Saturday, June 5, 2010

The multi-faceted spherical Reality

I believe that the Revelation of Baha'u'llah is like a multi-faceted spherical reality, with some of His Writings addressing facets or aspects of the sphere and others describing the whole; when something is a complete set, such as the laws in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Hidden Words, or the Words of Wisdom they can be taken as descriptions of the whole. I thought there was another quote like this one, if anyone finds it please let me know, but this also supports the theme:
"Such is the state of the wayfarers in this Valley [the Valley of Knowledge]; but the people of the Valleys above this see the end and the beginning as one; nay, they see neither beginning nor end, and witness neither "first" nor "last." [1] Nay rather, the denizens of the undying city, who dwell in the green garden land, see not even "neither first nor last"; they fly from all that is first, and repulse all that is last. For these have passed over the worlds of names, and fled beyond the worlds of attributes as swift as lightning. Thus is it said: "Absolute Unity excludeth all attributes." [2] And they have made their dwelling-place in the shadow of the Essence.
(Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 14)
So I think the pain of the Valley of Love and the confusion of the Valley of Knowledge come in the first case from having knowledge of one facet of the sphere and not knowing how it relates to the whole, and thus running into pain in applying it until it is figured out, and in the second case from not knowing what the facets mean in terms of each other and how to apply them, thus not knowing what one can expect from God.
I found this particularly frustrating in my daily attempts to live a Baha'i life because I would use a particular quote a lot and then not know what other virtues were necessary to properly apply it. After recognizing this, I am compiling a list of all the quote I know of that I believe can be used safely in guiding ones' every-day thoughts by contemplating the verse or by seeing how a thought relates to it; most of them make themselves apparent:
"We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or old. Well is it with him that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty."
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 50)
"That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 255)
"The Great Being saith: The Tongue of Wisdom proclaimeth: He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me. I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight."
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 169)
Now the time has come when we must part, but the separation is only of our bodies; in spirit we are united. Ye are the lights which shall be diffused; ye are the waves of that sea which shall spread and overflow the world. Each wave is precious to me, and my nostrils shall be gladdened by your remembrance. Another commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another even as I love you. Great mercy and blessings are promised to the people of your land, but on one condition; that their hearts be filled with the fire of love, that they live in perfect harmony and kindness like one soul in different bodies, like one soul in different bodies. Never forget this; look at one another with the eye of perfection; look at me, follow me, be as I am; take no thought for yourselves or your lives, whether ye eat or whether ye sleep, whether ye are comfortable, whether ye are well or ill, whether ye are with friends or foes, whether ye receive praise or blame; for all these things ye must care not at all. Look at me and be as I am; ye must die to yourselves and to the world, so ye shall be born again and enter the kingdom of heaven. Behold the candle, how it gives light. It weeps its life away drop by drop in order to give forth its flame of light. The time has come when we must part, but the separation is only of our bodies; in spirit we are united forever.
(Compilations, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 503) ('Abdu'l-Baha is considered the 'perfect Exemplar' of the Baha'i Teachings, among other things)
"Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abha Beauty and teach the Cause of God."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 448)
From this last one, ANY quote about teaching is universal because it is coming from the whole and looking back at gaining a greater understanding of the parts.
And there are at least several others.
These address different aspects of the how and the what and the belief that gives life to it, but they are all safe. If one was relied on exclusively it might lead to depression because one did not know the other aspects of the whole picture (except in the case of "look at Me.") and the regular practices prescribed by Baha'u'llah are the healthiest way to interact with His Revelation (including studying! Don't forget that one!); the daily obligatory prayers are also whole.  If anyone has figured out how to get through the day without applying a bombardment of quotes, please let me know your secret.

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