The comprehensive spiritual and social
teachings brought by Bahá'u'lláh are for
the  purpose
of organizing the affairs of the individual and society
in alignment with the Will of the Creator, in ways that
not only address the well-being of each person, but
allow for the establishment of a just world society
of caring human beings.
The
spiritual teachings nurture the individual and prepare
her or him for the eternal spiritual journey ahead.
Bahá'u'lláh has brought new insights into
the concept of God, the nature of the soul, life after
death, prayer, fasting, and the acquisition of virtues
through the tests and difficulties of life. The social
teachings deal with groups of individuals in society.
They bring justice and order to promote the harmony
that is essential for the functioning of the human family.
The
two sets of teachings are, in actuality, inseparable.
For example, the spiritual impetus for service to others
is expressed in the practical arena of daily life. Therefore,
work done in the spirit of service to humanity is elevated
to a spiritual station, that of worship for the Creator.
Without
the individual living according to the promptings of
the spiritual teachings, society will lack the motive
force for implementing the social order. And in the
absence of adherence to the social teachings, the individual
is severely hampered in her or his development.
Universal
Education
Basic education is obligatory in the Bahá'í
Faith. All children must be afforded the opportunity
for an education, to be able to guide their own spiritual
lives through reading the Writings of the Messengers
of God and to be trained for a profession or trade to
provide a livelihood for themselves and their future
families, as well as to implement the teaching mentioned
above, "Work in the spirit of service is worship."
Bahá'u'lláh
wrote:
"Regard
man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education
alone can cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable
mankind to benefit therefrom." --Bahá'u'lláh,
Gleanings, p. 260
Independent
Investigation of Truth
Bahá'ís believe that this is the time
of the maturation of the human race. Now, the individual
must seek out truth, sometimes in spite of longstanding
contrary customs, prejudices and traditions. This teaching
has scientific as well as religious ramifications, for
the study of both requires an open mind.
"Furthermore,
know ye that God has created in man the power of reason,
whereby man is enabled to investigate reality. God has
not intended man to imitate blindly his fathers and
ancestors. He has endowed him with mind, or the faculty
of reasoning, by the exercise of which he is to investigate
and discover the truth, and that which he finds real
and true he must accept." --`Abdu'l-Bahá,
Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 291
Religion
as a Source of Unity
The word "religion" is from the Latin "religio,"
meaning to bind together, to unify.
"...[Bahá'u'lláh]
sets forth a new principle for this day in the announcement
that religion must be the cause of unity, harmony and
agreement among mankind. If it be the cause of discord
and hostility, if it leads to separation and creates
conflict, the absence of religion would be preferable
in the world." --`Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í
World Faith, p. 247
Evolutionary
Nature of Religion
Bahá'ís view religion as a progressive,
evolutionary process which needs to be updated as humanity
evolves mentally, socially and spiritually. Every so
often a new Messenger is sent to expand and update religious
teachings. These Messengers bring essentially the same
spiritual teachings to mankind, in a form that meets
the needs of the people of Their time. Bahá'ís
believe that Bahá'u'lláh has brought an
updated message for mankind today. He has written:
"The essence of all the Prophets of God is one
and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator,
saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the
Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose;
their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor
to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is
in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath
regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the
Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him...
".
"The
measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in
this world, however, must differ. Each and every one
of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message,
and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through
specific acts. It is for this reason that they appear
to vary in their greatness... It is clear and evident,
therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity
of their light is not inherent in the light itself,
but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity
of an ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty
and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples
of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and
charged to act in a manner that would best meet the
requirements of the age in which He appeared."
--Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp.78-9
Harmony
of Religion and Science
Truth transcends all boundaries. Scientific and religious
truth emanates from the same universal source; they
are like the two sides of the same coin. Speaking in
Paris, `Abdu'l-Bahá said:
"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,
whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone
he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing
slough of materialism." --`Abdu'l-Bahá,
Paris Talks, p.147
Practice
of Consultation
The Bahá'í consultation is a method of
group decision-making that is an optimal means for the
discovery of truth, planning, settling disputes and
solving problems. When a decision-making body is consulting
together, the equally-empowered participants define
the issue, explore the facts of the situation, set forth
their individual ideas, examine the ideas and opinions
dispassionately, and strive to reach the best possible
decision consistent with ethical and spiritual principles.
Bahá'í consultation is a unique process
in which differences of opinion are not suppressed,
but encouraged, in order to fully explore all facets
of the matter under consideration. In Bahá'í
consultation, the participant's views may differ, but
that is only necessary to arrive at the truth.
The
Bahá'í principle of consultation requires
that an individual be detached from his or her opinions
and always welcome the views of others. `Abdu'l-Bahá
tells us:
"The
shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash
of differing opinions."
"They
must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy,
dignity, care and moderation to express their views.
They must in every manner search out the truth and not
insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and
persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to discord
and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden..."
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings
of `Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 87-88
The
tool of consultation works well in any situation where
decisions must be made by two or more people, such as
within the family home and at the workplace. Bahá'ís
are advised to consult on all matters, large and small,
to take advantage of the pooling of intelligence, knowledge,
and judgment.
An
International Auxiliary Language
The nations of the world must choose an international
language to be taught in school to every child, in addition
to his or her mother tongue. This is an essential instrument
of unity. It enhances communication and reduces the
barriers among the members of the human family.
Bahá'u'lláh
wrote:
"It behooveth the sovereigns of the world -- may
God assist them -- or the ministers of the earth to
take counsel together and to adopt one of the existing
languages or a new one to be taught to children in schools
throughout the world, and likewise one script. Thus
the whole earth will come to be regarded as one country."
--Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 22
This
counsel of Bahá'u'lláh, given to humanity
over a century ago, is now being heeded more and more.
The European Community, composed of many nations with
diverse languages, has found it essential to adopt an
auxiliary common language to facilitate communication
among its member nations. It has selected English as
its official language.
Eradication
of All Forms of Prejudice
Prejudice of any type is alien to the Bahá'í
Faith and severely undermines its pivotal principle
of the oneness of humanity.
"...again, as to religious, racial, national and
political bias: all these prejudices strike at the very
root of human life; one and all they beget bloodshed,
and the ruination of the world. So long as these prejudices
survive, there will be continuous and fearsome wars."
--`Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings
of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p.249
Racial
prejudice is considered by the Bahá'ís
to be the most vital and challenging issue facing the
American people. Around the country, members of the
Faith have been in the forefront of addressing this
tragic problem and will continue to promote the concept
of the oneness of humanity, the pivotal principle of
Bahá'u'lláh's message for our time. Until
all the branches of the human family recognize their
essential unity, racial prejudice will not be eradicated.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote:
"Close
your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with
the light of oneness." and, addressing all of humanity,
"O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity has
been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers.
Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one
branch." --Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings,
p. 218
Equality
of Women and Men
Bahá'u'lláh was the first Founder of a
world religion to teach explicitly that women and men
must have equal opportunities, rights and privileges.
He wrote:
"Women
and men have been and will always be equal in the sight
of God." --Bahá'u'lláh, The Bahá'ís,
p. 28
To
emphasize the importance of this principle, girls are
to be given priority in receiving an education, if a
family cannot afford to educate all its children, for
an educated woman can greatly benefit her children and
thereby benefit society as a whole. When women attain
their rightful place in society, men will benefit as
well. As intelligence tests amply show, one half of
the world's most intelligent people are women. `Abdu'l-Bahá
spoke of gender inequality:
"To accept and observe a distinction which God
has not intended in creation is ignorance and superstition.
The fact which is to be considered, however, is that
woman, having formerly been deprived, must now be allowed
equal opportunities with man for education and training.
There must be no difference in their education. Until
the reality of equality between man and woman is fully
established and attained, the highest social development
of mankind is not possible." --`Abdu'l-Bahá,
The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 76
Spiritual
Solution of the Economic Problem
The disparities of extreme wealth on the one hand and
severe poverty on the other must end. The rich must
realize that the poor have legitimate claims to the
resources of the common planet home and that no one
should accept for himself excessive luxury while fellow
human beings suffer from poverty.
"O
Ye Rich Ones on Earth!
The
poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust,
and be not intent only on your own ease." --Bahá'u'lláh,
Hidden Words, Persian, No.54
"We
see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches
on the one hand, and on the other those unfortunate
ones who starve with nothing; those who possess several
stately palaces, and those who have not where to lay
their head. Some we find with numerous courses of costly
and dainty food; whilst others can scarce find sufficient
crusts to keep them alive. Whilst some are clothed in
velvets, furs and fine linen, others have insufficient,
poor and thin garments with which to protect them from
the cold. This condition of affairs is wrong and must
be remedied. Now the remedy must be carefully undertaken."
--`Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p.156-7
Through
one's spiritual awakening and the subsequent development
of such spiritual qualities as compassion and mercy,
a natural expression is the individual's love for all
of humanity and a de-emphasis of materialism. The sharing
of wealth is, for the most part, to be done voluntarily
and not begrudgingly, but with joy.
Avoidance
of Partisan Politics
Bahá'u'lláh has foreclosed the age of
parochialism, limited loyalties and divisiveness and
inaugurated the era of inclusiveness, globalism and
unity. Partisan politics, by its very nature, is divisive.
It pits one group against another, polarizes and divides
the human family along limited and shortsighted selfish
objectives.
Bahá'u'lláh
directs humanity to become completely united in every
facet of life, to serve others rather than to be self-serving.
When humanity's energy and resources are directed toward
the best interests of mankind, the outcome is social
justice and the creation of a world that nurtures one
and all.
Universal
Peace
The permanent elimination of war is a prerequisite to
the unity of humanity. Rather than squandering the world's
precious natural resources and bearing heavy taxation
for the sake of war and territorial conquest, the nations
of the world must work toward a just allocation of its
human, material and spiritual resources for the betterment
of all. Bahá'u'lláh, writing in the 19th
century, clearly foresaw the calamitous wars of the
20th century.
He
sent letters to the kings and rulers of the world admonishing
them to look after the welfare of their people and to
take steps toward establishing permanent world peace.
Had they listened to Him then, humanity could have avoided
the suffering of many wars. Today His words have an
arresting immediacy:
"The time must come when the imperative necessity
for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage
of men will be universally realized. The rulers and
kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating
in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means
as will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace
amongst men. "Such a peace demandeth that the Great
Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquility
of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled
among themselves. Should any king take up arms against
another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him.
If this be done, the nations of the world will no longer
require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving
the security of their realms and of maintaining internal
order within their territories." -- Bahá'u'lláh,
Gleanings, p. 249
The
Bahá'ís believe that world peace is not
far off; the nations of the world are even now beginning
to work together. These present efforts are only the
initial phases of an accelerating process which eventually
will result in permanent world peace.
The
Family as a "Fortress for Well-being"
Fundamental to the well-being of the individual and
the society is the institution of marriage and the family.
"And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence
to men, and to set the world in order, He revealed observances
and created laws; among them He established the law
of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being and
salvation..." --Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í
Prayers, p.105
Within
the nurturing environment of loving families, future
generations can receive the spiritual education prerequisite
to the unfolding of a regenerated humanity. Also, it
is in the context of marriage and family life that one
is personally challenged, on a daily basis, to acquire
and practice virtues.
Harnessing
the Lower Nature
Bahá'u'lláh reaffirms the moral code of
the other religions, condemning acts such as murder,
theft, immorality, lying, covetousness, and disrespect
for parents. He further forbids backbiting, slander,
gambling, arson, assault and trespass. He also stipulates
sanctions against the use of alcoholic beverages and
drugs for non-medical reasons. Bahá'u'lláh
condemns the above as inherently alien to the noble
essence of the human soul. The emphasis in His teachings
is on the exaltation of the station of humanity, so
that the individual Bahá'í strives to
strengthen his or her higher, more spiritual nature
to become self-disciplined, self-regulating in morals
and conduct, and concerned with the welfare of others.
Bahá'ís
do not pretend to be exemplary human beings solely by
embracing the Bahá'í precepts. To a Bahá'í,
salvation is not merely through a declaration of faith.
Deeds are what matter -- how one's faith is put into
action. Bahá'ís pledge to struggle every
day of their lives to become better human beings. They
are committed to transform themselves spiritually and,
by so doing, eventually to influence the spiritual transformation
of the wider community.
The
Individual's Spiritual Responsibilities
Bahá'u'lláh inaugurated a new dispensation
marked by humanity's coming of age. This coming of age
is accompanied by new responsibilities and privileges.
Among them is the abolition of clergy and priesthood.
In this Faith each individual is in charge of her or
his own spiritual development.
Community
functions, such as marriage ceremonies, funerals, and
the religious instruction of children, traditionally
performed by the clergy, have now been transferred to
democratically-elected local Bahá'í institutions.
The religious authority invested in the clergy, so prominent
a feature of past religions, has been replaced by these
institutions. When elected or appointed, the individual
Bahá'í has a sacred responsibility to
serve on these bodies and their agencies which guide
and administer the affairs of the community through
the group decision-making process of consultation.
The
Nineteen Day Feast
As an independent world religion, the Bahá'í
Faith has a new calendar with nineteen months of nineteen
days each. Months and days are named for the attributes
of God, such as Splendor, Loftiness, Honor.
The
Nineteen Day Feast is usually held in each Bahá'í
community on the first day of every Bahá'í
month. It is a unique blend of worship, fellowship and
grassroots democracy. Highly adaptable to a wide variety
of cultural and social needs, everywhere in the world
the Feast is composed of three parts: the spiritual,
the consultative and the social. The word "feast"
is in reference to the exalted function it serves --
bringing the local Bahá'ís together to
worship God and to build their community life.
The
spiritual part of the Feast is the devotional program,
when selections from the Bahá'í writings,
and frequently selections from other religions, are
read or put to music. A general consultation on the
affairs of the local, national and international Bahá'í
community follows the spiritual segment. In this phase,
a true "town hall" democracy is practiced.
Views are shared openly, yet with loving courtesy.
The
Feast ends with a period of socializing and sharing
food. During the Nineteen Day Feast, the community forms
strong ties of fellowship. The children grow up feeling
the love of their extended Bahá'í family.
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Beliefs
and Practices
