Thankfulness

This was a week of thankfulness.

For all the grace that God has showered upon us
For near and dear ones
For family, so close, yet so far
For those very special friends who brighten up my every day by just being
For all the gifts God has given
For the oh, so wonderful world we live in
For its beauty, majesty and awe-inspiring bounties
For the sun that shines brightly every morning, without fail
For the opportunities granted to me that are available to few
For good health
For solace, comfort, and contentment
For love, protection and friendship
For knowledge and wisdom
For the opportunities to serve, to give back
For faith
For prayer
For all the guidance that we receive, every single day
For God

This was a week of thankfulness.

Patience

This was yet another week of patience

Of letting others make decisions
Of being patient with myself
Of not expecting too much
Of detachment
Of trying to be understanding
Of being accommodating
Of letting others have their way
Of waiting for others to catch up
Of walking behind, keeping pace with the slow ones
Of controlling anger and irritation
Of being calm

This was yet another week of patience

Justice

The main subject of Tarry's talk on sunday was, as I mentioned in an earlier post, justice, and I'd like to take some time here to elaborate on some of the concepts he elucidated.

Justice, according to the Baha'i teachings, has its manifestation at two levels.

1. The individual level: At the individual level justice as a quality is intrinsically related to the way we view the world. As Baha'u'llah says in the 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." It is therefore only through possessing a sense of justice and fairness that we are able to turn the mirrors of our soul towards the grace of God, reflect the rays he sends down towards us, and bask in the sunshine of his knowledge. But what exactly does it mean to be just or fair? Baha'u'llah further expounds - "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 neighbor." The quality of justice, therefore, is closely linked to one of the fundamental Baha'i teachings - that of the independent investigation of the truth. Each of us has been endowed with the capacity to reason, to understand, and to discern. It is therefore incumbent upon us that we use our faculties on the spiritual path, and seek out the truth with a "searching eye". Neither should we blindly believe what others tell us, nor should we be satisfied with a superficial understanding of things.

Justice can also be understood in terms of the lack of prejudice - for this is truly what fairness means. As even the root of the word indicates (pre + judge), having prejudices implies that we prejudge things or situations or people, form opinions without having complete knowledge, and essentially for unreasonable judgments or conclusions. Possessing a just heart would imply that in every interaction we have with the world and its inhabitants, we abandon prejudice and instead search for the truth with an open heart. The latter is actually one of the most difficult things, in my opinion. Though it might be easier to tell oneself not to be prejudiced about people, to be truly open to the truth in all its forms is ever so difficult - for we each grow up with our own baggage, our own history, our own upbringing, within a societal framework which shapes and molds our instincts and opinions - and so usually we start off on the spiritual journey with a preconceived idea of what the truth is, or might be. Usually we shy away for certain kinds of reality, while being attracted towards others, because of what we've always grown up taking for granted. Shedding these veils, ridding oneself of these barriers to seeing the truth, and learning to be just and fair in all our interactions with reality is truly one of the greatest challenges along the spiritual path.

2. The social level: Justice, at the level of society, is expressed through another of the fundamental tenets of the Baha'i teachings - unity. Baha'u'llah says that it is impossible to have a just society unless we are able to wholly transform the current social order into one which is based on the unity of mankind. This is of course a slow and gradual process, but, according to the Baha'i writings, inevitable. The inevitability of unity and oneness is actually a fairly reasonable claim, I believe, and there are two arguments I'll give for that. One, if we look at human history, we see a move towards greater and greater levels of aggregation. At a very early point in their evolution, humans probably lived just with their families, or in groups of small families. This evolved into a situation where the fundamental unit of grouping became a tribe. Further along in history we see the emergence of city-states and kingdoms. And today we find ourselves in an era where the basic unit of governance in the world is the nation-state. The change from one social structure to another has taken many centuries - but it has been definitive. And over time it has also affected the mentality of people - where at one time, which particular city they were from formed a basic part of someone's identity, today that does not matter so much. Rather, which country we are from is one of the strongest elements of our identity (and also one of the key determinants of our future, the social conditions we grow up in, the opportunities available to us, and so on). And so though it might seem at this point in history that given how much people identify with their nations, that we cannot possible unite, it would be well to remember that some time in the past, people thought very much the same about their city, or kingdom. And we would do well to remember that even now, we do see some glimmerings of the higher level of aggregation - the League of Nations (followed by the UN) was the first experiment of its kind, where many countries came together as a group. Undoubtedly even the UN in its current form is severely flawed in many ways - but it is remarkable, nevertheless, that such an experiment has survived, and continues to get stronger and more diverse in its operations with time.

The second reason why the unity of mankind seems inevitable, is the fact that a lot of the problems and social forces we face today are pushing us inexorably towards that. Today the world is so interlinked in every possible way, that it is impossible for any country to exist in isolation (which in the past was entirely possible, and in fact, the order of things). Likewise some of the problems we face today, such as the environmental crisis, economic issues etc, are of a truly global nature, and problems that can only be solved if all nations come together in an attempt to attack them. Therefore, all forces in society seem to be pushing us towards accepting the oneness of mankind as well.

In another of the Hidden words, Baha'u'llah extorts:

"O CHILDREN OF MEN!

Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since we have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest."

This unity and oneness, then, needs to become the foundation for our social organization - and that alone, says Baha'u'llah, will lead to a just society. It is not hard to see why this might be the case - for if at the individual level, prejudices continue to exist, we can never reach unity and oneness - and if we have biases against certain groups of people, and have already prejudged them, it is impossible to be completely fair and unbiased.

Therefore what we need is the establishment of justice, first in our hearts, and second in our social systems. And it is extremely important, in this process, to ensure we don't confuse the two, something which often tends to happen. When someone wrongs us, for example, we decide that justice needs to be meted out - and so we get angry, hold it against them, maybe try and punish them for what they did. But this is not what justice really means - for at the individual level, true justice always involves forgiveness. The just and fair thing for us to do is to, in our hearts, instantly forgive anyone who wrongs us. As Baha'u'llah says, "There are imperfections in every human being, and you will always become unhappy if ye look toward the people themselves. But if you look toward God, you will love them and be kind to them, for the world of God is the world of perfection and complete mercy. Therefore, do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness." The right thing to do, spiritually, therefore, is to always forgive.

At the social level, however, institutions must exist which can mete out justice - but its nothing personal. Society does need to punish criminals, there should be consequences for our actions - but that is for society and social institutions to enforce, not individuals. As I mentioned in an earlier post on non-violence, justice will require us to have a police force, a judicial system - but at no point should any of the individuals who are a part of that system enforce justice because they feel personally wronged, or out of vengeance. This difference between justice at the individual and social level is key to recognize.

This earthly plane

I just heard this most beautiful composition by a truly talented musician (and the sister of a dear friend), Elika. I started listening to her CD which I'd recently procured, but got stuck on this song, the very first one, and have been listening to it on repeat for a while now. The potency of the words of God is indeed incredible, for I can think of no other force that can inspire such uplifting music.

Also, personally speaking, I am always inspired being in the presence of people who have had the courage, talent and determination to dedicate their lives to music, dance, or any other art form. Such a decision cannot be an easy one, and it requires true strength of character to be able to do so - and I salute all those who have had the will to take a step down that unknown road.

Anyway, here is the passage from the Gleanings that was set to music by Elika. And let me do my own little bit of marketing by letting you know that you can find out more about her music here. :)

"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."

-- Baha'u'llah

The shortcut to spiritual growth

"O SON OF SPIRIT!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting."

-- Baha'u'llah in the Hidden Words

The above Hidden Word was the subject of some discussion during Tarry's highly illuminating talk on justice yesterday. I'd like to highlight some of his thoughts on this, as I found them particularly striking.

Once someone asked Baha'u'llah if there was a spiritual shortcut, a way to achieve spiritual growth without having to go through the myriad writings and teachings of Baha'u'llah, which are probably surpassed in sheer volume only by their profundity. To this question, Baha'u'llah responded that of course there was one, and that it was, in fact, the first Hidden Word - the verse above. And so, if we truly understood and practiced what this verse says, we'd be well on the path to spiritual growth!

Of course, this sounds much simpler than it actually is, but lets try and unpack that quote a little more to see why Baha'u'llah said that this really is the key. We are asked to possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart. Now each of these qualities has a special significance. Purity is really a state - its a state of the heart, a condition, and is related to our intention with respect to any action. It is entirely internal to us, and is deeply connected to our thoughts, our instinctive reactions to situations, our feelings...

Kindliness, on the other hand, is the outward manifestation of purity. Someone with pure intentions, and a pure heart, will express kindliness towards one and all. Kindliness, therefore, is the expression of our internal purity, and is reflected in all our interactions with the world and our fellow beings.

Finally, radiance, is the consequence of the above two qualities - possessing a pure heart, and exhibiting kindliness. Someone who conquers purity and kindliness exudes a radiance, a brilliance which is there for everyone to see.

To me, radiance also implies two other qualities - one, the outward flowing nature of it, and two, the fact that a radiant object radiates uniformly in all directions. A radiant person, therefore, affects one and all around him - and his knowledge, wisdom, and love flow outwards, touching the hearts of everyone who comes into contact with him.

There is of course much that could be said about each of these three qualities - and there are many layers of meaning to purity, kindliness and radiance. But that is something we each need to reflect on in our lives, see how we can each be as pure, kindly and radiant as possible, given our own life conditions. Getting back to the quote, however, Baha'u'llah then goes on to say that once we possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, we shall be sovereign. Now this question of sovereignty is one that demands some thought. What shall we be sovereign of, king of, once we acquire these qualities? It is clearly not a material concept - rather, it refers to the Kingdom of God. But again, what is this Kingdom - it is not a place up in the clouds, which we shall enter through pearly white gates. The Kingdom of God really lies in our own hearts, and it is the Kingdom of all those virtues and qualities of God that we have the potential to manifest. All religious teachings talk in great depth about how man is created in the image of God, how we have the potential to reflect all the attributes of God. Baha'u'llah says,

"Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own self."

Therefore what a pure, kindly and radiant heart gives us is sovereignty over this Kingdom of the attributes of God - and this, as Tarry said, is what the oft-thrown-around word empowerment really means. It is when we have the power over our selves, over all these most amazing qualities and attributes and virtues, that we are truly empowered. And this really is the purpose of spiritual growth - to be able to reflect, as best as possible, all these qualities of God. This potential to reflect the attributes of God is the soul's essential reality, and spiritual growth is the process of understanding and manifesting this reality.

Additionally, this is a sovereignty that has existed for all time, and will continue to exist for all time. It is always within our grasp, should we only turn to God and walk along the yellow brick road He has laid down for us. And the shortcut that puts us right on that road is attempting to understand, and possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart.

Patience

This was a week of patience

Or at least, of trying to be patient
Of waiting
Of listening
Of calmness
Of letting others take initiative
Of giving in
Of trying to not be insistent
Of slowing down a little
Of giving people time and space
Of kindness
Of not worrying about when/how things will happen
Of learning to trust more in God
Of learning to let Him lead the way.

This was a week of trying to be patient.

Eleven Principles

I just read this most excellent talk given by Abdu'l Baha at the Theosophical Society in Paris in 1911. In this talk, he summarizes eleven principles of Baha'u'llah:

I. The Search after Truth.
II. The Unity of Mankind.
III. Religion ought to be the Cause of Love and Affection.
IV. The Unity of Religion and Science.
V. Abolition of Prejudices.
VI. Equalization of Means of Existence.
VII. Equality of Men before the Law.
VIII. Universal Peace.
IX. Non-Interference of Religion and Politics.
X. Equality of Sex—Education of Women.
XI. The Power of the Holy Spirit.

The complete talk can be found here. I highly recommend going through it - I found it very concise, and yet very deep. And oh, each of these principles is further explained in subsequent talks, which can be accessed by clicking the "Next" tab on that webpage.

Here are some of the most striking ideas expressed in this talk:

If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician...

We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight, one alone would be useless. Any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it, is only ignorance—for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge...

Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth...

Religions, races, and nations are all divisions of man’s making only, and are necessary only in his thought; before God there are neither Persians, Arabs, French nor English; God is God for all, and to Him all creation is one...

Women have equal rights with men upon earth; in religion and society they are a very important element. As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs...

Kindness

This was a week of kindness

Of being thoughtful and considerate
Of developing a kindly tongue
And refraining from unkind words
Of curbing sarcasm
Of quelling anger
Of checking irritation
Of suppressing negativity
Of giving people the benefit of the doubt
Of acts of kindness
Of positive thought
Of making the heart one tiny bit bigger.

This was a week of kindness.

Non violence

At the recently held interfaith panel discussion on Religion and Non-violence, hosted by the Hindu Students Council, the Baha'i speaker made what I thought was a pretty remarkable point about the source of the concept of non-violence in the Baha'i faith.

Most religious philosophies typically make a distinction between good and evil. This is particularly true of Judeo-Christian traditions, but to some extent also exists in other schools of thought. Essentially there exists a dualistic concept of good and evil - an independent existence is accorded to each (often personified by God and Satan, or angels and demons, or devtas and asuras), and there is the idea of an eternal battle between good and evil. It is really the existence of an independent concept of evil that causes many people to ultimately resort to violence in certain situations - for if you truly believed that certain things in this world are evil, then it would make sense to adopt violence to combat them, once other options are exhausted. And of course, once one in principle says that certain things in this world could be evil, where the line is drawn becomes a subjective judgment. For I could justify my actions on the basis that I believed some thing or some person to be evil. And the combination of my judgment, and the idea that it is acceptable to use violence to combat what is evil would sanction an attitude of violence.

However, the Baha'i faith clearly talks about the non-existence of evil. There is no dual nature to Good and Bad - all of creation is essentially Good. More details on this can be found in a previous post here, but to summarize, Abdu'l Baha talks about how the perception of evil/bad comes about either from the absence of goodness, or from the incompatibility between two good things.

Once one adopts this perspective, believing that there is really no evil in this world, that all that is created is truly good, one loses a firm basis for violence. If one believed there were nothing in the world truly evil, that everyone had some good in them, one would not have to be violent.

Note that by violence I mean an attitude of violence - not necessarily a violent action. At no point should one ignore the value of justice - and therefore it might be necessary to have a police force, take action against criminals, etc. But these are to be purely social actions - and from the point of the view of the individual, the right thing to do is to always be forgiving and merciful - in one's heart. Holding on to the belief that everyone's soul has its own spiritual equation with God, and that we are all somewhere along the path of progress towards God, will enable one to achieve that state.

Religion and unity

"...if religious belief proves to be the cause of discord and dissension, its absence would be preferable; for religion was intended to be the divine remedy and panacea for the ailments of humanity, the healing balm for the wounds of mankind. If its misapprehension and defilement have brought about warfare and bloodshed instead of remedy and cure, the world would be better under irreligious conditions."

-- Abdu'l Baha at Stanford University, October 8th, 1912