Baha'i Perspectives

sam September 9th, 2009

Emotional pain is a reality that is given an inadequate amount of attention in the lives of the majority of people. The wounds caused by certain incidents and interactions are not necessarily visibly evident. This causes the pain to be ignored and oftentimes numbed with a large dose of alcohol or through irrational acts that transfer the harm to another individual. These “prescriptions” offer only an escape from the immediate pain. How to properly deal with the hurt is a lesson that society has yet to learn and it is only now that the issue is being given more attention. Only now are psychologists are being sought out, councillors approached and friends confided in on a regular basis. This is a stark contrast to the old way of dealing with emotional damage, which involved sucking it in and suffering in silence. As is often seen with change, the immediate action taken is either excessive or inadequate, nevertheless, society is slowly figuring out how to address it.

The first step to finding a solution to a problem is acceptance and then an attempt to understand its nature. A direct comparison can be made between physical wounds and emotional ones. If a person receives a physical wound such as a cut, first aid is administered and it is cleaned, unsanitary objects are kept away and time is taken to ensure the breach is dealt with carefully and immediately. If the wound is deep, medical care is sought immediately and action is taken in a prompt fashion. Furthermore, time and care is taken to allow it to heal and all possible attempts are made to ensure minimal scaring on our physical frame.

The concept should be the same with the emotional “frame”. We receive wounds from harmful or difficult moments in our lives. These cause emotional wounds and healing is needed. The problem is that we do not treat these wounds in the same way. By ignoring them, we leave them to heal without care. If a bone is broken, a doctor sets it properly. If not set properly, the bone will heal a manner that will cause a weakness to the skeletal structure. It may hold up for a while but when put under strain will break or cause unnecessary pain during certain conditions. Before it has fully set there is still the chance that the bone can be broken and re-set properly under the supervision of an expert physician, someone whose expertise will allow for the bone to be fixed as best as possible.

If the impact of this attitude on physical wellbeing is considered, one can evidently see how weak the body would be and how susceptible to future damage it would be. Similarly, if an emotional wound does not heal well, it will always be an area that is weak and susceptible to further injury. Therefore, understanding this concept gives an individual the awareness of both their reactions to people and also ensuring that they are careful to what they expose themselves to.

The trials Thou sendest are a salve to the sores of all them who are devoted to Thy will…

(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 78)

While reflecting on dealing with the wounds one must also look at the scars that are inevitably going to be left behind. Generally, a scar is a lesson learned. An intelligent person will come away from an injury having learned not to put themselves in that situation again. If a child gets burned by a hot object they have learned the lesson that hot objects cause pain. The pain leaves an imprint in the mind that can either be seen as a positive (lesson learned) or a negative (the pain of the burn). When one sees the pain as a lesson, coping with it becomes intelligent and composed. The approach is rational and the lesson is focused upon. An escapist attitude is not adopted and therefore the wound heals well. The scar left behind is strong and minimalistic.

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit…

(Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 50)

However, it is rare that emotional pain is seen as an opportunity for growth and progress. All too often in our lives that lesson is not learned! This is mainly due to the fact that a competent remedy was not sought and the issue addressed without the skilled guidance of an expert physician. This means we are left with a scar that is viewed in the negative light and becomes a hindrance to our moving forward with the healing process. A grave situation arises and if not addressed before a long time has passed, can leave a lasting impression on the person. It can potentially impact our interactions with people and certain situations and can be the cause of great discomfort and more pain. From the outset this can be avoided by seeking correct guidance and then reflecting on how best to apply it to ones situation. The guidance found at the current time is overwhelming in number and confusing in the diverse opinions offered. What better place to look for a cure than from a Physician divine in nature.

Every divine Manifestation is the very life of the world, and the skilled physician of each ailing soul. The world of man is sick, and that competent Physician knoweth the cure, arising as He doth with teachings, counsels and admonishments that are the remedy for every pain, the healing balm to every wound. It is certain that the wise physician can diagnose his patient’s needs at any season, and apply the cure.

(Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 58)

Tags: healing, tests

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nadim September 2nd, 2009

In his book Change and Habit: The Challenge of Our Times, one of the 20th century’s most respected historians, Arnold J. Toynbee, puts his in-depth knowledge of human history and his concerns for its future into focus. He suggests that to avoid self-destruction and move towards unification, humanity must make a radical break from deeply ingrained habits built up over many generations. In cross-referencing Toynbee’s findings with the Baha’i writings, we discover a striking harmony between lessons learnt from history and Baha’i guidelines on lasting peace.

4. Should we be worried?

While researching this post, I stumbled across this list of sci-fi clichés, the ones we are repeatedly subjected to in movies and TV shows. Here are a few:

Today, we use crystals to make digital watches work. In the future, they’ll power entire starships.

“Reversing the polarity” is the solution to virtually every engineering crisis. It’s the futuristic equivalent of “turning it off and on again”.

Any intergalactic federation of planets will have a human president.

In the future, individuality, creativity and sex will be outlawed – and suppressed by a daily dose of drugs – while overpopulation will be solved by enforced euthanasia. Or… only heavy-metal fans will survive the apocalypse.

Laughable as some of these scenarios are, isn’t it strange that when postulating about the future many of them will sneak their way into our frame of reference? Some, like the first three above, are laughed away and soon forgotten, whereas scenarios like the last one, a future devoid of individuality and creativity, are a little harder to shake.

Toynbee himself ponders the potential effect that a future world authority would have on human creativity, and presents the following fictional metaphor as a warning –  based on the real-life stagnation and decline of the great Roman empire:

It is said to have been reported to one of the Roman emperors, as a piece of good news, that one of his subjects had invented a process for manufacturing unbreakable glass. The emperor gave orders that the inventor should be put to death and that the records of his invention should be destroyed. If the invention had been put on the market, the manufacturers of ordinary glass would have been put out of business; there would have been unemployment that would have caused political unrest, and perhaps revolution; and then the World might have been thrown back into the turmoil from which the Roman world-state had salvaged it.

The emperor clearly made an error of judgement by ordering the death of the inventor of unbreakable glass, much as he deemed it a necessary price to pay for maintaining the status quo. History has proven that states which stifle conscience and creativity are doomed to extinction (take for example the fate of the former Communist bloc).

It seems these days that humanity is caught between, on the one hand, acknowledgement that looming world catastrophes such as environmental or nuclear destruction can only permanently be addressed by having empowered world authorities, contrasted by a fear of “signing our lives and freedoms away” to the so-called mega state.

The result is a passionate debate within various strata in society, a debate that most Baha’is, as advocates of world unity, will at some point be engaged in. Let us examine, then, some of the common arguments or misconceptions against world governance and perhaps offer alternative views:

1. Loss of freedom. This particular fear, or variants of it, are certainly among the greatest of all barriers in peoples’ minds. But let’s turn this argument on it’s head. Today’s governments use and abuse the “freedom” of national sovereignty to spend hugely on increasingly sophisticated armaments, far beyond what is necessary. Consider, if checks and balances were enforced to prevent this from happening, just how much more money could be channeled towards improving education or providing better healthcare?

2. Greater bureaucracy. While this may be true in certain situations, it can also be stated that challenges such as reducing global warming could actually do with increased bureaucracy and sanction, rather than the carbon emission free-for-all occurring around us all the time.

3. Dictatorship. It is interesting to note that where the law of the land precludes dictatorship from happening, it generally doesn’t. Take the federated union of American states discussed in the previous part of this series, or more recently, the states which together formed the European Union. These two examples are key evidence that world governance does not necessarily imply dictatorship – and the power of the law can ensure it.

For the sake of brevity I will leave it there but would love to hear your own additions to this list. To end, I recall a talk delivered by one of my favourite Baha’i speakers, noted for his powers of intellect and occasional infusions of offbeat humour. Describing the vision of the future mentioned in the major Holy Scriptures, one of peace, unity and everyone getting along with each other, all of a sudden he exclaims: “But wouldn’t life be boring?!”

Chuckles fill the room, accompanied by a few barely discernible nods, and then an expectant pause. It is at this point that he presents this quotation from Shoghi Effendi, a glimpse into the exciting challenges that actually lie in store for the human race:

Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of
human inventions and technical development,
to the increase of the productivity of mankind,
to the extermination of disease,
to the extension of scientific research,
to the raising of the standard of physical health,
to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain,
to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet,
to the prolongation of human life,
and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.

(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u'llah, p.204)

Tags: creativity, Toynbee

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sam July 9th, 2009

“A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips”, these uncomfortable sayings ominously follow us around like a black cloud. Squeeze our conscience, whether looking at a menu in a restaurant, or visiting the supermarket (feeling the overwhelming draw towards the dessert section) or during a lazy afternoon at home. It is a rude reminder of the dangers of falling victim to our appetites. However, we provide ourselves with excuses: “Just one more”; “It’s a celebration”; “I deserve it” ; ”I need it” ; “It’s a reward”; “If I don’t eat it, it will go to waste”. Occasionally, we use food to fill our spare time, internally claiming we have nothing better to do than find something tasty to eat!

This reality contrasts starkly with the growing obsession to look good and diet. The whole concept has become such a ubiquitous preoccupation in society that it dominates and dictates the thoughts and goals of many peoples’ lives. Everything, all the way up to advertising, is aimed at looking good and eating healthily-with a very unhealthy leaning towards weight loss! Simultaneously, we are bombarded with images of skinny models devouring hidden chocolate, fattening ice cream, fast food or calorie-filled drinks while miraculously looking so slender and toned. Advertising and the media provides us with norms. Images teach us we deserve flavour, should succumb to temptations and are entitled to eat what we like while maintaining desired figures. We are taught that distorted body images are healthy and that was is actually healthy is boring. Society is geared towards tasty fattening fast fixes, and immediate gratification without adequate warning of the effects thereof. This quote from Abdu’l-Bahá perhaps best explains this conundrum we are facing.

Abdu’l-Bahá states:

But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites, and he would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for himself food that was compounded of many ingredients, of substances differing one from the other. With this, and with the perpetrating of vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse.

When the subject of eating healthily is investigated more thoroughly, moving away from the purely weight loss aspect of the process, the impact our diets have on our wellbeing as individuals as well as on general society becomes apparent.  According to the Báb:

The Báb hath said that the people of Bahá must develop the science of medicine to such a high degree that they will heal illnesses by means of foods. The basic reason for this is that if, in some component substance of the human body, an imbalance should occur, altering its correct, relative proportion to the whole, this fact will inevitably result in the onset of disease.

It is increasingly accepted that overeating or undereating has a huge role in general health. Interestingly, there is now a new focus emerging in the public health sector; namely, the effect our diet has on the overall health of our body and minds as well as a preventative for disease.

Even the meaning of eating healthy has drastically changed over the years. As recently as 2005, the well-known and commonly accepted ideas that were prevalent in society were improved. The Harvard School of Public Health has designed a guide to healthy eating known as the Healthy Eating Pyramid based on 15 years of research. This period has reshaped the definition of healthy eating providing us with a wealth of insight into the matter. As part of the research, it was discovered that through adopting the methods and new diet, stressing on the consumption of whole grains, vegetables and exercise, the risks of falling victim to diseases that have plagued many individuals are considerably reduced. It also offers the very welcome concept of not worrying about the grams consumed but rather the type of food. A delightful idea for those of us that enjoy sizeable portions of food! On the other hand though, not as welcome when you are considering devouring that extra chocolate bar you have stashed away for a better time or thinking of heading to the local fast food joint for an extra large portion of fish and chips!

A lot of encouragement is taken from the guidance offered by these discoveries and from the direction the research in this field is taking us. Through careful consideration of our eating habits as well as the types of food we eat the lives of individuals can and in many cases have been considerably eased as well as improved. The field of healthy eating is indeed vast and still very much in its infancy. Through accepting and adjusting ourselves to the new discoveries a healthier way of life is formed and perhaps one could venture to say, a healthier society can be achieved.

Tags: food, health

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nadim July 7th, 2009

In his book Change and Habit: The Challenge of Our Times, one of the 20th century’s most respected historians, Arnold J. Toynbee, puts his in-depth knowledge of human history and his concerns for its future into focus. He suggests that to avoid self-destruction and move towards unification, humanity must make a radical break from deeply ingrained habits built up over many generations. In his quest to pinpoint these habits, Toynbee examines the would-be world states and would-be world religions that have appeared in human history, considers the impact they have had on our collective identity and then suggests the factors that, once realized, would bring us closer to the dream of a united world. In cross-referencing Toynbee’s findings with the Baha’i writings, we discover a striking harmony between lessons learnt from history and Baha’i guidelines on lasting peace.

3. Federalism as the way forward?

Given Toynbee’s assertion that world governance cannot be imposed by force if it is to succeed, do cases exist where voluntary union between member states has taken place and actually proven a success? Is there a positive model we can refer to and use as a point of reference? Well, peering back into the 1700s we find one such case, where a divided and oft-times hostile community was united under one system:

The stirring of a new national consciousness, and the birth of a new type of civilization, infinitely richer and nobler than any which its component parts could have severally hoped to achieve, may be said to have proclaimed the coming of age of the American people.

By agreeing to the federal system of governance, the member states of the United States of America ensured their own survival while simultaneously yielding to the promise of an “infinitely richer and nobler” civilization than they could alone achieve. Given their evident success against what seemed like impossible odds, there is quite clearly something related to the principle of federalism that holds promise for a global implementation of this model. Abdu’l-Baha, perceiving this potential, went so far as to encourage a high-ranking official in the U.S. government who had questioned Him as to the best manner in which he could promote the interests of his government and people:

You can best serve your country… if you strive, in your capacity as a citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application of the principle of federalism underlying the government of your own country to the relationships now existing between the peoples and nations of the world.

Beyond the need for world leaders to rise to unprecedented heights of political maturity and high-mindedness in order to set up global federal structures, Toynbee mentions two mental barriers at the level of each individual that often impede progress towards the sense of world-citizenship spoken of by Abdu’l-Baha.

The first is to do with feelings of psychological discomfort. According to this theory from evolutionary psychology, there is a limit to the number of stable social relationships that we can maintain. This number varies widely depending on a variety of factors, but the upper limit (known as Dunbar’s Number) is about 150 relationships. Granted this number is open to debate with the emergence of online social networking, yet the fact remains that since the neolithic age we have been hard-wired to maintain strong relationships with no more than our family and a handful of close friends. And even though the sizes of our societal units have long since grown beyond our capacity to “connect” with everyone, there remains, according to some psychologists, an inherent fear of feeling dwarfed by the system.

In the end this fear is unfounded, states Toynbee. The price of feeling an extra bit of psychological discomfort for belonging to a slightly larger system is negligible when compared to the guarantee of a more prosperous future for all.

The second barrier which Toynbee mentions, and which is addressed directly by the Baha’i teachings, are physiological factors: cultural differences, racial prejudices, feelings of class superiority (in fact, all forms of blind imitation). In other words, emotions that run counter to the principle of the oneness of the human race — a truth with all the sciences affirm but which, as individuals, we have struggled to embrace. Baha’u'llah, Whose mission was to propel mankind towards the promised age of universal brotherhood, transcendent of man-made limitations, has stated in The Hidden Words:

68. O CHILDREN OF MEN!

Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

By consciously acting this lesson out and encouraging others to do the same, we put God’s most recent counsel into practice in our daily lives. We learn to consider all as equals, brothers and sisters of a single human race, and in a very practical sense bring to life the concept of world citizenship. We find also that the pyschological and physiological barriers mentioned by Toynbee are far from insurmountable. And it follows that by our actions we are opening doors to more perfect systems of governance, such as world federalism, which will be greatly superior to the outdated models in our midst.

Tags: federalism, Toynbee, world-citizen

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leila July 2nd, 2009

“So,” my mom asked warily, feigning a casual air, “what kind of people ride the bus with you?”

I’m a regular on the 16th Street bus.  On brisk autumn days, I dash to catch the S2; heave my boots through the February snow to find the S4 whizz by; my sticky flip-flops drag me to the stop at Irving Street on a sweltering August afternoon.

I love the 16th Street bus.  It’s a microcosm of D.C., the Washington that most people don’t know — those who are fed images on the evening news of middle-aged white men in drab suits fillibustering on the floor of Congress, or business-casual wealthy foreign ministers dodging protesters past the IMF.

“I don’t know,” I replied nonchalantly to my mom.  “There are all types.”

That conversation echoed in my mind as I shifted uncomfortably on the blue plastic bench, unable to concentrate on my book.  So I lowered my glasses and gazed through the window, past the girl sharing my seat.  She was a typical of the young professionals that descend upon this city, brown hair tied messily in a bun and stitching purposefully at her needlepoint.  The sun cast a nostalgic glow as I peered past her, its rays descending yawningly and twinkling through the dense trees at Carter Barron Park, where multihued children scurried on its vast lawn.

My roommate calls that stretch of 16th Street “The Avenue of Obscure Religions,” and it’s true—from the Third Church of Christ, Scientist to the Buddhist Vihara Society to the Tifareth Israel Congregation (and the D.C. Bahá’í Center, which is my reason for frequenting that route), it’s a veritable buffet of spiritual offering.  It makes me think, sometimes, of the concept of progressive revelation:

Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 81.)

My contemplation was interrupted when the bus halted to a stop on Alison Street, to let on a gaggle of Ethiopian women heading toward church.  Draped in gauzy white, their gleaming eyes reflected the warm radiance of dusk as they shuffled onto the bus.  It made me remember a warm Saturday evening in Tel Aviv, when I waltzed into a Ethiopian restaurant owned by Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia, gelato in hand, to pick up take-out injera for friends, only to be stopped by the “We Keep Kosher” sign.

When Moses appeared, the tribes of Israel were in a state of disunion as captives of the Pharaohs. Moses gathered them together, and the divine law established fellowship among them. They became as one people, united, consolidated, after which they were rescued from bondage. They passed into the promised land, advanced in all degrees, developed sciences and arts, progressed in material affairs, increased in divine or spiritual civilization until their nation rose to its zenith in the sovereignty of Solomon. It is evident, therefore, that religion is the cause of unity, fellowship and progress among mankind. The function of a shepherd is to gather the sheep together and not to scatter them.

Jumping up to offer my seat to a young woman and her child, I clung tightly to the pole as the bus weaved its way through the early evening traffic, grabbing my bag lest it swing and swipe the elderly Salvadoran gentleman stooped next to me.  His lowered head didn’t hide the creases in his weather-worn cheeks, nor the cross around his neck that he absentmindedly stroked.

Then Christ appeared. He united varying and divergent creeds and warring people of His time. He brought together Greeks and Romans, reconciled Egyptians and Assyrians, Chaldeans and Phoenicians. Christ established unity and agreement among people of these hostile and warring nations. Therefore, it is again evident that the purpose of religion is peace and concord.

A chocolate-skinned man with an overbite cradled his toddler daughter, seated toward the front.  She was curled in his lap, her head resting against his chest, a pink Dora the Explorer backpack engulfing her back.  The bus heaved forward, and his hands tangled past his daughter’s dangling sneakered soles to catch the set of auburn glass prayer beads that slipped out of his pocket.

Likewise, Muhammad appeared at a time when the peoples and tribes of Arabia were divergent and in a state of continual warfare. They killed each other, pillaged and took captive wives and children. Muhammad united these fierce tribes, established a foundation of fellowship among them so that they gave up warring against each other absolutely and established communities. The result was that the Arabian tribes freed themselves from the Persian yoke and Roman control, established an independent sovereignty which rose to a high degree of civilization, advanced in sciences and arts, extended the Saracen dominion as far west as Spain and Andalusia and became famous throughout the world. Therefore, it is proved once more that the religion of God is intended to be the cause of advancement and solidarity and not of enmity and dissolution. If it becomes the cause of hatred and strife, its absence is preferable. Its purpose is unity, and its foundations are one.

I yanked the cord at Madison Street a little too late, and the driver screeched to a halt halfway past the block.  Tucking my book into my bag, I descended into the patch of weeds that separated the asphalt from the sidewalk, the evening dew dampening my leather sandals, acquired ages ago in Brazil and surviving a year’s worth of Friday afternoon paces around the Haram-i-Aqdas.  Stepping reverently toward the Bahá’í Center for the Ninth Day of Ridván celebration, my eyes lit up when little Skyy, multiple braids adorning her head, grabbed my hand and cautioned me not to step on the path of rose petals that welcomed us.

When Bahá’u’lláh appeared in Persia, violent strife and hatred separated the peoples and tribes of that country. They would not come together for any purpose except war; they would not partake of the same food, or drink of the same water; association and intercourse were impossible. Bahá’u’lláh founded the oneness of humanity among these people and bound their hearts together with such ties of love that they were completely united. He reestablished the prophetic foundations, reformed and renewed the principles laid down by the Messengers of God who had preceded Him. And now it is hoped that through His life and teachings the East and West shall become so united that no trace of enmity, strife and discord shall remain.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace.  Talk at Church of the Divine Paternity, 19 May 1912.  Central Park West, New York.)

Tags: faith, progressive revelation, religion

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nava June 21st, 2009

Silence descends upon an arena of thousands. Only the quiet drumming of hearts beating faster and faster in anticipation pierces the thick hush of a crowd poised to triumph or mourn. In a space filled seconds before with screaming and cheering, all stay perfectly still awaiting the sound- the trumpet blast for some and the executioner’s call for others-of ball in net. Woosh. Gooooaaal!! Thousands jump to their feet. All screaming. Some in celebration. Others in despair. Some avid fans who are easily riled up. Others who actually staked significant sums on that momentous ball-in-net moment.

The drama of it all is not lost on me. The excitement, the rush of blood to the head, the endorphines. I get it. Sports are a big deal. For countless reasons. Some meritorious; others not so much.

Regardless of the pros and cons of local, national and international sporting events, how can any one of us feel comfortable living in a world where a company is willing to shell out 132 million dollars for a soccer player while entire pockets of the population in nearby regions die of malaria because they don’t have access to the 10 dollars needed to purchase a bed net.

Clearly our financial woes are not solely material. Our financial problems are deeply rooted in the decaying morality of a materialistic credo that gorges on frivolity, o.d.’s on self-centered pleasure pursuits and panics at the thought of having to prolong gratification for any considerable amount of time.

Does this mean we should send our money off right now to XY&Z agency so that it can buy mosquito nets for those who need them? Is that the solution? It might help, but it’s like plugging one leak in a dam so filled with holes it’s about 10 seconds away from bursting. I’m not discouraging charity. I’m just saying it’s not enough. A solely material solution to one ramification of a moral crisis is not going to rebuild the dam. Besides, with countless episodes of corrupt leaders whose sticky fingers dripping in greed just can’t seem to find their way out of the money jar, it’s not entirely implausible that your capital will help a self-indulgent hypocrite finance his or her latest vacation home.

The problems are complex. The symptoms are overwhelming. And as a first step we need to rightly diagnose the disease. If we keep insisting that impoverished nations, for instance, need nothing more than money thrown at them, or that populations dying of venerial diseases simply need more condoms, the overwhelming symptoms will not only never disappear, they will continue to amass until there really is no hope.

So then is the solution merely spiritual? Should we all organize 24-hour prayer campaigns and write pretty songs and lengthy blog posts to praise peace and talk about how we’re all one and the children are our future? Is that going to feed the starving children? Is that going to cure the diseased?

For an entire nation to be lifted out of poverty, you can’t just erase debt and then hope the nation doesn’t amass it again.  I don’t think there are easy answers or simple solutions to any of this. You can’t wave a wand and expect fundamental problems to just vanish.  But you can’t avoid problems simply because you don’t have the solutions. These age-old problems need new approaches. The people of the world need to be empowered.  The most oppressed from among us need to have a voice. Not just a venue in which to speak. But they need to actually be given tools to learn how to use their voices.

Part II will focus on what actually constitutes oppression, as well as some of the fledgling movements aimed at empowering all human beings.

Tags: development, empowerment, poverty

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iman May 26th, 2009

Recently, the following cute story was shared with me by a mother:

After the mother had explained to her 5-year-old son about the importance of preferring your “brother”, or thinking of others ahead of yourself, the 5-year-old brother chases his 8-year-old sister around the house repeatedly trying to force her to accept something which she doesn’t particularly want. When asked by his mother to explain his behaviour, he reminds her of what she had explained to him about preferring others ahead of himself…

Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself. Verily, such a man is reckoned, by virtue of the Will of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, with the people of Baha who dwell in the Crimson Ark.

Baha’u'llah : Tablets of Baha’u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas

Drawing a parallel to this story, in today’s commercial world where personal gain seems to be driving force behind most individuals or organisations, one should be wary of being taken advantage of or over-exploited, whilst at the same time not disregarding the need to consciously heed the aforementioned quotation.

I feel that over-cautious cynicism and the expectation of “good” always being returned prevents us from wholeheartedly preferring our fellow man ahead of ourselves.  What are ways in which we can overcome these hindrances?

Starting at the apex of the organisational pyramid, those in prominent positions — leaders of organisations or rulers of countries — could go a long way in dispelling cynicism if a sincere effort is made in upholding altruistic principles:

Concerning the prerequisites of the learned, He saith: “Whoso among the learned guardeth his self, defendeth his faith, opposeth his desires, and obeyeth his Lord’s command, it is incumbent upon the generality of the people to pattern themselves after him….”

Baha’u'llah : The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

At the level of the individual, the expectation of personal gain dims our potential to be genuinely sacrificial:

…a religious individual must disregard his personal desires and seek in whatever way he can wholeheartedly to serve the public interest; and it is impossible for a human being to turn aside from his own selfish advantages and sacrifice his own good for the good of the community except through true religious faith.  For self-love is kneaded into the very clay of man, and it is not possible that, without any hope of a substantial reward, he should neglect his own present material

Abdu’l-Baha : The Secret of Divine Civilization

Tags: sacrifice

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