The Universality of the Laws
Dickens on Mormonism
I'm looking for Baha'i input on the universality of the laws revealed
by Baha'u'llah. I'm wondering if any of you others feel similarly to
how I do on this subject and what insights you may have.
I became a Baha'i just over a year ago after a long period of study.
I believe passionately in the Faith's vision of the oneness of
humanity, in its program for unifying humankind, and in the divine
origins of these teachings through Baha'u'llah. I believe the
spiritual teachings of the Faith, such as its prayers and Fast, will
get me closer to God than anything else. And I believe Baha'u'llah is
best reflection I can have of God's character. Thus I often read
Baha'u'llah's words to focus me on God.
My questions have to do with the detailed behavioral laws provided by
Baha'u'llah. Although the laws and teachings pertaining to unifying
of humanity seem perfectly tailored for both our age and the long
future, many of the behavioral laws seem much more timebound and
provincial. It's difficult for me to believe the world would be a
better place if everyone in the world over most of the next millennium
was buried within an hour's journey of where they died, if all men
kept their hair from growing beyond their ears, if all of a deceased
father's clothing was inherited by his sons alone, if non-Baha'is
failed to inherit, etc....
I don't have any personal problem with most of this, except non-
Baha'is not inheriting--i.e., I think I could personally live nearly
all the laws. But I'm baffled to think that all cultural and national
distinctions in hair length, inheritance law, burial customs, etc. on
these points should be leveled for *a thousand years*. It sounds like
what's being laid out in these laws is intended for a particular
culture, and not for universal humankind.
Thoughts?
Don
Suzanne
> I don't have any personal problem with most of this, except non-
> Baha'is not inheriting--i.e., I think I could personally live nearly
> all the laws. But I'm baffled to think that all cultural and national
> distinctions in hair length, inheritance law, burial customs, etc. on
> these points should be leveled for *a thousand years*. It sounds like
> what's being laid out in these laws is intended for a particular
> culture, and not for universal humankind.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Don
Hi Don,
Welcome to SRB. I don't think I've seen you here before.
I agree that there are two types of laws in the Baha'i Faith, as there
are, actually in all religions. There are the laws which are
universal truths, like the importance to love and be kind, truthful,
humble, sincere, etc. And there are also universal truths which
weren't so explicit in past ages which are made explicit in this age
by Baha'u'llah. For instance, in the past there were the people of
"the Book" or of Truth; and the people of Satan who had gone astray.
Now Baha'u'llah says we are all one. I love this quote from 'Abdu'l-
Baha which explains this:
"When the light of Baha'u'llah dawned from the East, He proclaimed the
promise of the oneness of humanity. He addressed all mankind, saying,
"Ye are all the fruits of one tree. There are not two trees: one a
tree of divine mercy, the other the tree of Satan." Again He said, "Ye
are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch." This was
His announcement; this was His promise of the oneness of the world of
humanity. Anathema and execration were utterly abrogated. He said,
"It is not becoming in man to curse another; it is not befitting that
man should attribute darkness to another; it is not meet that one
human being should consider another human being as bad; nay, rather,
all mankind are the servants of one God; God is the Father of all;
there is not a single exception to that law. There are no people of
Satan; all belong to the Merciful. There is no darkness; all is
light. All are the servants of God, and man must love humanity from
his heart. He must, verily, behold humanity as submerged in the
divine mercy."
Baha'u'llah has made no exception to this rule. He said that
among mankind there may be those who are ignorant; they must be
trained. Some are sick; they must be treated. Some are immature;
they must be helped to attain maturity. In other respects humanity is
submerged in the ocean of divine mercy. God is the Father of all. He
educates, provides for and loves all; for they are His servants and
His creation. Surely the Creator loves His creatures....
If, therefore, God be loving, what should we do? We have nothing
else to do but to emulate Him. Just as God loves all and is kind to
all, so must we really love and be kind to everybody. We must
consider none bad, none worthy of detestation, no one as an enemy. We
must love all; nay, we must consider everyone as related to us, for
all are the servants of one God. All are under the instructions of
one Educator."
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace*, Pages: 266-267)
And then there are the social laws which can be very practical and
which change from age to age. We are told in the introduction of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas that many of these laws aren't for a past age, but a
future age which isn't here yet, so we can't yet imagine why they are
important.
The reason why Baha'is are buried close to the place they died is so
that you don't have people all wanting to be buried in a cemetary in
Bahji or some other holy place. It's very practical. It's just a
body, and it needs to be buried where the person died, which is why
the burial place of the Guardian is in London and not Haifa or Akka.
About non-Baha'is not inheriting, we are all supposed to make a will
and in it we can divide up our property as we see fit. Here's what it
says in the Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas about
that::
25. In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
India the Guardian's secretary wrote on his behalf: "Although
in the Questions and Answers Bahá'u'lláh has specifically stated
that non-Bahá'ís have no right to inherit from their Bahá'í
parents or relatives, yet this restriction applies only to such
cases when a Bahá'í dies without leaving a will and when,
therefore, his property will have tO be divided in accordance 61
with the rules set forth in the Aqdas. Otherwise, a Bahá'í is free
to bequeath his property to any person, irrespective of religion,
provided however, he leaves a will, specifying his wishes. As
you see therefore it is always possible for a Bahá'í to provide
for his non-Bahá'í wife, children or relatives by leaving a will.
And it is only fair that he should do so." (p. 45)
(Baha'u'llah, Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 60)
Personally, I find that a strange law as well, and I can't imagine why
it exists. we are allowed to marry anyone from any religious
background, as long as they are willing to say, "We will all verily
abide by the will of God." We aren't supposed to make any
distinction. So I also don't know why we would make a distinction
when it comes to inheritence. It's an interesting question you raise,
but I'm afraid I don't know the answer.
I hope you will stay on the forum and continue to raise your
questions, even if there aren't always good answers to them. ;-)
All best wishes,
Suzanne
Dickens on Mormonism
Thanks for your thoughts!
On burials, it certainly makes sense to not have everyone competing to
be buried at holy sites and such. But it seems a bit absolute and
much to bring this about by having everyone buried so close to where
they die. A grave, perhaps now more than in the past, is a place one
can visit to feel closer to and honor a loved one who's passed on. So
to have the grave of my grandmother or brother off in Timbuktu, if
that's where they happened to die, would only make it that much more
difficult to use graves for what they mean to us. And to be buried,
say, in some foreign land where one happened to be killed in war, or
something like that, seems only to add pointlessness and tragedy to
pointlessness and tragedy.
As for the laws making more sense in the future...what puzzles me is
that they actually seem to make more sense in the past. Take the
short-hair requirement. This is reportedly a response to the Sufi
practice of letting hair grow indefinitely and become dreadlocked and
all. So at the time this injunction would have served the function of
distinguishing Baha'is from Sufi mystics and of discouraging
unhygeinic and "unseemly" practices. But now...? Most of us need
take no special steps to not be mistaken for Sufi mystics. And the
great majority of us keep our hair quite clean and presentable even if
we grow it long. And it would take a horrible reversal of world
progress to make this not so over the next 850 years....
While we can't foresee the world that far in advance, we can project
that it will be much *less* like the 19th century than the present
is. Humankind's capacities will have grown, cultural creativity will
have bloomed.... The idea that very specific rules of the same sort
that would make sense to people in the 19th century Middle East will
become, once again, *more* relevant and comprehensible with time. I
would expect exactly the opposite.
I agree with you that it's super-puzzing why we wouldn't make
distinctions in other areas of life but would in inheritance.... I'm
glad we can, and should, make wills!
Oh, by the way,the "two trees" quote is one of the most beautiful and
expansive things I've ever read. 8-)
Thanks again,
Don
Suzanne
Hmm. Personally I find it useful in trying to understand what might
be the meaning of various laws to remember what Baha'u'llah came into
this world to bring about. His purpose was to create a Divine
Civilization the like of which humanity has never yet known. In order
for that to happen, people need to become much more attuned to the
spiritual dimension of life and less to the purely material or
physical. I look at the laws you mention from that standpoint.
You wrote:
> On burials, it certainly makes sense to not have everyone competing to
> be buried at holy sites and such. But it seems a bit absolute and
> much to bring this about by having everyone buried so close to where
> they die. A grave, perhaps now more than in the past, is a place one
> can visit to feel closer to and honor a loved one who's passed on.
Maybe people in the future will be less attached to the mortal remains
of their loved ones and will feel able to commune with their spirits
directly wherever they may be buried. Baha'u'llah may be saying that
the body isn't important.
> As for the laws making more sense in the future...what puzzles me is
> that they actually seem to make more sense in the past. Take the
> short-hair requirement. This is reportedly a response to the Sufi
> practice of letting hair grow indefinitely and become dreadlocked and
> all.
The famous quote by E.G. Browne who met Baha'u'llah said His hair was
nearly to His waist:
"...Those piercing eyes
seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority
sat on that ample brow; while the deep lines on the
forehead and face implied an age which the
jet-black hair and beard flowing down in
indistinguishable luxuriance almost to the waist
seemed to belie. No need to ask in whose presence
I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the
object of a devotion and love which kings might
envy and emperors sigh for in vain!"
(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 13)
The pictures of 'Abdu'l-Baha also show hair to His shoulders and
below. As far as I know, no man living in the East at the time of
Baha'u'llah wore short hair, but now, in our age, it's become a norm.
I'm not sure what the reason for it is, but it may have something to
do with men's hair not being a source of vanity and pride or physical
distinction. Doing things to serve humanity, and spiritual
distinction is more important than one's looks.
Don:
>
> While we can't foresee the world that far in advance, we can project
> that it will be much *less* like the 19th century than the present
> is.
If Baha'u'llah was limited to seeing things from the point of view of
the 19th century, would He have really taught that mankind is one;
that men and women are equal; that all the rellgions come from the
same God; that science and religion should be in harmony; that there
is a need for a world government and a world auxiliary language and
monetary system? Do you really think Baha'u'llah was limited to a
vision of His time and place? Isn't it more likely that our own
vision is limited to our time and place and we tend to think this is
the way the future will unfold?
Don wrote:
> Oh, by the way,the "two trees" quote is one of the most beautiful and
> expansive things I've ever read. 8-)
I love it too. Here's another one I really love:
"This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world
are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a garden and a
paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and of the
drawing together of all races and all classes. You are loosed from
ancient superstitions which have kept men ignorant, destroying the
foundation of true humanity.
The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the
oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War
shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great
Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men
will live as brothers."
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Abdu'l-Baha in London*, Pages: 19-20)
Best wishes,
Suzanne
Brent Poirier
On Mar 30, 8:48 pm, Don wrote:
> I'm looking for Baha'i input on the universality of the laws revealed
> by Baha'u'llah.
The Manifestation is the Physician for the age. He looks at the
illnesses of the time, and prescribes the remedy. In addition to the
Revelation being in the nature of a remedy, it contains a tremendous
power, an impetus to advance the whole of society. And what
distinguishes the Revelation of Baha'u'llah, is that the power
released by His Revelation is unparalleled.
Let me draw an analogy. When you look at the laws of Muhammad, one of
them is to wash the hands and face and teeth and feet five times a day
before prayer. Muhammad did not say, "Do this for the sake of
cleanliness." He just prescribed ablutions, and the pattern of the way
He washed Himself, was followed by His believers, and today a billion
people will follow His example.
Now, let's fast forward a thousand years, to 19th-century Austria. A
physician named Semmelweis notices that there are more women and
babies dying in his hospital maternity ward, than if they had
delivered at home. He also sees that the physicians are going
directly from the morgue, where they perform autopsies on diseased
corpses, to the delivery ward, and he directs them to start to dip
their hands in an antiseptic solution before entering the maternity
ward. This was decades before germs were discovered. He observed
that after a few months, the death rates had plummeted. He is
credited with "discovering" that washing one's hands, is one of the
best ways of preventing the spread of disease. And to the South,
across the Mediterranean, the people had been washing their hands five
times a day, for more than a thousand years.
Muhammad also directed His followers to make Pilgrimage to Mecca. A
Pilgrimage season was established, and every year people made their
way from the extremities of the Islamic Empire, to join together on
Pilgrimage. There was nothing else like this on the face of the earth
-- such a vast gathering of people from such diverse geographical
locations. Though the stated purpose of the Hajj was for spiritual
purification, what actually developed was a kind of rudimentary
nervous system for a huge society. What developed, in the centuries
before mass communications came into being, was that inventions and
news spread the ends of the Empire, in a maximum of one year.
And my point is, that we do not have a clue as to the some of the
unstated benefits Baha'u'llah has in mind when He ordains His laws--
but He refers to them. In Paragraph 65 of the Most Holy Book He
prescribes the law requiring parental consent before
marriage:"Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our
servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple's wish is known,
upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should
arise amongst them. And in this We have yet other purposes."
It may take centuries of practice before His "other purposes" are
recognized by us. What will be the ultimate benefits of humanity
discarding the use of alcoholic beverages? Of burying the corpse in a
coffin of stone? Of abstaining from backbiting?
The Viennese Medical Society laughed Semmelweis to scorn for the
preposterous suggestion that physicians washing their hands might save
lives. Now, it's the most important thing doctors do. What will be
the ultimate benefit of mass obedience to Baha'u'llah's law requiring
everyone to regularly trim their fingernails? To pay the Right of
God? We can't see that far.
You and I have limited minds; the Manifestation sees with Universal
Mind, and His laws are the product of Universal Mind. As Abdu'l-Baha
said, "The Laws of God are not imposition of will, or of power, or
pleasure, but the resolutions of truth, reason and justice." (Paris
Talks, p. 154) We think we can see the value of some of His laws, but
in reality, I think we see little or none of what the ultimate
benefits will be. In the centuries to come, the value of the law
requiring everyone to write a will, the value of the universal
calendar, the command to shun Covenant-breakers, the prohibitions on
gambling, and sodomy, and begging -- will gradually come to light.
Can we see their value today? Shoghi Effendi wrote,
"To claim to have grasped all the implications of Bahá'u'lláh's
prodigious scheme for world-wide human solidarity, or to have fathomed
its import, would be presumptuous on the part of even the declared
supporters of His Faith. To attempt to visualize it in all its
possibilities, to estimate its future benefits, to picture its glory,
would be premature at even so advanced a stage in the evolution of
mankind.
"All we can reasonably venture to attempt is to strive to obtain a
glimpse of the first streaks of the promised Dawn that must, in the
fullness of time, chase away the gloom that has encircled
humanity." (The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)
We can't see the dawn. We can "venture" to "attempt" to "strive" to
obtain a "glimpse" of its "first streaks." We can't yet understand
what the remedy is, which we have the honor to assist Him to
administer. And we need to bring our whole hearts to carrying out
every provision of this remedy:
"What else, might we not confidently affirm, but the unreserved
acceptance of the Divine Program enunciated, with such simplicity and
force as far back as sixty years ago, by Bahá'u'lláh, embodying in its
essentials God's divinely appointed scheme for the unification of
mankind in this age, coupled with an indomitable conviction in the
unfailing efficacy of each and all of its provisions, is eventually
capable of withstanding the forces of internal disintegration which,
if unchecked, must needs continue to eat into the vitals of a
despairing society. It is towards this goal -- the goal of a new World
Order, Divine in origin, all-embracing in scope, equitable in
principle, challenging in its features -- that a harassed humanity
must strive." (The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)
All of these laws are the product of Universal Mind. And if we want
to understand them more fully, there is a laboratory within easy
reach. We can practice them in our own lives, and observe the
results.
"It is often difficult for us to do things because they are so very
different from what we are used to, not because the thing itself is
particularly difficult. With you, and indeed most Bahá'ís, who are
now, as adults, accepting this glorious Faith, no doubt some of the
ordinances, like fasting and daily prayer, are hard to understand and
obey at first. But we must always think that these things are given to
all men for a thousand years to come. For Bahá'í children who see
these things practised in the home, they will be as natural and
necessary a thing as going to church on Sunday was to the more pious
generation of Christians. Bahá'u'lláh would not have given us these
things if they would not greatly benefit us, and, like children who
are sensible enough to realize their father is wise and does what is
good for them, we must accept to obey these ordinances even though at
first we may not see any need for them. As we obey them we will
gradually come to see in ourselves the benefits they confer."
(From a letter dated 16 March 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer; Compilation on the Baha'i Life, The
Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 19, #1321)
"The Guardian particularly appreciates the fact that you have been
faithfully observing Bahá'u'lláh's injunction regarding the recital of
the daily obligatory prayers, and have thereby set such a high example
before your Bahá'í fellow-youth. These daily prayers have been endowed
with a special potency which only those who regularly recite them can
adequately appreciate."
(From a letter dated 23 February 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi to two believers; Compilation "Spiritual Foundations" on
Prayer and Meditation; The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 240,
#1769)
Brent