|
Truth: How to find it
A talk given by Martin Braithwaite 5 November 2004
Truth is admittedly hard to find … I can’t even guarantee that this talk will help you find it. Understanding the relationship of Science and Religion is difficult. Seeing how Faith comes into play will be very interesting.
I was torn about topics, or how to present this topic. Do I just present information or make it more heartfelt? Do I lean toward facts or feelings? I decided that if I just stayed with facts I wouldn’t be true to myself or the group who would be deprived of the Beauty and Grandeur of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh captured in this quote:
“The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet.” (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 163)
Some people don’t like the clear truth or don’t want to hear it: There are many conspiracists out there who say don’t believe in even the moon landing. They have websites that have pictures of the landing and with red arrows they point out shadows that are not supposed to be there. It’s comical yet in its final analysis a gigantic waste of time. In order to find truth we must want to find truth.
There a quote that I cannot find a source to, but was told to me by the people that introduced me to the Faith that reads, “Don’t search for water, search for thirst and water will come bursting from the dry ground.”
Here is a quick exercise. Clasp your hands together with your fingers interlocking.
Now look at your thumbs and see which one is on top. If your right thumb is on top it roughly indicates that you are ‘right brained’ and if your left thumb is on top it suggests left-brainedness.
Traditional brain science suggests that those that are left-brained tend to use logic, are detail oriented, need facts, and focus on math and science whereas right-brained people use their feelings, see the ‘big picture,’ appreciate things, and have a rich imagination. Again, these strict left brain/right brain categories are simplistic or overly simple but are sufficient for these purposes.
"And thou mightest have seen the sun when it arose, pass on the right of their cave, and when it set, leave them on the left... This is one of the signs of God. (Bahá’u’lláh, The Four Valleys, p. 53)
I liberally interpret this to mean that we need to use what is considered the right side of our brain first which sees the big picture and appreciates and can fall in love with Beauty and then we use the left side afterward to make sense of the logic and facts once our heart has been made fertile and receptive.
Study: Experiments show that most children rank highly creative (right brain) before entering school. Because our educational systems place a higher value on left brain skills such as mathematics, logic and language than it does on drawing or using our imagination, only ten percent of these same children will rank highly creative by age 7. By the time we are adults, high creativity remains in only 2 percent of the population.
Because most of us in this room are in this left-brain mindset, I decided to begin talk with a little bit of left brain, logic based arguments and then have maybe 10 minutes at the end where I share the beauty of the Bahá'í Faith.
Bahá'í Faith Introduction (skipped)
For those of you unfamiliar with the Bahá'í Faith, from which I draw my quotes and inspiration, here is a quick summary of the Faith.
One God – known by many names, an unknowable essence. Sent Messengers or Manifestations of God periodically, approx every 1000 years, to share God’s Will with humanity. These included Moses, Buddha, Christ, Mohammad, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet-founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Together, the world's great religions are expressions of a single unfolding Divine plan. Bahá'u'lláh, calls it “the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.” “He also affirms that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is continuous and progressive, that the Founders of all past religions, though different in the non-essential aspects of their teachings, '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 their purpose was to teach the one human family (in all of its many colours) Bahá’u’lláh made it clear that “the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.” That there is only one race the human race, and that women and men are and fore ever have always been equal in the sight of God.
There are no clergy in the Bahá'í Faith—no one can make an official pronouncement as to the meaning of a particular passage. What’s interesting, and I must add this, is that I was searching through www.adherents.com which lists tons of facts and info about virtually all of the religions in the world. One of their rankings was “Classical World Religions Ranked by Internal Religious Similarity.” So what classic world religion was the most internally similar? The Bahá'í Faith, even though Bahá'ís practice the independent investigation of truth which means that the responsibility is on the individual to struggle for answers in the Writings and not be force-fed by someone else.
Note: Most Unified to Most Diverse: Bahá'í, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Taoism, Shinto, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism
In looking at truth I felt we would examine some of the various ways in which we gather information from the most questionable to the most reliable.
Common Sense and Proverbs
Educate by common sense and proverbs?
Definition: A proverb is a brief, provocative saying that expresses practical wisdom in colorful language. Proverbs occur in every culture as a means of communicating values and principles.
Group Question: “What are some proverbs that we know?”
As great as these are there are a few problems with them. Many contradict one another. Here are some examples:
Look before you leap. He who hesitates is lost.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Out of sight, out of mind.
Opposites attract. Birds of a feather flock together.
You're never too old to learn. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Many hands make light work. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Many of these even contradictory proverbs are valid but under specific situations.
Common sense, Wisdom, and Intuition
Maybe we can find spiritual and material knowledge exclusively in common sense, wisdom and intuition.
Let me share a story of my uncle from Barbados. He has a vast knowledge of many things, is impeccably honest and virtuous, and is exceptionally logical and rational. I would go to him for advice on practically anything. He does not believe in God, but has respect for those who do. Anyway, I was driving one time with him and his son in his car when I caught a private moment when he was passing on his guiding principles and accumulated experiences to his son. He said, “my very wise grandmother once told me, and I believe it, that ‘money is the root of all evil.’ ” I immediately jumped in and said, “Ahh, yes, I’ve heard that. It’s in the Bible, but there it says ‘the love of money is the root of all evil.’ So here was my uncle, and it could have been any one’s uncle, passing along information that had already been spoken 2000 years earlier by Christ but also getting it so wrong as to completely distort the original intent—but a faint echo of the Source.
Trivia: If you drop an apple due south from the tip of Florida, what South American Country would you hit? Here is a hint, with another trivia question: Which city is more east, Reno, Nevada or Los Angeles?
Answer: the whole South American continent is to the east of the tip of Florida and Los Angeles is to the East of Reno. Again, memory of the map, intuition of the locations, and logic often fail us.
Intuition is a big part of human decision making. But the complementary truth is that intuition often errs.
Story : In July 2002, a pilot of a Russian passenger jet over Switzerland had a tough choice to make. The cockpit proximity warning system in the Tupolev-154 aircraft initially ordered him to pull the aircraft up to avoid a collision with an oncoming plane.
Just one second later, he received a contradictory radio instruction from a Swiss air-traffic controller telling him go into a dive.
There was silence for 14 seconds, as the pilot faced an agonizing dilemma, before the air-traffic controller sent another radio message repeating the instruction to take the plane into a descent.
The pilot obeyed the control instruction and over-rode his cockpit warning to begin his descent from 36,000ft. Just 30 seconds later, his aircraft slammed into a Boeing 757 cargo plane crossing his path.
Let me share two other stories with happier endings from my uncle who is really into planes:
Story: A 747 Japan Air plane is making a long cross-continental trip in the middle of the night. The pilot and co-pilot for whatever reasons have difficulty communicating. So when the plane tilts a little bit the pilot trims the wings, or adjusts the flaps. A little later the co-pilot makes a slight adjustment to the engine speed to accomplish the same thing. So 10, 12 hours goes by and they are each making these changes which are small but are counterbalancing the plane. So near the end of their trip they attempt to turn the plane and everything collapses—the flaps cause the plane to go into a nose dive and tail spin and neither knows why. All of the instruments are spinning and they are crashing to earth at 1000 km/hr. This is something that neither of them had trained for but somehow using skill but a lot of intuition as to what could possibly be wrong they managed to right the plane and save all those aboard.
Another quick example was of an Air Mexico flight coming into Toronto, again in the late 1990s. He was perfectly lined up with the runway, all of his instruments were fine, and as he’s pulling in he looks out of his cockpit window and notices traffic—not other planes but cars! So he ignored his instruments, pulled up and landed at the proper airport.
These three cases show that you can’t always trust your intuition or your instruments, but that both can be extremely valuable. But is their a more unfailing way to get to the truth?
VIRTUES
Group Exercise: List virtues on dry erase board.
I make sure to sneakily add the following to help my argument (wink) : superiority, greed, supremacy, exclusivity, envy, competitiveness, assertiveness, love, submissiveness.
Discuss: which of these we can ALL agree are virtues, put a
Submissiveness – assertiveness: are they contradictory?
“If haste is harmful, inertness and indolence are a thousand times worse. A middle road is best.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization)
Definitions:
“It is not only the right but the sacred obligation of every member to express freely and openly his views.” (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, October 28, 1935)
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (King James Bible, Matthew)
Greed: “Certain qualities and natures…apparently blameworthy are not so in reality. For example, from the beginning of his life you can see in a nursing child the signs of greed; greed, which is to ask for something more, is a praiseworthy quality, provided that it is used suitably. So if a man is greedy to acquire science and knowledge, or to become compassionate, generous and just, it is most praiseworthy.” (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 215)
Supremacy/superiority: shouldn’t we excel in whatever we do?
Love: Can we love money? Didn’t Christ say the “love of money is the root of all evil?” I love to ‘drink.’ I love to eat: gluttony.
Here is a quote that will clarify these apparent contradictions:
“…This is the balance wheel of all behavior, the means of keeping all man's good qualities in equilibrium.” (‘Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 59)
If we stick just to these one word virtues we ourselves in a similar predicament as when we relied solely on proverbs.
That many of these virtues are valid but under specific situations.
Let’s pause here and share the ways in which we can know. (Have an audience member read this)
Four Methods of comprehension
According to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “There are only four accepted methods of comprehension -- that is to say, the realities of things are understood by these four methods.
The first method is by the senses—that is to say, all that the eye, the ear, the taste, the smell, the touch perceive is understood by this method. Many educated people say that the principal method of gaining knowledge is through the senses; they consider it supreme, although it is imperfect, for it commits errors. For example, the greatest of the senses is the power of sight. The sight sees the mirage as water, and it sees images reflected in mirrors as real and existent; large bodies which are distant appear to be small, and a whirling point appears as a circle. The sight believes the earth to be motionless and sees the sun in motion, and in many similar cases it makes mistakes. Therefore, we cannot trust it.
The second is the method of reason, which was that of the ancient philosophers, the pillars of wisdom; this is the method of the understanding. They proved things by reason and held firmly to logical proofs; all their arguments are arguments of reason. Notwithstanding this, they differed greatly, and their opinions were contradictory. They even changed their views—that is to say, during twenty years they would prove the existence of a thing by logical arguments, and afterward they would deny it by logical arguments. A philosopher would firmly uphold a theory for a time with strong arguments and proofs to support it, which afterward he would retract and contradict by arguments of reason. Therefore, it is evident that the method of reason is not perfect, for the differences of philosophers, the lack of stability and the variations of their opinions, prove this. For if it were perfect, all ought to be united in their ideas and agreed in their opinions.
The third method of understanding is by tradition—that is, through the text of the Holy Scriptures—for people say, "In the Old and New Testaments, God spoke thus." This method equally is not perfect, because the traditions are understood by the reason. As the reason itself is liable to err, how can it be said that in interpreting the meaning of the traditions it will not err, for it is possible for it to make mistakes, and certainty cannot be attained. For the reason is like a balance, and the meanings contained in the text of the Holy Books are like the thing which is weighed. If the balance is untrue, how can the weight be ascertained?
Know then: that which is in the hands of people, that which they believe, is liable to error. For, in proving or disproving a thing, if a proof is brought forward which is taken from the evidence of our senses, this method, as has become evident, is not perfect; if the proofs are intellectual, the same is true; or if they are from Scriptures, such proofs also are not perfect. Therefore, there is no standard in the hands of people upon which we can rely.
But the bounty of the Holy Spirit gives the true method of comprehension which is infallible and indubitable. This is through the help of the Holy Spirit which comes to man, and this is the condition in which certainty can alone be attained.
(‘Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 297)
“Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.” (Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 85)
Science and Religion
Give brief introduction: mentioning how the harmony of science and religion is one of the central tenets of the Faith: that true science and true religion can never be at odds.
Share diagram:
Religion and Science are both provisional (decide on passages)
"Furthermore, religion must conform to reason and be in accord with the conclusions of science. For religion, reason and science are realities; therefore, these three, being realities, must conform and be reconciled. A question or principle which is religious in its nature must be sanctioned by science. Science must declare it to be valid, and reason must confirm it in order that it may inspire confidence. If religious teaching, however, be at variance with science and reason, it is unquestionably superstition. The Lord of mankind has bestowed upon us the faculty of reason whereby we may discern the realities of things. How then can man rightfully accept any proposition which is not in conformity with the processes of reason and the principles of science? Assuredly such a course cannot inspire man with confidence and real belief." ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p394)
“If any religion rejected Science and knowledge, that religion was false. Science and Religion should go forward together; indeed, they should be like two fingers of one hand.” (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 71)
“Any religious belief which is not conformable with scientific proof and investigation is superstition, for true science is reason and reality, and religion is essentially reality and pure reason; therefore, the two must correspond. Religious teaching which is at variance with science and reason is human invention and imagination unworthy of acceptance, for the antithesis and opposite of knowledge is superstition born of the ignorance of man. If we say religion is opposed to science, we lack knowledge of either true science or true religion, for both are founded upon the premises and conclusions of reason, and both must bear its test.” (‘Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 107)
I emphasize this because many people adopt the position that if science conflicts with their religious understanding, it's because science is "in its infancy" or is "excessively materialistic;"
Now all scientists, and everyone who truly understands science, readily accept that all scientific knowledge is provisional. Science doesn't give us absolute knowledge. It's always possible that an experiment or observation will upset even the most established bit of scientific wisdom. However, the provisional nature of this knowledge doesn't mean it's worthless. Indeed, we can have a high degree of confidence in many of the results of science. It also is true that some sciences are more mature than others. Physics and astronomy, the oldest of the sciences, are very mature as a whole. Modern biology is perhaps less so, besides being a more complex field. The cognitive sciences are very young and no doubt have a long way to go. But we must remember that even relatively immature sciences can tell us useful things about the world in which we live.
I always wondered in school why theories couldn’t be proven just supported and the concept of preponderance [having more facts supporting than disproving] quickly comes up. For every study you hear on the news that says alcohol consumption in such and such a circumstance is beneficial there are a dozen un-newsworthy ones that show it is harmful. Bahá’u’lláh forbids the consumption of alcohol, but interestingly says, “unless it is prescribed by a competent and conscientious physician.” So again, here science is being allowed to have a moderating effect on divine religion.
Science is also a bit arbitrary
In the DSM, the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV,’ used by psychologists to diagnose 100s and 100s of mental diseases, we see a certain arbitrariness. Instead of say having it say if these factors are present the patient has ‘x’ disease, they will list criteria like the examples below:
Autistic disorder: A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3)
Diabetes is established by specific criteria such as fasting sugar greater than 126 on two separate occasions
Interestingly enough, the Bahá'í Faith also regards religious understanding as tentative. The principle of progressive revelation indicates that religious knowledge changes and matures over human history. Absolute truth resides with God alone. We can only approximate it. We must allow our understanding of religion to grow, just as we must allow our understanding of science to grow. Science can and should inform religious understanding, while religious understanding can and should put the results of science in a larger context.
Miscellaneous concept: “…the Cause is not a system of philosophy; it is essentially a way of life, a religious faith that seeks to unite all people on a common basis of mutual understanding and love, and in a common devotion to God.” (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 75)
Miscellaneous concept #2: Quote on the Spiritual education of Children (Taken from Ruhi Book 5): “These schools for academic studies must at the same time be training centres in behaviour and conduct, and they must favour character and conduct above the sciences and arts. Good behaviour and high moral character must come first, for unless the character be trained, acquiring knowledge will only prove injurious. Knowledge is praiseworthy when it is coupled with ethical conduct and virtuous character; otherwise it is a deadly poison, a frightful danger. A physician of evil character, and who betrayeth his trust, can bring on death, and become the source of numerous infirmities and diseases. (Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p.278, from a Persian Tablet)
Progressive Revelation
One of the concepts in the Faith is of Progressive Revelation, that as humanity advances and matures new messengers of God are sent down with new messages. That core spiritual teachings stay the same, such as the Golden Rule, but that social laws advance. Yet each messenger or Manifestation of God, like Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and most recently Bahá'u'lláh, brings the Truth, but that this truth is relative.
I can give an example of this in myself. I broke finger playing football in University. After the surgery, the doctor took measurements and asked me to do certain stretching exercises. 2 weeks later, after seeing my progress, he ordered me to do something else. Each time he saw me he told me the truth, but it changed each time and was suited to my needs at the time.
Unfortunately I was generally heedless of the advice and didn’t obey it as they asked. I felt that I could do my own exercises and it would become straight on its own. (Note: Hold up crocked right ring finger and ignore gasps)
This is Progressive Truth applies to the Divine Messengers as well, as Moses was needed to bring the rule of Law and Justice, whereas Christ primarily taught of love and brought villages together. Mohammad introduced broader teachings that created unity within nations, and Bahá’u’lláh’s mission is to unify the world—the necessity of which anyone with knowledge of world events can readily attest to.
Why Religion is good
Consider whether there exists anywhere in creation a principle mightier in every sense than religion, or whether any conceivable power is more pervasive than the various Divine Faiths, or whether any agency can bring about real love and fellowship and union among all peoples as can belief in an almighty and all-knowing God, or whether except for the laws of God there has been any evidence of an instrumentality for educating all mankind in every phase of righteousness… Nothing can be effected in the world, not even conceivably, without unity and agreement, and the perfect means for engendering fellowship and union is true religion. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 82)
Religion is the light of the world, and the progress, achievement, and happiness of man result from obedience to the laws set down in the holy Books. Briefly, it is demonstrable that in this life, both outwardly and inwardly the mightiest of structures, the most solidly established, the most enduring, standing guard over the world, assuring both the spiritual and the material perfections of mankind, and protecting the happiness and the civilization of society -- is religion. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 70)
It is certain that the greatest of instrumentalities for achieving the advancement and the glory of man, the supreme agency for the enlightenment and the redemption of the world, is love and fellowship and unity among all the members of the human race. Nothing can be effected in the world, not even conceivably, without unity and agreement, and the perfect means for engendering fellowship and union is true religion. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 73)
Humility Needed
Waterfall analogy: God’s bounty, grace, and knowledge can be likened to water in a waterfall with God as the source. Man stands at the bottom and gets this refreshing grace. However, if one places himself at the same level as God or above, we know water doesn’t flow up, so his ego effectively cuts himself off from this Source of knowledge and wisdom. A certain humility is required to acquire truth from God.
Love of the Beauty of Bahá'u'lláh Right-Brain Part of Talk
Here I read the following quotes from Gems of Divine mysteries and give only slight paraphrases…in most cases preferring the quote to speak for itself and indeed the sole purpose being to spread the perfume of this sacred scripture.
“Strive then, O My brother, to apprehend this matter, that the veils may be lifted from the face of thy heart and that thou mayest be reckoned among them whom God hath graced with such penetrating vision as to behold the most subtle realities of His dominion, to fathom the mysteries of His kingdom, to perceive the signs of His transcendent Essence in this mortal world, and to attain a station wherein one seeth no distinction amongst His creatures and findeth no flaw in the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 5)
“Should there be ignited in thy heart the burning brand of the love of God, thou wouldst seek neither rest nor composure, neither laughter nor repose, but wouldst hasten to scale the highest summits in the realms of divine nearness, sanctity, and beauty…Nor wouldst thou repair to thy home and abode unless God would lay bare before thee His Cause.
…For were it not for those effulgent Lights that shine above the horizon of His Essence [Manifestations of God], the people would know not their left hand from their right, how much less could they scale the heights of the inner realities or probe the depths of their subtleties! We beseech God therefore to immerse us in these surging seas, to grace us with the presence of these life-bearing breezes, and to cause us to abide in these divine and lofty precincts. Perchance we may divest ourselves of all that we have taken from each other and strip ourselves of such borrowed garments as we have stolen from our fellow men, that He may attire us instead with the robe of His mercy and the raiment of His guidance, and admit us into the city of knowledge.
Whosoever entereth this city will comprehend every science before probing into its mysteries and will acquire from the leaves of its trees a knowledge and wisdom encompassing such mysteries of divine lordship as are enshrined within the treasuries of creation….Thou wouldst apprehend the most obscure signs and the most abstruse allusions, and wouldst clearly behold the mysteries of the beginning in the point of the end. All matters would be made easy unto thee, fire would be turned into light, knowledge and blessings, and thou wouldst abide in safety within the court of holiness.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 12)
[Chosen because of its beauty] “Unto none is given to quaff even a dewdrop thereof unless he entereth within this city, a city whose foundations rest upon mountains of crimson-coloured ruby, whose walls are hewn of the chrysolite of divine unity, whose gates are made of the diamonds of immortality, and whose earth sheddeth the fragrance of divine bounty.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 15)
“It behoveth him who is a wayfarer in the path of God and a wanderer in His way to detach himself from all who are in the heavens and on the earth. He must renounce all save God, that perchance the portals of mercy may be unlocked before his face and the breezes of providence may waft over him. And when he hath inscribed upon his soul that which We have vouchsafed unto him of the quintessence of inner meaning and explanation, he will fathom all the secrets of these allusions, and God shall bestow upon his heart a divine tranquillity and cause him to be of them that are at peace with themselves. In like manner wilt thou comprehend the meaning of all the ambiguous verses that have been sent down…
Know thou that the passages that We have called "ambiguous" appear as such only in the eyes of them that have failed to soar above the horizon of guidance and to reach the heights of knowledge in the retreats of grace…unto them that have recognized the Repositories of divine Revelation and beheld through His inspiration the mysteries of divine authority, all the verses of God are perspicuous and all His allusions are clear. Such men discern the inner mysteries that have been clothed in the garment of words as clearly as ye perceive the heat of the sun or the wetness of water, nay even more distinctly.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 24)
“We have chosen here to be brief in our elucidation…but if thou be of them that truly believe, thou shalt indeed comprehend all the true meanings of the mysteries enshrined within these Tablets.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 36)
“Had these souls but clung steadfastly to the Handle of God…, had they turned wholly unto God and cast aside all that they had learned from their divines, He would assuredly have guided them through His grace and acquainted them with the sacred truths that are enshrined within His imperishable utterances. For far be it from His greatness and His glory that He should turn away a seeker at His door…But as these people failed to turn wholly unto God…they passed out from under the shadow of guidance and entered the city of error.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 39)
“Wert thou to reflect upon that which We have revealed unto thee, thou wouldst undoubtedly grasp Our purpose in this utterance and discover that which We have desired to impart unto thee within this paradise. Perchance thine eyes may rejoice in beholding it, thine ears take delight in hearing that which is recited therein, thy soul be enthralled by recognizing it, thy heart illumined by comprehending it, and thy spirit gladdened by the fragrant breezes that waft therefrom. Haply thou mayest attain unto the pinnacle of divine grace and abide within the Ridván of transcendent holiness.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 43)
“Yet it behoveth the people of truth that the signs of humility should shine upon their faces, that the light of sanctity should radiate from their countenances, that they should walk upon the earth as though they were in the presence of God and distinguish themselves in their deeds from all the dwellers of the earth.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 58)
“Know thou that he who embarketh upon this journey will marvel at the signs of the power of God and the wondrous evidences of His handiwork. Bewilderment will seize him from every side” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 68)
“Time, however, was lacking, and the traveller who came from thy presence was in great haste and eager to return. Thus have We cut short Our discourse and contented Ourself with this much, without completing the description of these stages in a seemly and befitting manner…
Yet, should thine eminence reflect upon these brief statements, thou wouldst assuredly acquire every knowledge, attain, unto the Object of all learning, and exclaim: ‘Sufficient are these words unto all creation both visible and invisible!’ ” (Bahá’u’lláh, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 77) [From a different source]
“In truth, that knowledge which belongeth unto Mine own Essence is such as none hath ever attained or will ever grasp, nor shall any heart be capable of bearing its weight. Were We to disclose but a single word of this knowledge, the hearts of all men would be filled with consternation, the foundations of all things would crumble into ruin, and the feet of even the wisest among men would be made to slip.
Within the treasury of Our Wisdom there lieth unrevealed a knowledge, one word of which, if we chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause every human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to acknowledge His omniscience, would enable every one to discover the secrets of all the sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find himself wholly independent of all past and future learning. Other knowledges We do as well possess, not a single letter of which We can disclose, nor do We find humanity able to hear even the barest reference to their meaning. Thus have We informed you of the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Were We to find worthy vessels, We would deposit within them the treasures of hidden meanings and impart unto them a knowledge, one letter of which would encompass all created things.” (Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 34)
Thanks Q&A Discussion
(Perhaps create discussion questions next time)
-END-
2004 © Martin Braithwaite
|
