The Bahá'í Perspective
(Titles are listed in descending order, most recent first)
GOD
Bahá’ís believe that there is but one God, Creator of the universe. As a creation of God, man cannot understand his Creator:
"...Know that the Reality of Divinity or the substance of the Essence of Oneness is pure sanctity and absolute holiness—that is to say, it is sanctified and exempt from all praise. The whole of the supreme attributes of the degrees of existence, in reference to this plane, are only imaginations. It is invisible, incomprehensible, inaccessible, a pure essence which cannot be described, for the Divine Essence surrounds all things. Verily, that which surrounds is greater than the surrounded, and the surrounded cannot contain that by which it is surrounded, nor comprehend its reality. However far mind may progress, though it may reach to the final degree of comprehension, the limit of understanding, it beholds the divine signs and attributes in the world of creation and not in the world of God. For the essence and the attributes of the Lord of Unity are in the heights of sanctity, and for the minds and understandings there is no way to approach that position. 'The way is closed, and seeking is forbidden.'
It is evident that the human understanding is a quality of the existence of man, and that man is a sign of God: how can the quality of the sign surround the creator of the sign?—that is to say, how can the understanding, which is a quality of the existence of man, comprehend God? Therefore, the Reality of the Divinity is hidden from all comprehension, and concealed from the minds of all men. It is absolutely impossible to ascend to that plane. We see that everything which is lower is powerless to comprehend the reality of that which is higher. So the stone, the earth, the tree, however much they may evolve, cannot comprehend the reality of man and cannot imagine the powers of sight, of hearing, and of the other senses, although they are all alike created. Therefore, how can man, the created, understand the reality of the pure Essence of the Creator? This plane is unapproachable by the understanding; no explanation is sufficient for its comprehension, and there is no power to indicate it. What has an atom of dust to do with the pure world, and what relation is there between the limited mind and the infinite world? Minds are powerless to comprehend God, and the souls become bewildered in explaining Him. ..."
(Some Answered Questions, pp. 146-147)
However, it is possible for man to understand the teachings of God brought by His Manifestations:
"In the world of existence the greatest bestowals of God are His teachings. The other bounties of God are limited as regards their benefits and provision. Human existence itself is a divine bestowal, but it is circumscribed with limitations. Sight and hearing are bounties of God; both are limited. And so it is with all the other bestowals; the circle of their operation is confined, restricted, whereas the sphere of the divine teachings is boundless. Centuries and ages pass away, but their efficacy continues like the spirit of life which animates the world of existence. Without the teachings of God the world of humanity is like the animal kingdom. What difference is there between the animal and man? The difference is this: that the animal is not capable of apprehending the divine teachings, whereas man is worthy of them and possesses the capacity to understand. In the animal kingdom there is no such bestowal; therefore, there is limited progression. At most, evolution in that kingdom is a development of the organism. In the beginning it is small, undeveloped; it develops, becomes larger; but its sphere of intellectual growth is limited. Therefore, the teachings of God are the bestowals specialized for man."
(The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 62)
For a more conversational introduction to the subject of understanding God than found in the above excerpts from the Bahá’í Writings, refer to the topic "The Bahá’í Concept of God." For further independent study of the Bahá’í Writings on this subject, "God, His Manifestations and Man: Part I" and "God, His Manifestations and Man: Part II" provide many quotes by Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. For collaborative study of this and other subjects, please call the Bahá’ís of Comox (250.702.3041).
UNITY OF RELIGION
Bahá’ís believe that there is but one religion, revealed progressively through the ages by various Manifestations of God—rather than absolutely by any one of them—to assist humanity along the pathway to maturity. Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestation of God for this Day, does not differ in reality from the Manifestations of the past Who, as He explained, "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" and "differ only in the intensity of their revelation and the comparative potency of their light."
Bahá'u'lláh's son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, stated plainly: "The religion of God is one religion, but it must ever be renewed. ...it is the educator of humankind, but still, it needs must be made new. When thou dost plant a tree, its height increaseth day by day. It putteth forth blossoms and leaves and luscious fruits. But after a long time, it doth grow old, yielding no fruitage any more. Then doth the Husbandman of Truth take up the seed from that same tree, and plant it in a pure soil; and lo, there standeth the first tree, even as it was before."
To develop a greater understanding of the unity of religion, refer to the topics "The Oneness of Religion" and "The Changeless Faith of God," which expand on the subject from a Bahá’í perspective. For collaborative study of this and other topics, please call the Bahá’ís of Comox (250.702.3041).
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
In daily private devotions, millions of Bahá’ís around the globe recite a prayer by Bahá’u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, that begins "I bear witness, O my God, that Thou has created me to know Thee..." This is in acknowledgement of the belief that human beings are spiritual in nature and have an obligation to acquire qualities that lessen separation from God and build capacity to serve humankind.
Bahá’u'lláh made it clear that all human beings "have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization." His son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, said, "Bahá’u'lláh announced that no matter how far the world of humanity may advance in material civilization, it is nevertheless in need of spiritual virtues and the bounties of God. ... Just as [man] advances by progressive stages from the mere physical world of being into the intellectual realm, so must he develop upward in moral attributes and spiritual graces. In the process of this attainment he is ever in need of the bestowals of the Holy Spirit. ... Without the presence of the Holy Spirit he is lifeless. Although physically and mentally alive he is spiritually dead."
From a Bahá’í perspective, it is through the progressive revelation of the law of God and His teachings by the Manifestations of God that people learn of the infinite bounties of the spiritual realm--in contrast to the limitations of the mere human world of existence--and are thereby inspired to develop their souls.
For a more extensive introduction to the subject of understanding the purpose of life, refer to the topic "The Purpose of Life." For independent study of the Bahá’í Writings on the subject of spiritual growth, "'Abdu'l-Bahá on the Journey of the Soul" provides several quotes as a starting point. For collaborative study of this and other subjects, please call the Bahá’ís of Comox (250.702.3041).
DEATH
As birth marks passage from the confines of the womb, so death marks passage from the confines of the physical world. The existence of the soul of man precedes birth, traverses the condition of the body, and succeeds death: the human spirit is eternal.
The evolution of the soul is spiritual. Free of the world of nature that holds the body captive, the soul continues its advance towards God. Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote: "I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve?" How different the reaction to death can be when viewed not as an ending beyond which there is nothing but rather as an ending of one leg of the spiritual journey and the beginning of the next.
'Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá'u'lláh upon Whom He bestowed the function of interpreting the Holy Writings, was asked: "Through what means will the spirit of man, that is to say the rational soul, after departing from this mortal world, make progress?" He responded: "The progress of man's spirit in the divine world, after the severance of its connection with the body of dust, is through the bounty and grace of the Lord alone, or through the intercession and the sincere prayers of other human souls, or through the charities and important good works which are performed in its name." This is an example of how the inhabitants of the physical realm have a connection with those in the spiritual realm.
To develop a greater understanding of death, refer to the topic "Heaven and hell: a Bahá'í view of life after death" and a talk given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Washington, D.C., shortly after the sinking of the Titanic. For independent study of the Bahá'í Writings on the subject of death, "The Human Soul" provides many quotes by Bahá'u'lláh. For collaborative study of this and other subjects, please call the Bahá'ís of Comox (250.702.3041).
MORALITY AND SPIRITUALITY
In the Bahá’í view, moral development and material development are instrumental in advancing the human race; the basis of moral development is spiritual, the source of spirituality is divine.
'Abdu'l-Bahá—son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh—explained that "...each of the divine religions is separable into two divisions. One concerns the world of morality and the ethical training of human nature. It is directed to the advancement of the world of humanity in general; it reveals and inculcates the knowledge of God and makes possible the discovery of the verities of life. This is ideal and spiritual teaching, the essential quality of divine religion and not subject to change or transformation. It is the one foundation of all the religions of God. Therefore the religions are essentially one and the same. The second classification or division comprises social laws and regulations applicable to human conduct. This is not the essential spiritual quality of religion. It is subject to change and transformation according to the exigencies and requirements of time and place."
In the coming of age of the family of man, the need for moralities is great. Read about the reawakened interest in religion in a publication by the Bahá’í World Centre. The topic "Morality and Spiritual Growth" has a personal focus. The article "The Imperative for Moral Education" makes a case for the renewal of moral development. The topic "Bahá'u'lláh: His Teachings" explores the significance of His message, coinciding with the ebb of humanity's moralilty and spirituality and yet full of promise.
For collaborative study of morality and spirituality and other topics, please call the Bahá’ís of Comox (250.702.3041).
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
Original sin. Hell. Satan. From a Bahá'í perspective, the concept of original sin and any doctrines built up around it are, in themselves, perverse; hell is not a physical place; Satan does not exist.
God's creation is, in essence, good. Man, endowed with a rational soul, is responsible for his own spiritual progress: he can strive to mirror God's attributes and thereby grow closer to Him–a heavenly condition–or he can choose to abase himself and thereby maintain a separation from Him–a hellish condition. Satan is symbolic of man's lower nature, which dominates when the development of the soul is largely ignored.
For a more extensive introduction to the subject of understanding the relationship between good and evil, refer to the topic "On Good and Evil." The topic touches on physical desires, spiritual needs, suffering as an element of the development of the soul, evil as the absence of good, impediments to spiritual progress, salvation, the root of unhappiness, and the key to happiness. It includes many selections from the Bahá'í Writings, including one by 'Abdu'l-Bahá—son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh—that describes the Bahá’í concept of the relationship between good and evil in man.
For independent study of the Bahá'í Writings on the subject of struggles and trials as they relate to spiritual growth, "'Abdu'l-Bahá on Suffering and Tests" provides a collection of quotes as a starting point. And, lest attachment to the concept of original sin exist or references to hell and Satan be taken literally, the topic "The Independent Investigation of Truth" underlines the importance of distinguishing truth from falsehood.
For collaborative study of these and other subjects, please call the Bahá'ís of Comox (250.702.3041).