Tacoma Baha’i

 

Isn’t this the most adorable baby that you have ever seen? If you have an idea as to just what in the world this little guy may be thinking, post a comment to share – but be nice! – there are sensitive people out there.

 

Now, if you were the Mother or Father of this beautiful baby, naturally you would devote yourself to doing everything that you could to love and nurture him. Isn’t this degree of devotion also true with regard to our service to God and our Faith?  Bahá’ís ought to commit themselves with selfless love to the service of Bahá’u’lláh to the degree that they are able. Our service should be comparable to our ability to serve.

 

 

Jesus:

 

“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Luke 12:47-48

 

 

‘Abdu’l-Bahá:

 

The good deeds of the righteous are the sins of the Near Ones.

Some Answered Questions, p. 125

 

 

Bahá’u’lláh  encourages us to arise and serve:

 

“Make thou every effort to render service unto God, that from thee may appear that which will immortalize thy memory in His glorious and exalted heaven.”

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh , p. 234

 

 

Service to God is the greatest thing that we can do:

 

“Our highest aspiration must be this: that we may become confirmed to render some slight service in the Path of God. There is no greater station than this.”

Bahá’í Scriptures, p. 285

 

 

We are assured of Divine assistance:

 

“Arise ye, under all conditions, to render service to the Cause, for God will assuredly assist you through the power of His sovereignty which overshadoweth the worlds.”

Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 46

 

 

Pray for that assistance:

 

“I implore Thee by the glory of Thy Manifestation and by the power of Thy might, Thy sovereignty and Thine exaltation to render victorious those who have arisen to serve Thee, who have aided Thy Cause and humbled themselves before the splendour of the light of Thy face. Make them then, O my God, triumphant over Thine enemies and cause them to be steadfast in Thy service, that through them the evidences of Thy dominion may be established throughout Thy realms and the tokens of Thine indomitable power be manifested in Thy lands. Verily Thou art potent to do what Thou willest; no God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 233

 

 

Another prayer for God’s help:

 

“Immerse me, O my God, in this most bounteous, rolling Ocean; give me to drink of this sweet, abundant Water; cause me to enter this Gateway of Righteousness; ordain me for this praiseworthy Station; cause me to obtain this Cup which is overflowing with the living water; light in the crystal of my heart this Lamp which is giving forth its illuminating, brilliant radiance; and strengthen me for the service of Thy Cause, O my Lord, the Forgiver!”

Bahá’í Scriptures, p. 265

 

 

And another:

 

“At this time, I beg Thee, oh My God, by the Light of Thine Eternity, whereby the heavens and earth are illumined, to make My Feet of iron by which I may stand in His service, and the service of whosoever loveth Thee, that I may become a helper of Thy Religion, and a guardian of Thine Orders, until I suffer martyrdom in His Path in Thy Presence, Oh Thou in whose Hand is the Kingdom of all things. And verily Thou art the Almighty!”

Bahá’í Prayers 9, p. 19

 

 

We are encouraged to pursue a moderate and wise course. But to commit oneself to arise to great heights of service is most admirable:

 

“There is a great mystery involving the levels of service. Shoghi Effendi always advised the friends to pursue a moderate and wise course, but if they did not, and chose to rise to heights of heroism and self-sacrifice, he was immensely proud of them. After all, there is nothing either wise or moderate in being martyred — yet our crowning glory as a religion is that our first Prophet was martyred and twenty thousand people followed in His footsteps. I have tried to understand this mystery, moderation on one side and Bahá’u’lláh’s words on the other: ‘… then write with that crimson ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this than all else…’ and it seems to me that the best example is an aeroplane: when it trundles along on the ground on its wheels it is in the dimension of the ground, going along steadily on an earthly plane, but when it soars in the air and folds its wheels away and leaps forward at dazzling speeds, it is in a celestial realm and the values are different. When we are on the ground we get good sound earthly advice, but if we choose to spurn the soil and leap into the realms of higher serv1ce and sacrifice we do not get that kind of advice any more, we win immortal fame and become heroes and heroines of God’s Cause.        

Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, p. 54

 

 

Each of us has the potential to be a spiritual warrior for Bahá’u’lláh. And, we know that those people are out there:

 

“There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men, who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the entire human race rise up and war against them.”

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 280

 

May it be that you will arise to offer this great service?

By the righteousness of God! Whoso openeth his lips in this Day and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it been foreordained in the realm of God’s Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.

There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men, who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who, before the gaze of the dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven, shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of the blamer will never defeat.

Go forth with the Tablet of God and His signs, and rejoin them that have believed in Me, and announce unto them tidings of Our most holy Paradise. Warn, then, those that have joined partners with Him. Say: I am come to you, O people, from the Throne of glory, and bear you an announcement from God, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. In mine hand I carry the testimony of God, your Lord and the Lord of your sires of old. Weigh it with the just Balance that ye possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of God. If ye find it to be established in truth, if ye believe it to be of God, beware, then, lest ye cavil at it, and render your works vain, and be numbered with the infidels. It is indeed the sign of God that hath been sent down through the power of truth, through which the validity of His Cause hath been demonstrated unto His creatures, and the ensigns of purity lifted up betwixt earth and heaven.

Say: This is the sealed and mystic Scroll, the repository of God’s irrevocable Decree, bearing the words which the Finger of Holiness hath traced, that lay wrapt within the veil of impenetrable mystery, and hath now been sent down as a token of the grace of Him Who is the Almighty, the Ancient of Days. In it have We decreed the destinies of all the dwellers of the earth and the denizens of heaven, and written down the knowledge of all things from first to last. Nothing whatsoever can escape or frustrate Him, whether created in the past or to be created in the future, could ye but perceive it.

Bahá’u’lláh

 

There is a connection between the spiritual and the physical, a connection of similar and parallel laws that guide us as we progress toward our goals. One of these concerns the need for effort in order to succeed. In the physical world, for example, will, sincerity, time, effort, diligence, focus, habit, persistence and passion are required in order to possess a skill, such as how to play a musical instrument, attain athletic prowess, or learn medicine, engineering, or law. The same is true in the attainment of spiritual qualities. They don’t just happen. They, too, are achieved in the same way.

 

Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the Qur’an, assures us that effort results in guidance along the right path:

 

“Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the verse: ‘Whoso maketh efforts for Us,’ he shall enjoy the blessings conferred by the words: “In Our Ways shall We assuredly guide him.’ ”

 

And again He says to us:

 

“There can be no doubt whatever that, in consequence of the efforts which every man may consciously exert and as a result of the exertion of his own spiritual faculties, this mirror [the mirror in our soul that reflects God’s beauty] can be so cleansed from the dross of earthly defilements and purged from satanic fancies as to be able to draw nigh unto the meads of eternal holiness and attain the courts of everlasting fellowship.”

 

There is, however, a condition which each of us must first meet before we begin this spiritual effort, in order to obtain this success:

 

“When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy.”

 

The means, among other things, that one must put aside the obstacles of preconceived notions and a preference for material pursuits. If we are going to search, then let’s search without letting other things get in our way. In particular, Bahá’u’lláh tells us that:

 

The seeker must purge his breast of every defilement and sanctify his soul “from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments.”

 

He must so cleanse his heart that “no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth.”

 

And also (don’t panic and continue breathing normally):

 

He must, at all times, put his trust in God

Never exalt himself above anyone

Wash away every trace of pride and vain-glory

Cling unto patience and resignation

Observe silence and refrain from idle talk

Avoid backbiting

Be content with little and freed from all inordinate desire

Treasure the companionship of them that have renounced the world

Avoid boastful and worldly people

Commune with God at the dawn of every day

Persevere in the quest of his Beloved

Consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention

Pass by all else save Him

Succor the dispossessed

Show kindness to animals

Not hesitate to offer up his life for His beloved

Not allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the truth

Not wish for others that which he does not wish for himself

Do not promise that which he cannot fulfill

Avoid fellowship with evil-doers with all his heart

Forgive the sinful and never despise their low estate.

 

Whew! Hey!! No, wait! Don’t turn and run, now! This is too important. I know, I know. Makes you want to return to that comfortable embrace of women and booze, doesn’t it? One thing is for sure, becoming a spiritual person is no task for wimps. What a reminder of how imperfect we are!  Do you think you can do it? Yes, you can! You’ve got the Right Stuff. You can do it. Bahá’u’lláh tells us so:

 

“He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.”

 

This is something that all of us are asked to do. And why is this important?

 

“Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.”

 

And also:

“These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hall-mark of the spiritually-minded. They have already been mentioned in connection with the requirements of the wayfarers that tread the path of Positive Knowledge. When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath fulfilled these essential conditions, then and only then can he be called a true seeker.”

 

And finally, Bahá’u’lláh tells us this about that with these wondrous Words:

 

“Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences of an everlasting Manifestation.”

 

How long do we have to do this and when should we begin? Again, there is a parallel between the physical world and the spiritual one, as this story shows:

 

An Army paratrooper in training was about to bail out of the airplane for his first jump, and he was nervous.  He asked his sergeant, “When should I pull the ripcord?”

 

The sergeant answered, “Son, you have the rest of your life.”

 

 

The quotations from the Bahá’í Writings and related information are from Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, page 106 and pages 262 – 267.

The silent, grim expression on this carved stone speaks to us. It tells us that this earthly life will last but for a brief span of time. What then will be left of us here? A thoughtful person might ask, “What values should I strive for while I live on this earth?”  Here are some inspiring words from Bahá’u’lláh on this subject:

“The generations that have gone on before you — whither are they fled? And those round whom in life circled the fairest and the loveliest of the land, where now are they? Profit by their example, O people, and be not of them that are gone astray.

Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.

For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing — and to this the Almighty is My witness — is the love of God, could ye but perceive it.

Build ye for yourselves such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you from the changes and chances of this life. This is the instruction of Him Whom the world hath wronged and forsaken.”

Bahá’u’lláh

 

 

The Tablet of Visitation, revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, is read at the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb and is also frequently used in commemorating their anniversaries. Here is a recitation of the Tablet of Visitation to honor the anniversary of the Báb’s birth.

Tablet of Visitation by Bahá’u’lláh

 

The importance of the Báb’s Ministry is well summarized by Shoghi Effendi’s powerful words that open his masterful narrative of the first century of the Bahá’í Faith, God Passes By, describing the years of the brief Ministry of the Báb, the Herald and Forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh:

“May 23, 1844, signalizes the commencement of the most turbulent period of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Era, an age which marks the opening of the most glorious epoch in the greatest cycle which the spiritual history of mankind has yet witnessed. No more than a span of nine short years marks the duration of this most spectacular, this most tragic, this most eventful period of the first Bahá’í century. It was ushered in by the birth of a Revelation whose Bearer posterity will acclaim as the “Point round Whom the realities of the Prophets and Messengers revolve,” and terminated with the first stirrings of a still more potent Revelation, “whose day,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself affirms, “every Prophet hath announced,” for which “the soul of every Divine Messenger hath thirsted,” and through which “God hath proved the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets.” Little wonder that the immortal chronicler of the events associated with the birth and rise of the Bahá’í Revelation has seen fit to devote no less than half of his moving narrative to the description of those happenings that have during such a brief space of time so greatly enriched, through their tragedy and heroism, the religious annals of mankind. In sheer dramatic power, in the rapidity with which events of momentous importance succeeded each other, in the holocaust which baptized its birth, in the miraculous circumstances attending the martyrdom of the One Who had ushered it in, in the potentialities with which it had been from the outset so thoroughly impregnated, in the forces to which it eventually gave birth, this nine-year period may well rank as unique in the whole range of man’s religious experience. We behold, as we survey the episodes of this first act of a sublime drama, the figure of its Master Hero, the Báb, arise meteor-like above the horizon of Shiraz, traverse the sombre sky of Persia from south to north, decline with tragic swiftness, and perish in a blaze of glory. We see His satellites, a galaxy of God-intoxicated heroes, mount above that same horizon, irradiate that same incandescent light, burn themselves out with that self-same swiftness, and impart in their turn an added impetus to the steadily gathering momentum of God’s nascent Faith.”   

Shoghi Effendi

The Birth of the Báb

October 20, 1819   Muharram 1, 1235

 

Every religion has a herald, or forerunner, to prepare people for the coming of  that great Spiritual Counselor who is periodically sent by God to humankind to foster our spiritual development – that One whose divinely appointed mission it is to remind people to re-focus on what really matters, the eternal human spirit rather than the physical world, and to be helpful, kind, and loving to one another, rather than brutish, selfish and hateful, and to act with regard to one another responsibly and with justice in all aspects of life.

 

The Báb is that Herald for Bahá’ís – for those who recognize Bahá’u’lláh as the Creator’s guiding Voice and Spirit for this age. Today is the anniversary of the Báb’s birth, according to the Gregorian calendar, the date on which He was born in 1819 in the city of Shiráz, Iran.

 

The Lord acts gradually to nurture His creatures, in the spiritual world as well as in the physical one. In the physical world, the sun rises gradually to its zenith each day, gently warming the earth. If it sprang suddenly to its full noon-day potential, the sudden impact of its effect would be harmful rather than beneficial to the physical condition of the living creatures and plants of the world. In a similar way, God prepares the human heart for the renewal of His Word.

 

The Báb was God’s chosen Agent to play this pivotal role. His unique mission was to proclaim to the world the conclusion, with the end of Muhammad’s dispensation, of that great and long cycle of religious prophecy that foretold a time in the distant future when the peoples of the world would live together in harmony and unity, when the lion would lie down with the lamb; and to proclaim to the world that this long prophesied time had arrived, and that He, the Báb, was announcing to the world that the time for this great figure was imminent, that One whom He referred to as He Whom God Shall Make Manifest, that One referred to by many names in different religious traditions, such as Everlasting Father, the Lord of Hosts, Christ returned in the Glory of the Father, the return of the Imám Husayn, the descent of the Spirit of God, the Sháh-Bahrám, the reincarnation of Krishna, and the Fifth Buddha.

 

Islamic tradition expected the return of a Promised One, the Báb. It called Him the Qa’im. The tradition says this: “Knowledge is but twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No man thus far knows more than these two letters. But when the Qa’im shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be made manifest.”

 

This tradition testifies well to the station of the Báb, who ranks as one of the independent Manifestations of God’s authority. But in relation to the station of Bahá’u’lláh, He for whose purpose the Báb came into existence, the Báb Himself testifies with these words:

“… I Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest.”

 

People do not easily heed the word of God. The material world and its vices make a strong claim upon the souls of men. The Báb’s divine call was repugnant to their desires and expectations. They opposed Him and His followers. They ignored their traditions that foretold His coming. They clung to their vanity and their material privileges. They forgot God’s message of love and answered with hatred.

 

His message caused a storm of protest in the Islamic world. The Báb and thousands of His followers gave their lives in the service of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. They magnificently fulfilled their role. They prepared a heedless, ignorant, and abased humanity for the healing revival of God’s Word through the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. They bore the main brunt of the ferocious opposition to the new Announcement, and by doing so, perhaps made it possible for Bahá’u’lláh’s own ministry to be more productive and creative than it might otherwise have been. The Báb’s ministry, ennobled by the courage and consecration of those who recognized His station, constitute the early years of the glorious and heroic age of our Faith. Their devotion lives in our hearts as both inspiration and example.

 

It is fitting for us to come together to observe His birth and to share companionship and food.

 

 

Photo of the House of the Báb in Shiráz, Iran, is taken from http://www.bahai-biblio.org/