This is a picture taken in 1992 of leaders representing nine of the world’s major religions at a gathering in London. They founded the Alliance of Religion and Conservation as a show of harmony and cooperation amongst world religions. These leaders have since gone on to work with the World Bank to work towards an end to poverty.
The historic breakthrough in information and communication technology, which represents so potent a means to promote social development and the deepening of people’s sense of their common humanity, can, with equal force, divert and coarsen impulses vital to the service of this very process.
~ Baha’i International Community, 1999 Feb, Who is Writing the Future
I believe this passage is referring to the rise of the internet, e-mail and other related communication methods. There can be no doubt that these technologies have been able to transform our world by hastening the rate at which information can be exchanged. However, it has also served to create more of a divide between the cosmopolitan elite who are able to do things such as read this blog, read news from other parts of the world and contact loved ones. Just like humans themselves, modern technologies have the potential to do great works towards restoring a balance throughout the world and promoting the social development of humanity, but only when used to that end. They also have the power to become destructive forces.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s personal wants were few. He worked late and early. Two simple meals a day sufficed Him. His wardrobe consisted of a very few garments of inexpensive material. He could not bear to live in luxury while others were in want. He had a great love for children, for flowers, and for the beauties of nature.
~ Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha’u'llah and the New Era, p. 57
Abdu’l-Baha seems to have been a very simple man but entrusted with a sever responsibility to carry forth the message of his father’s message from God. I very much appreciate this passage that illustrates how he was able to live with such basic means. No extravagant meals or clothes were necessary for someone who knew the poverty that others must live in. He had many followers and was greatly respected. Anything he could have wished for in his personal life would have been provided, yet the things he most wished for–the end of prejudices, universal education for all, religious tolerance–were not to be seen.
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.~ Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words #54
I am sure I could write volumes on this concept, but I will let this idea stand on its own. I wish to add just one thing… money is not the only way to measure one’s wealth. Rich and poor do not necessarily refer to the amount of money a person has, but can also refer to other qualities such as honesty, wisdom, faith, or compassion.
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred. He verily is nigh, ready to answer.
~ Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 93
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 285
This particular quote has been one of my favorites as it is comprised of small commands or directives on how to live one’s life. In many ways, it reminds me of the Beatitudes from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount:
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
~ Matthew 5:1-12, NIV
Difference of capacity in human individuals is fundamental. It is impossible for all to be alike, all to be equal, all to be wise. Bahá’u'lláh has revealed principles and laws which will accomplish the adjustment of varying human capacities. He has said that whatsoever is possible of accomplishment in human government will be effected through these principles. When the laws He has instituted are carried out, there will be no millionaires possible in the community and likewise no extremely poor. This will be effected and regulated by adjusting the different degrees of human capacity. The fundamental basis of the community is agriculture, tillage of the soil. All must be producers. Each person in the community whose need is equal to his individual producing capacity shall be exempt from taxation. But if his income is greater than his needs, he must pay a tax until an adjustment is effected. That is to say, a man’s capacity for production and his needs will be equalized and reconciled through taxation. If his production exceeds, he will pay a tax; if his necessities exceed his production, he shall receive an amount sufficient to equalize or adjust. Therefore, taxation will be proportionate to capacity and production, and there will be no poor in the community.
~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 217
Perhaps this quote would have been more fitting yesterday, as April 15 was the day that, for Americans, Federal Income Tax returns were due. There are depictions from Baha’u’llah of a society where all people would contribute into a pool of funds based upon his or her own capacity for production. Those who were producing more than their needs would contribute a portion of the excess into a community fund. Those who were not able to produce enough for their needs would be able to withdraw from those funds—which would also be used to support special populations, such as orphaned children, the sick, the elderly, etc. This method is not meant to make everyone exact economic equals regardless of their effort and resulting outcome, but rather as a way of narrowing the divide between the very rich and the very poor. The elimination of the extremes of poverty and wealth is one of the core beliefs of the Baha’i Faith.
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.
~ Shoghi Effendi, The Bahá’í Faith – The World Religion: A Summary of Its Aims, Teachings and History
I really appreciate this single paragraph that summarizes the beliefs of the Baha’is. I ran across it in a collection of excerpts of the writings titled “Teachings for the New World Order.” That term has been used several times during the 20th century and beginning of the 21st. It was normally following wars, i.e. WWI, WWII and the Cold War, and used to describe the hopes of what would come—more specifically that after all of the death and destruction preceding those times, that people would change, that the world would have to change.
While it seems in those cases the world, though it may never be the same, did revert back to its previous pettiness—prejudice and poverty still persist. However, as Baha’is we pray for the day when people will put these feelings aside and learn how we can live together and allow religion to be the cohesive force that binds us, not the wedge that divides us.
It would be remiss of me to not comment on today’s G-20 Leaders’ Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy in London. The G-20 was born out of the financial crises of the late-1990’s when the “tech-bubble burst” and their were fears over the Y2K-bug and what it would do to computer systems. 10 years after their founding, the group gathers heads of state and financial ministers from the largest world economies to create a dialog among them regarding matters of concern to the global economy.
The Baha’is believe in the eventual establishment of a unified world government, much the way that organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union already function. Working together, there is much work that can be done to promote unity and world peace. One such idea would be the establishment of a single currency to be used throughout the world. This would connect all of the world’ economy and help to mitigate the effects of inflation and differences in relative values of currencies in international trade.
The need to promote the adoption of a global currency as a vital element in the integration of the global economy is self-evident. Among other benefits, economists believe that a single currency will curb unproductive speculation and unpredictable market swings, promote a leveling of incomes and prices worldwide, and thereby result in significant savings.
~ Baha’i International Community, 1995 Oct, Turning Point For All Nations
Today’s G-20 summit uses the tag line: “Stability, Growth, Jobs”. These are all things that are global economy is crying out for and that could cause every man and woman to become prosperous. Although many are planning to protest the event, many seem to be focusing on other issues such as nuclear proliferation, and climate change. Also, worthy causes of global concern, but not the one for today. The G-20 has an incredible task in front of them, but as a Baha’i I must support any efforts for nations to work together for the betterment of the entire planet.
I recently had the great honor to sit in on a Children’s Class. Baha’i Children’s Classes are for young people of all faiths and focus on the morals and values that are common to all religions while also promoting the concept of becoming a world citizen.
The children were memorizing the following quote:
All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.
~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 214
They were a little stuck on exactly what “an ever-advancing civilization meant”. The teacher and I seemed to explain that “ever-advancing” refers to something that continuously progresses and improves; and that a civilization is comprised of the society we live in, containing social rules and a government. They were not quite seeing how it all fit together, though.
I attempted to use the example of technology, presenting my digital camera, and how devices such as that have advanced over time—each generation making slight improvements. They seemed to accept this concept, though I’m not sure it was fully absorbed. Unfortunately, it was not until after the class that more ideas came to me.
While technology certainly is one advancement that can be seen, it came to mind first only because it is tangible. Other advancements in our civilization have been much more profound, though not always as apparent on the surface:
There have clearly been some advancements that our civilization has realized. Baha’u’llah has told us all that our purpose is to “carry forward” further advancement and there are still plenty of area that need it:
Incidentally, the teacher of this class is the author of Meeting the Dual Challenge
O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.~ Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #13
I love the first two questions posed here, and the analogies that lie within them. Surely we were not all born as wealthy royalty. On the other hand, we are provided with all of the things we need to live a healthy, and rewarding life. But, we have a tendency to turn away from those gifts from God. We become confused by the trappings of this world and begin to think that riches are equal to money and goods. consequently we begin to focus on comparing ourselves to others, and trying to fill voids with things we now perceive to lack. However, Baha’u’llah tells us here that if we stay focused on those wonderful abilities, talents and wonders that have bestowed upon each of us by God, we will see how wonderful they are, and, in turn, see God working with us.