to unravel."21
It is only as human beings awaken to their spiritual nature that they can
be said to know God: "...to ascend unto the station conferred
upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own
selves."22 The investigation of
reality is thus not only the right but the obligation of every human
being. Since the Divine perfections are without limit, so the development
of the rational soul is eternal, its progress vitally affected by the use
it has made of its opportunities during its life on earth. The acquisition
of spiritual qualities such as humility, kindness, forbearance,
compassion, honesty and generosity prepare the soul for its journey to the
light of its Creator. "Know thou of a truth that the soul,"
Bahá'u'lláh confirms, "after its separation from the body, will
continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state
and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the
changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as
the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will
endure."23
Bahá'u'lláh states that "the
peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their
inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one
God."24 The Founders of the world's
religions--Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad--are one in
Their nature and Their purpose, and the effect of these successive
Revelations on human consciousness has been cumulative. Each succeeding
Divine Messenger has been able to bring a fuller measure of truth, as
humanity has developed the capacity to receive it. Further, while the
central spiritual thrust has remained constant, the social ordinances
brought by the Manifestations of God have been changed to meet the
requirements of an ever-evolving humankind. In short, the world's great
religious systems are expressions of one, progressively revealed divine
plan -- "the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past,
eternal in the future."25
Impelled forward by its
steadily deepening relationship with its Creator, humanity has moved
through stages in its collective development which are analogous to the
periods of infancy, childhood, and adolescence in the lives of its
individual members. It is now entering the period of its collective
maturity. Fundamental to the challenge of maturity is for all the peoples
of the world to embrace the consciousness of their oneness as a single
human family whose homeland is the earth itself. "O contending
peoples and kindreds of the earth," Bahá'u'lláh urges, "Set
your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon
you."26 Humanity's "well-being,"
He affirms, "its peace and security, are unattainable unless and
until its unity is firmly established."27
It is this basic need that
the mission of Bahá'u'lláh addresses. While the Manifestations before
Him have each lent an essential impulse to the process of social and
spiritual maturation, Bahá'u'lláh is empowered to generate forces that
will bring into being a peaceful and integrated global society. Although
the succession of the Revelations of God will continue "until the
end that hath no end"--and with it the spiritual evolution of
humanity--we are now entering the culminating stage of the social
organization of life on this planet.28 "Peerless
is this Day," Bahá'u'lláh states, "for it is as the
eye to past ages and centuries, and a light unto the darkness of the
times."29
In proclaiming the pivotal
principle of the oneness of humankind, Bahá'u'lláh outlines a body of
social precepts which He says must guide the future development of
society. Strong emphasis is placed on the abolition
of prejudices of all kinds. There is, Bahá'u'lláh insists, but one
human race; notions that a particular racial or ethnic group is in some
way superior to the rest of humanity are without foundation. Women
and men are fully equal in the sight of God, and society must
reorganize its life so as to give practical effect to this reality. The
era has dawned, Bahá'u'lláh says, for the establishment of justice in
human affairs, and considerable attention is given in His writings to the
responsibility of society to ensure economic
justice among its component groups. Closely related to these concerns
is the obligation of parents to educate their children and the assertion
that it is the responsibility of society to make certain that the means
for universal
education are provided. Every human being must be trained to "look
into all things with a searching eye" so that truth
can be independently ascertained 30. The
resources of both science
and faith must be tapped if the capacities of the world's peoples are
to reach the levels needed to address the problems of the present hour.
Reliance on consultative
decision-making "bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth
conjecture into certitude"--thereby providing the means for
effecting meaningful change where social progress has been inhibited.31
The adoption of the principle of collective security and the establishment
of institutions of governance at the global level will ensure
permanent stability and peace in international relations.
Thus, Bahá'u'lláh speaks
definitively of life, its meaning, and the afterlife. He addresses both
the individual in search of spiritual understanding and a harassed human
race in need of tranquility, direction and hope. The moral and spiritual
transformation of society, the relief of the diverse peoples of the earth
from conflict, injustice, and suffering, and the birth of a progressive
and peaceful global civilization are not only possible, Bahá'u'lláh
says, but inevitable.
"This is the
Day", Bahá'u'lláh proclaims, "in which God's most
excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most
mighty grace hath been infused into all created things."32
Every human being is the beneficiary of this process, and his "whole
duty...in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God
poureth forth for him."33 The
history of humanity as one people is only now beginning. "Great
is thy blessedness, O earth, for thou hast been made the foot-stool of thy
God, and been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne."34
"Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one
spread out in its stead. Verily, the Lord speaketh the truth, and is the
Knower of things unseen."35
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