Question

Identify three key beliefs that the Baha’i religion is founded on and how those beliefs have influenced Baha’i practice and self-understanding.

Answer 1

Bahá'í teachings are in some ways similar to other monotheistic faiths: God is consideredsingle and all-powerful. However, Bahá'u'lláh taught that religion is orderly and progressively revealed by one God throughManifestations of God who are the founders of major world religions throughout history;Buddha, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad being the most recent in the period before the Báband Bahá'u'lláh. As such, Bahá'ís regard the major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social practices and interpretations. There is a similar emphasis on the unity of all people, openly rejecting notions of racism and nationalism. At the heart of Bahá'í teachings is the goal of aunified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes.

Letters written by Bahá'u'lláh to various individuals, including some heads of state, have been collected and canonized into a body of Bahá'í scripture that includes works by his son `Abdu'l-Bahá, and also the Báb, who is regarded as Bahá'u'lláh's forerunner. Prominent among Bahá'í literature are theKitáb-i-Aqdas, Kitáb-i-Íqán, Some Answered Questions, and The Dawn-Breakers.

Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humanity.^[10] From these postulates stems the belief that God periodically reveals his will through divine messengers, whose purpose is to transform the character of humankind and to develop, within those who respond, moral and spiritual qualities. Religion is thus seen as orderly, unified, and progressive from age to age.

1. Unity of God:The Bahá'í writings describe a single, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe. The existence of God and theuniverse is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end.Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation, with a will and purpose that is expressed through messengers termedManifestations of God.

Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image of, by themselves. Therefore, human understanding of God is achieved through his revelations via his Manifestations. In the Bahá'í religion, God is often referred to by titles and attributes (for example, the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism. The Bahá'í teachings state that the attributes which are applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and also to help individuals concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path.According to the Bahá'í teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer,reflection, and being of service to others.

2. Unity of religion:Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of the well known religions of the world, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation that is rendered as a text of scripture and passed on through history with greater or lesser reliability but at least true in substance,suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.Specific religious social teachings (for example, the direction of prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established. Conversely, certain general principles (for example, neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. In Bahá'í belief, this process of progressive revelation will not end; it is, however, believed to be cyclical. Bahá'ís do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear within 1000 years of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation.

Bahá'í beliefs are sometimes described assyncretic combinations of earlier religious beliefs.Bahá'ís, however, assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its ownscriptures, teachings, laws, and history.While the religion was initially seen as a sect of Islam, most religious specialists now see it as an independent religion, with its religious background in Shi'a Islam being seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established.Muslim institutions and clergy, both Sunni and Shia, consider Bahá'ís to be deserters or apostates from Islam, which has led to Bahá'ís beingpersecuted. Bahá'ís describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other traditions in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to the modern context.Bahá'u'lláh is believed to have fulfilled themessianic expectations of these precursor faiths.

3. Unity of human being:The Bahá'í writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's status and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through his messengers, and to conform to their teachings.Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Bahá'í writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Bahá'í belief. When a human dies, the soul passes into the next world, where its spiritual development in the physical world becomes a basis for judgment and advancement in the spiritual world. Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next, and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death.

The Bahá'í writings emphasize the essential equality of human beings, and the abolition of prejudice. Humanity is seen as essentially one, though highly varied; its diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance. Doctrines of racism, nationalism, caste, social class, and gender-based hierarchy are seen as artificial impediments to unity.The Bahá'í teachings state that the unification of humanity is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.

Bahá'í practices and self-understanding:

The Bahá'í Faith places great importance on the relationship with God, but not on religious ritual. Bahá'ís have no priesthood or clergy, no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no worship rituals. (Also see Bahai beliefs)

"It is not sufficient for a believer to merely accept and observe the teachings. He should, in addition, cultivate the sense of spirituality, which he can acquire chiefly by the means of prayer. Laws and institutions, as viewed by Bahá'u'lláh, can become really effective only when our inner spiritual life has been perfected and transformed. Otherwise religion will degenerate into a mere organization, and become a dead thing."-- Letter of Shoghi Effendi, published in Bahá'í News, 1936 The practices that are required of Bahá'ís are related more to everyday life than to rituals at the temple. Every Bahá'í is to pray daily, abstain from alcohol and other mind-affecting substances; to practice monogamy; to obtain the consent of parents to marriage; and to attend the Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each month of the Bahá'í calendar.

Bahai practices

Prayer

Every Bahá'í is under the spiritual obligation to pray daily. Bahá'í prayers include both recited prayers and spontaneous, personal prayers. Bahá'u'lláh wrote hundreds of prayers for a variety of situations, such as for general use, for healing, for spiritual growth, for facing difficulties, for marriage, for community life, and for humanity.

Bahá'u'lláh also asked His followers to choose one of three obligatory prayers for recitation each day. The shortest of these prayers is just three sentences long:

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou has created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. ### Meditation

In addition to prescribing daily prayer, Bahá'u'lláh also urged His followers to spend each day in meditation; specifically, to reflect at the end of each day on their deeds and their worth. Other than this suggestion, Bahá'u'lláh did not specify a particular approach to meditation. Instead, each Bahá'í is free to choose his or her own meditational form.

Houses of Worship

Bahá'í Houses of Worship are the gathering places for prayer and meditation and the buildings that most closely approximate a church, mosque, or temple. But they are also intended to be the focus of Bahá'í community life and an expression of the Bahá'í Faith's humanitarian concern.

Bahá'í worship services have no sermon, rituals, or clergy. Services consist of prayers, music, and reading of the scriptures of all religions, especially the writings of the Bahá'í Messenger Bahá'u'lláh. Houses of Worship are open to people of every religion.

There are currently seven Bahá'í houses of worship worldwide, in the following cities:

• Wilmette, Illinois, USA
• Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• Kampala, Uganda
• Sydney, Australia
• Panama City, Panama
• Apia, Samoa
• New Delhi, India

There are currently 120 sites set aside around the world for future Houses of Worship, but Bahá'í local communities tend to emphasize developing the social and spiritual institutions of community life rather than the construction of physical buildings.

Calendar

The Bahá'ís use a calendar established by the Báb and confirmed by Bahá'u'lláh, in which the year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of 4 intercalary days (5 in leap years). The Bahá'í year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bahá'í calendar.

The Nineteen Day Feast

A major centerpiece of Bahá'í community life is the Nineteen-Day Feast. Held once every 19 days, the Feast is the local community's regular worship gathering, and an event that promotes and sustains the unity of the local Bahá'í community.

The Feast always contains three elements: spiritual devotion, administrative consultation, and social fellowship. As such, the Feast combines religious worship with grassroots governance and social enjoyment. Music is often a component of its program, and such music often reflects the geographic and cultural setting.

The Bahá’í Writings have a lot to say about the importance of knowing oneself:

True loss is for him whose days have been spent in utter igno¬rance of his self. (Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 156).

The first Taráz and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abase¬ment, wealth or poverty. (Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 34-35).
What is Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is a self-conscious state where you’re focused on yourself and your well being.

It’s often said, “We cannot change what we will not see.” Self-awareness is the process of acknowledging not only our strengths, but our weaknesses as well. Becoming self-aware entails listening to your body and feelings and taking action based on what you hear.

Bahá’u’lláh, in the Hidden Words (Arabic 31), tells us to: “Bring thyself to account each day” – so this is the best time to check in. If you’re in tune with your body, you’ll know when to say no to that extra piece of cake or say no to staying up late, because those things lead to abasement. You’ll become more in tune with your body the more often you respect it. Self-awareness is a process. The more we do it, the better we become at it.

How do you become self-aware?

These tips will help you in your journey to self-awareness:

1. Reflect on who you are and who you’d like to become. While it’s important to notice your faults and weaknesses, it’s equally important to acknowledge your strengths. Bahá’u’lláh tells us to bring ourselves to account – and bookkeepers who do accounting, always look at both income and expenses; profit and losses – but so many times those from Judeo-Christian backgrounds, just look at the things we didn’t do well. When we only dwell on the negatives, we are continuing to abase ourselves, and we’re not being truthful.

The better we understand ourselves, the better we’ll be able to accept ourselves as we are or change the things we’d like to be different. Self-awareness requires us to be honest with ourselves and have the courage to change the things we can.

• A full recognition of yourself gives you the opportunity to become the self-fulfilled person you’re destined to be.

Looking deep within your soul, you’ll find the many character traits that make you unique. Begin by acknowledging the positive things. This will strengthen and encourage you to face the less favorable character traits without abandoning your new venture.

On the other hand, when evaluating your strengths, don’t let your ego get the best of you. If you magnify either your strengths or your weaknesses, you can’t possibly get a realistic picture of yourself.

• Until you examine the truth of who you are, you cannot move into the person you can become.

2. Pay attention to your likes and dislikes, what makes you happy and unhappy. Far too often, people make life-changing choices without acknowledging deeply rooted personal preferences.

• Before you embark on goals for your future, have a full awareness of the things you especially enjoy and those you prefer not to have in your life.

The best tool for this is to call yourself to account each day:

O SON OF BEING!
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds. (Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words 31)

And recognize what’s good for you:

The first Taraz and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty. (Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 34)

3. Face your inner self. During your self-awareness process, think about your motivations, dreams, fears and stressors. Think about why you feel the way you do, then begin to work toward overcoming these inner battles.

“Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting”.

I love this quote! For years following my abuse, I was so resistant to looking inside. I’d lived through it once when I was a child, and again in therapy. I knew there was a lot more stuff to clean out and I wanted no part of it. But where I wasn’t willing to “turn my sight unto myself” to find more memories, I could “turn my sight unto myself” to find God! That was a whole lot better than finding more abuse, with all its attendant negative emotions!

When I went there, it’s amazing what was released . . . all the neutral and positive memories! A flood of them! They came back all at once, and it helped me to see that as awful as my childhood was, there was something I could build on: my relationship with God.   And I am grateful!

4. Ask your loved ones’ opinions. The Bahá’í Writings tell us to consult in all things. Talk to people who know you best and really listen to what they see as your dominant character traits and motivations. Ask them to be completely honest with you and be prepared to hear their opinions.

For further assistance in this complex matter of self and its attributes you may find it helpful to consult Bahá’ís who have been trained in psychology and psychiatry (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer 14 August 1977)

• You may not be your own best judge of character. Accept the way your loved ones see you as part of this process. Consider their opinions along with your own analysis in order to see the full picture of who you are

Self-awareness is a necessary part of self-esteem and change. If you want to grow as an individual, begin with a complete and honest picture of who you are now. This total awareness will start your journey to becoming the best you can be.