Unity in Diversity

The following is a section from “The World Order of Baha'u'llah” by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of Baha’i faith. It clearly defines what the “Unity in Diversity” truly means.

“Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the world-wide Law of Bahá'u'lláh. Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity such as 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself has explained:

'Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children of men.'

The call of Bahá'u'lláh is primarily directed against all forms of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices. If long-cherished ideals and time-honored institutions, if certain social assumptions and religious formulae have ceased to promote the welfare of the generality of mankind, if they no longer minister to the needs of a continually evolving humanity, let them be swept away and relegated to the limbo of obsolescent and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, in a world subject to the immutable law of change and decay, be exempt from the deterioration that must needs overtake every human institution? For legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.”

(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 41)

Posted via web from The Garden of Heart

Overcome to achieve the oneness of mankind

In the last post, we have discussed that the principle of oneness of mankind is “the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh revolve” (Shoghi Effendi). This is basically saying, to me at least, all teachings of Baha’i Faith, as beautiful as they are by themselves, will not be properly understood without referring to, or serving to this one single purpose, i.e. the unification of whole human race. Looking from this perspective, the social teachings of Baha’i Faith could be viewed as to provide means to overcome all obstacles standing in the way for achieving the oneness of mankind.

We can easily list out some of the most obvious and detrimental barriers that prevent diverse people from being united:

• Racial prejudices that there are certain intrinsic differences between races that imply one group of people is superior to another;
• Religious fanatics that one believing system possesses the monopoly of truth and others are deserved to be condemned;
• Extreme nationalism;
  
• There is intrinsic and irreconcilable difference between religion and science and people could choose one of the schools but not both;
• The different roles of man and woman played in the society are viewed as intrinsic difference of capacities which implies one is superior to another;
• The imbalance and conflict caused by extreme wealth and extreme poverty;
• The lack of basic education prevents certain group of people from being fully participating in social activities thus being viewed as inferior to others;
• Different career positions in society are viewed as an indicator of one’s social status, and those status are ranked hierarchically;
• Different languages create a barrier of communication thus cause misunderstanding between people of different regions;
• …

For each and every above listed situation or point of view there is corresponding teaching in Baha’i faith that either puts it in right perspective or provides a mean to amend it. If we view human collective life (society) as an organism like human body, all of these listed points of view or conditions could be viewed as diseases that have eaten into the vital part of our current society. And Baha’is believe that only a Messenger of God can provide remedies:

“The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity…they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained.”( Baha'u'llah)

Looking from another perspective, those obstacles in its essence are really misconceptions about the true reality (social and spiritual). The objective reality originated from an All-Powerful Force has its underlying structure and follows predetermined laws independent of what our subjective understanding of it. As great as human minds are, we are impotent to come up with a model that describes accurately all its aspects of this reality. We are forever, if we are humble enough to realize this, in need of guidance from our Creator to form an ever more accurate conception about who we are and how is human society supposed to be organized. I believe that not able to realize this needful human condition is the cause of most human sufferings: “The root cause of wrongdoing is ignorance.”  We are just like a stubborn kid, not knowing any better, but refused to listen. We act according to our malformed concepts of the reality. We stumble naturally, and cry out: “Why this happened to me?”

The following quote is one of my favorite:

“The Laws of God are not imposition of will, or of power, or pleasure, but the resolutions of truth, reason and justice.” (Abdu'l-Baha)

Posted via web from The Garden of Heart

The Principle of Oneness

Recently I have a precious chance to study with a friend one of the writings of Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith) “The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh”. The Guardian’s writings are beautiful and poetic, but sometimes are difficult for me to grasp. The help of friend makes it a bit easier to comprehend. I thoroughly enjoyed our study.

Perhaps, every Baha’i can tell something about the principle of oneness of mankind which is indeed the central theme of Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings. But I have never come to understand its deep implications as Guardian so well and frankly stated in the following quotes:

“Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind … is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cooperation among individual peoples and nations.”

So the oneness is neither merely brotherhood and good-well, nor just harmonious cooperation, as great as these may well be. What is it then?  Guardian continued:

“Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence.”

Again the Guardian clearly stated that the influence of this spiritual force will impact every aspects of the life of the society:

"It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society … It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world -- a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units."

This principle of oneness of mankind is not just an ideal appearing suddenly out of no where. It is really a continuous step within a long development process of human collective life:

“It represents the consummation of human evolution -- an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.”

Do we have any options to choose whether to have or stop this final stage of human social development?  After reading the following quote, we better get prepared one way or another. Or even better to help along to build it:

“The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.”