Supporting the Core Activities.
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“Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all men should arise to oppose thee.”
Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 314.
The Section 8 quote is long. It is divided into 3 parts. See Parts A, B, and C below.
You may want to memorize each part in order and then come back to the full quote to integrate them.
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`Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993, pp. 52-3.
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`Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993, pp. 52-3.
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“For one of the greatest divine wisdoms regarding the appearance of the holy Manifestations is this: The souls may come to know each other and become intimate with each other; the power of the love of God may make all of them the waves of one sea, the flowers of one rose garden, and the stars of one heaven. This is the wisdom for the appearance of the holy Manifestations!”
`Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993, pp. 52-3.
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`Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993, pp. 52-3.
The follo
wing quotes in Section 16 are long and
full of meaning.
Pertinent points in the paragraphs have been bulleted to make them easier to study.
"The question that occupies the worldwide Bahá’í community, then, is how it can best contribute to the civilization-building process as its resources increase. It sees two dimensions to its contribution. The first is related to its own growth and development, and the second to its involvement in society at large."
"Regarding the first, Bahá’ís across the globe, in the most unassuming settings, are striving to establish a pattern of activity and the corresponding administrative structures that embody the principle of the oneness of humankind and the convictions underpinning it, only a few of which are mentioned here as a means of illustration: that the rational soul has no gender, race, ethnicity or class, a fact that renders intolerable all forms of prejudice, not the least of which are those that prevent women from fulfilling their potential and engaging in various fields of endeavour shoulder to shoulder with men; that the root cause of prejudice is ignorance, which can be erased through educational processes that make knowledge accessible to the entire human race, ensuring it does not become the property of a privileged few; that science and religion are two complementary systems of knowledge and practice by which human beings come to understand the world around them and through which civilization advances; that religion without science soon degenerates into superstition and fanaticism, while science without religion becomes the tool of crude materialism; that true prosperity, the fruit of a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual requirements of life, will recede further and further out of reach as long as consumerism continues to act as opium to the human soul; that justice, as a faculty of the soul, enables the individual to distinguish truth from falsehood and guides the investigation of reality, so essential if superstitious beliefs and outworn traditions that impede unity are to be eliminated; that, when appropriately brought to bear on social issues, justice is the single most important instrument for the establishment of unity; that work performed in the spirit of service to one’s fellow human beings is a form of prayer, a means of worshipping God. Translating ideals such as these into reality, effecting a transformation at the level of the individual and laying the foundations of suitable social structures, is no small task, to be sure. Yet the Bahá’í community is dedicated to the long-term process of learning that this task entails, an enterprise in which increasing numbers from all walks of life, from every human group, are invited to take part."
Universal House of Justice, Letter to the Bahá’ís of Iran, March 2, 2013.
How can the Baha'i World best contribute to the civilization-building process as its resources increase? This question relates to: 1.) its own growth and development; and 2.) its involvement in society at large.
"Regarding the first, Bahá’ís across the globe, in the most unassuming settings, are striving to establish a pattern of activity and the corresponding administrative structures that embody the principle of the oneness of humankind and the convictions underpinning it, only a few of which are mentioned here as a means of illustration:"
"Translating ideals such as these into reality, effecting a transformation at the level of the individual and laying the foundations of suitable social structures, is no small task, to be sure. Yet the Bahá’í community is dedicated to the long-term process of learning that this task entails, an enterprise in which increasing numbers from all walks of life, from every human group, are invited to take part."
Universal House of Justice, Letter to the Bahá’ís of Iran, March 2, 2013.
"Numerous, of course, are the questions that the process of learning, now under way in all regions of the world, must address: how to bring people of different backgrounds together in an environment which, devoid of the constant threat of conflict and distinguished by its devotional character, encourages them to put aside the divisive ways of a partisan mindset, fosters higher degrees of unity of thought and action, and elicits wholehearted participation; how to administer the affairs of a community in which there is no ruling class with priestly functions that can lay claim to distinction or privilege; how to enable contingents of men and women to break free from the confines of passivity and the chains of oppression in order to engage in activities conducive to their spiritual, social and intellectual development; how to help youth navigate through a crucial stage of their lives and become empowered to direct their energies towards the advancement of civilization; how to create dynamics within the family unit that lead to material and spiritual prosperity without instilling in the rising generations feelings of estrangement towards an illusory “other” or nurturing any instinct to exploit those relegated to this category; how to make it possible for decision making to benefit from a diversity of perspectives through a consultative process which, understood as the collective investigation of reality, promotes detachment from personal views, gives due importance to valid empirical information, does not raise mere opinion to the status of fact or define truth as the compromise between opposing interest groups. To explore questions such as these and the many others certain to arise, the Bahá’í community has adopted a mode of operation characterized by action, reflection, consultation and study—study which involves not only constant reference to the writings of the Faith but also the scientific analysis of patterns unfolding. Indeed, how to maintain such a mode of learning in action, how to ensure that growing numbers participate in the generation and application of relevant knowledge, and how to devise structures for the systemization of an expanding worldwide experience and for the equitable distribution of the lessons learned—these are, themselves, the object of regular examination."
Universal House of Justice, Letter to the Bahá’ís of Iran, March 2, 2013.
Numerous, of course, are the questions that the process of learning, now under way in all regions of the world, must address:
To explore questions such as these and the many others certain to arise, the Bahá’í community has adopted a mode of operation characterized by:
—study which involves not only constant reference to the writings of the Faith but also the scientific analysis of patterns unfolding. Indeed,
—these are, themselves, the object of regular examination.
Universal House of Justice, Letter to the Bahá’ís of Iran, March 2, 2013.
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“Praise be to God that the divine outpourings are infinite, the melody of the lordly principles is in the utmost efficacy, the most great Orb shining with perfect splendor, the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse are attacking with invincible power, the tongues are sharper than the swords, the hearts are more brilliant than the light of electricity, the magnanimity of the friends precedes all the magnanimities of the former and subsequent generations, the souls are divinely attracted, and the fire of the love of God is enkindled.”
`Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993, p. 70.