Bahá’í Teachings for a World Faith/Text

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BAH/VI’ TEACHINGS

ron A wonua FAITH

[Page 2]THE Bahá’í' FAITH

HE Revelation proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, His followers believe, is divine in origin, all-embracing in scope, broad in its outlook, scientific in its method, humanitarian in its principles and dynamic in the influence it exerts on the hearts and minds of men. The mission of the Founder of their Faith, they conceive it to be to proclaim that religious truth is_ not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is continuous and progressive, that the Founders of all past religions, though different in the nonessential aspects of their teachings, “abide in the same Tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech and proclaim the same Faith.” His Cause, they have already demonstrated, stands identified with, and revolves around, the principle of the organic unity of mankind as representing the consummation of the whole process of human evolution. This final stage in this stupendous evolution, they assert, is not only necessary but inevitable, that it is gradually approaching, and that nothing short of the celestial potency with which a divinely ordained Message can claim to be endowed can succeed

in establishing it.

—Shoghi Effendi,

Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith.

Copyright, 1943, by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada

[Page 3]-‘ABDU’L-BAHA ON THE DAWN OF UNITY

HIS is a new cycle of human power. All

the horizons of the world are luminous, and

the world will become indeed as a garden and a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and of the drawing together of all races and all classes.

The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and the fundamen-lal oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.

O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God's grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of love and lovingkindness that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them. . . .

For universality is of God and all limitations are earthly.

[Page 4]nAm'vi' HISTORY

More than eighty years ago, when East and West alike were struggling to emerge from the darkness of materialism and unbelief, the Bahá’í'Cause arose with its assurance of a New Day.

On May 23, 1844, a radiant youth of Persia, known as the Báb (“Door of the Spirit”) proclaimed His mission of heralding the coming of a mighty educator who would quicken the souls, illumine the minds, unif the_consciences and remold the customs of mankind. A ter six years of heroic steadfastness and ardent teaching, by’ which the Muhammadan world was rent in twain, the Báb became a victim of fanatical persecution and was publicly martyred at Tabríz, July 9, 1850.

Upon this preparation the foundation of the Cause was laid by Bahá’u’lláh (T‘Glory of God”), whose universal principles of personal and social regeneration were revealed under conditions of cruel oppression unequalled in the annals of religion.

Bahá’u’lláh gave the glad tidings to East and West, that the Holy Spirit had once more come to revivify humanity in its hour of need, that a new and greater cycle had bcgun—the age of brotherhood, of peace, of knowledge of God. All peoples He summoned to partake of the spiritual teachings uttered through Him.

As the desperate forces of reaction gathered against Him, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘His little band of faithful followers were imprisoned in Tihran, stripped of their property and rights, exiled to Baghdad, to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and at last, as the supreme infliction, in 1868 confined for life in the desolate barracks of ‘Akká, a Turkish penal colony, at the foot of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.

Voluntarily sharing‘ these ordeals from very childhood was the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (“Servant of the Glory”), whose confinement at ‘Akká, lasting forty years, was terminated in 1908 by the humanitarian regime initiated by the Young Turks.

Bahá’u’lláh passed on in 1892. From then until His own

ascension in 1921, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá served the Cause as its appointed leader and interpreter, and through_ His unique devotion, purit of life, tireless effort and unfailing wisdom the message s owly but surely penetrated to all parts of the wor .

At the resent time the unity of the Bahá’ís and the integrity 0 the ideals of Bahá’u’lláh is maintained by Shoghi Effendi, grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Guardian of the Cause.

“The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are the breaths of the Holy Spirit that create men anew.”

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[Page 5]TRUTHS FOR A NEW DAY

Promulgated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Throughout North America in 1912

These teachings Were given by Bahá’u’lláh over seventy years ago and are to be found in His published Writings of that time.

I. The oneness of mankind. . Independent investigation of truth. . The foundation of all religions is one.

. Religion must be the cause of unity.

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. Religion must be in accord with science and reason.' .. Equality between men and Women. . Prejudice of all kinds must be forgotten. . Universal peace.

. Universal education.

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10. Spiritual solution of the economic problem.

II. A universal language.

12. An international tribunal. 3

[Page 6]THE ONENESS OF THE WORLD OF HUMANITY

Bahá’í'u’ll2'Ih addresses Himself to the world of man saying, “Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the fruits of one orchard.” That is, the world of existence is no other than one tree, and the nations or peoples are like unto the diflerent branches or limbs thereof, and human individuals are similar to the fruits and blossoms thereof . . . while in all past religious books and epistles, the world of humanity has been divided into two parts: one called the “people of the Book,” or the “pure tree,” and the other, the “evil tree.” One-half of the people of the world were looked upon as belonging to the irreligious and the infidel; one-half of the people were consigned to the mercy of the Creator, and the other half were considered as objects of the wrath of their Maker. But Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed the oneness of the world of humanity—He submerged all mankind in the sea of divine generosity.

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION or TRUTH

No man should follow blindly his ancestors and forefathers. Nay, each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears, and ‘investigate truth in order that he may find the Truth; whereas the religion of forefathers and ancestors is based upon blind imitation—man should investigate the truth.

THE FOUNDATION OF ALL RELIGIONS IS ONE

The foundation underlying all the divine precepts is one reality. It must needs be reality, and reality is one, not multiple. Therefore the foundation of the divine religions is one. But we can see that certain forms have come in, certain imitations of forms and ceremonials have crept in. They are

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[Page 7]heretical, they are accidental, because they differ: hence they cause differences amongst religions. But if we set aside these imitations and seek the reality of the foundation we shall all agree, because religion is one and not multiple.

RELIGION MUST BE THE CAUSE OF UNITY AMONG MANKIND

Every religion is the greatest divine effulgence, the cause of life amongst‘ men, the cause of the honor of humanity, and is productive of life everlasting amongst humankind. Religion is not for enmity or hatred. It is not for tyranny or injustice. If religion be the cause of enmity and rancor, if it should prove the cause of alienating men, assuredly non—religion would be better. For religion and the teachings which appertain to it are as a course of treatment. What is the object of any course of treatment? It is cure and healing. But if the outcome of a course of treatment should be productive of mere diagnosis and discussion of symptoms, the abolition of it is evidently preferable. In this sense, abandoning religions would be a step toward unity.

RELIGION MUST BE IN ACCORD WITH SCIENCE -AND REASON

Religion must be reasonable; it must agree perfectly with sciénce, so that science shall sanction religion and religion sanction science. The two must be brought together, indissolubly, in reality. Down to the present day it has been customary for man to accept a thing because it was called religion, even though it were not in accord with human reason.

EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

This is peculiar to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, for all former religious systems placed men above

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[Page 8]women. Daughters and sons must follow the same form of study and the same education. Having one course of education promotes unity among mankind.

ABANDONMENT OF ALL PREJUDICES

It is established that all the prophets of God have come to unite the children of men and not to disperse them, and to put in action the law of love and not enmity. Consequently we must throw aside all these prejudices,—the racial prejudice, the patriotic prejudice, the religious and political prejudices. We must become the cause of unity of the human race.

UNIVERSAL PEACE

All men and nations shall make peace. There shall be universal peace amongst governments, universal peace amongst religions, universal peace amongst races, universal peace amongst the denizens of all religions. Today in the world of humanity the most important matter is the question of universal peace. The realization of this principle is the crying need of the time.

UNIVERSAL EDUCATION

All mankind should partake of both knowledge and education, and this partaking of knowledge and of education is one of the necessities of religion. The education of each child is obligatory. If there alrel (:10 parents, the community must look after the c 1 .

SOLUTION OF THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM

No religious books of the past prophets speak of the economic question, while this problem has been thoroughly solved in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. . . . Certain regulations are revealed which insure the welfare and well being of all humanity. Just as the rich man enjoys his rest and his pleasures

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[Page 9]surrounded by luxuries, the poor man must likewise have a home, be provided with sustenance, and not be in want. . . . Until this is effected happiness is impossible. All are equal in the estimation of God; their rights are one and there is no distinction for any soul; all are protected beneath the justice of God.

A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

An international auxiliary language shall be adopted which shall be taught by all the schools and academics of the world. A committee appointed by national bodies shall select a suitable language to be used as a means of international communication, and that language shall be taught in all the schools of the world in order that everyone shall need b two languages, his national tongue and the interna ional auxiliary language. All will acquire the international auxiliary language.

AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL

A universal tribunal under the power of God, under the protection of all men, shall be established. Each one must obey the decisions of this tribunal, in order to arrange ‘the difficulties of every nation.

About sixty years ago Bahá’u’lláh commanded the people to establish universal peace and summoned all the nations to the “divine banquet of international arbitration” so that the questions of boundaries, of national honor and property and of vital interests between nations might be decided by an arbitral court of justice.

Remember, these precepts were given more than half a century ago. At that moment no one spoke of universal peace, nor of any of these principles; but Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed them to all the sovereigns of the world. . . . They are the spirit of this age, the light of this age; they are the well being of this age.

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[Page 10]WORDS op BAHA’U’L'LA.I?I-'

Inscribed Over the Nine Entrances of the Bahá’í House of Worship

The earth is but one country; and mankind its citizens. The best beloved of all things in My sight is

Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me.

My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure.

Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner.

Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent.

I have made death a messenger of joy to thee; wherefore dost thou grieve?

Make mention of Me on My earth that in My heaven I may remember thee.

0 rich ones on earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust.

The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory.

[Page 11]BAHA'U*LLAH's WORDS OF WISDOM

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The source of all good is trust in God, submission unto His command, and contentment in His holy will and pleasure.

The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and the apprehension of His justice and decree.

The essence of religion is to testify unto that which the Lord hath revealed, and follow that which He hath ordained in His mighty Book.

The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained.

The essence of love is for man to turn his heart to the Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but God, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his Lord.

True remembrance is to make mention of the Lord, the All-Praised, and forget all else beside Him.

True reliance is for the servant to pursue his profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His hands is the destiny of all His servants.

The essence of detachment is for man to turn his face toward the courts of the Lord, to enter His presence, behold His countenance, and stand as witness before Hirn. .

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.

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[Page 12]The source of courage and power is the promotion of the Word of God, and steadfastness in His Love.

The essence of charity is for the servant to recount the blessings of his Lord, and to render thanks unto Him at all times, and under all conditions.

The essence of wealth is love for Me. Whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is, indeed, of the poor and needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendor hath revealed . . .

The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, Know verily his death is better than his li e . . .

The source of all evil is for man to turn away from his Lord and set his heart on things ungodly.

The most burning fire is to question the signs of God, to dispute idly that which He hath revealed, to deny Him and carry one’s self proudly before Him.

The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation. The essence of abasement is to pass from .under the shadow of the Merciful, and seek the shelter of the Evil One.

The essence of all that We have revealed for thee is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancies and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye.

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[Page 13]EXCERPTS FROM TABLETS OF Bahá’u’lláh

Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in the dense veils of your selfish desires, inasmuch as I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so that the excellence of My handiwork may be fully revealed unto men. It follows, therefore, that every man hath been, and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the Beauty of God, the Glorified. Had he not been endowed with such a capacity, how could he be called to account for his failure?

Retrace your steps, 0 My servants, and incline your hearts to Him Who is the Source of your creation; Deliver yourselves from your evil and corrupt "affections, and hasten to embrace the light of the undying Fire that gloweth on the Sinai of this mysterious and transcendent Revelation. Corrupt not the holy, the all-embracing, and primal Word of God, and seek not to profane its sanctity or to debase its exalted character.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth.

The virtues and attributes pertaining unto God are all evident and manifest, and have been mentioned and described in all the heavenly Books. Among them are trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity of heart while communing with God, forbearance, resignation to whatever the Almighty hath decreed, contentment with the things His Will hath provided, patience, nay thankfulness in the midst of tribulation, and complete reliance, in all circumstances, upon Him. These rank, accord 11

[Page 14]ing to the estimate of God, among the highest and most laudable of all acts. All other acts are, and vizlill ever remain, secondary and subordinate unto t em.

0 My servants! Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace. To each and every one of them you will, no doubt, attain.

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, sore-tired 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.

Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a shepherd for their protection. This, verily, is the truth, the certain truth. We approve of liberty in

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[Page 15]certain circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others. We, verily, are the All-Knowing.

Say: True liberty consisteth in man's submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will, that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the dominion of earth and heaven.

Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is hdependent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick person 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. Consider the light of the lamp. Though an external object may interfere with its radiance, the light itself continueth to shine with undiminished power. In like manner, every malady afflicting the body of man is an impediment that preventeth the soul from manifesting its inherent might and power. When it leaveth the body, however, it will evince such ascendency, and reveal such influence as no force on earth can equal. Every pure, every refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness.

The vitality of men’s belief in God is dying out in every land; nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir of His potent Revelation can cleanse and revive it?

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[Page 16]‘ABDU’L-BAHA ON THE ONENESS OF MANKIND

Each kingdom of creation is endowed with its necessary complement of attributes and powers. The mineral possesses inherent virtues of its own kingdom in the scale of existence. The vegetable possesses the qualities of the mineral plus a virtue augmentative or power of growth. The animal is endowed with the virtues of both the mineral and vegetable plane plus the power of the senses. The human kingdom is replete with the perfections of all the kingdoms below it, with the addition of powers peculiar to man alone. Man is therefore superior to all the creatures below him, the loftiest and most glorious being of creation. . . .

Every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is_ verily in the image and likeness of God. If a man possesses wealth can we call him an image and likeness of God? Or is human honor and notoriety the criterion of divine nea_rness? Can we apply the test of racial color and say that man of a certain ' hue—white, black, brown, yellow, red—is the true image of his creator? We must conclude that color is not the standard and estimate of judgment and that it is of no importance, for color is accidental in nature. The spirit and intelligence of man is the essential; and that is the manifestation of divine virtues, the merciful bestowals of God, the life eternal and baptism through the Holy Spirit. Therefore be it known that color or race is of no importance. He who is the image and likeness of God, who is the manifestation of the bestowals of God, is acceptable at the threshold of God whether his color be white, black or brown, it matters not.

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[Page 17]WORDS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI ON WORLD ORDER

The Bahá’í Faith recognizes the unity of God and of His Prophets, upholds the principle of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all forms of superstition and prejudice, teaches that the fundamental purpose of religion is to promote concord and harmony, that it must go hand-in-hand .with science, and that it constitutes the sole and ultimate basis of a peaceful, .an ordered and progressive society. It inculcates the principle of equal opportunity, rights and privileges for both sexes, advocates compulsory education, abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth, exalts work performed in the spirit of service to the rank of worship, recommends the adoption of an auxiliary international language, and provides the necessary agencies for the establishment and safeguarding of a permanent and universal peace.

For Bahá’u’lláh . . . has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating" Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, have, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth.

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[Page 18]The call of Bahá’u’lláh is primarily directed against all forms of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices. . . . For legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine. . . . The principle of the Oneness of Mankind—the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve——is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. . . . Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. . . .

It represents the consummation of human evolution. . . .

Alone of all the Revelations gone before it this Faith has . . . succeeded in raising a structure which the bewildered followers of bankrupt and broken creeds might well approach and critically examine, and seek, ere it is too late, the invulnerable security of its world—embracing shelter. . . .

To what else if not to the power and majesty which this Administrative Order—the rudiments of the future all-en.folding Bahá’í Commonwealthis destined to manifest, can these utterances of Bahá’u’lláh allude: “The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’:

ordered life hath been revolutionized through the"

agency of this unique, this. wonderous Systernthe‘ like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.” . . .

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110 LINDEN AVENUE W1Lm-:1-TE, ILLINOIS U. S. A.

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[Page 20]BAH/vi TEACHINGS FOR A WORLD FAITH