The concept of guilt and shame is multi-faceted, and critical to understand when engaged in the field of civilization building, which is of course what we all are, consciously or unconsciously, part of and contribute to. It applies and has influence over every sector and sphere of human existence: personal, communal and global. It affects our psyche and mental capabilities, it affects us spiritually.

When attempting to begin a discussion on this topic, and see how it operates and functions within the construct of a Bahá’í perspective, one must envision the Bahá’í revelation as a sphere with the many points dotted across its surface. Some are on opposing sides, but still remain part of the entire matrix that represent the epistemological aspects of the Bahá’í Faith.

Thus when investigating the field and role of shame, one has to simultaneously look to what may seem as those opposite sides of the sphere – those points which can be identified as “encouragement”, “honor”, “justice” and “nobility”. From this perspective it is not possible to operate successfully in this world without understanding this balance and other counterweighing factors.

Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame.

(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 63)

We can deduce from this statement that shame is a positive force that propels us through with a balanced perspective in life, and in fact guards us against what is “unworthy” of our being. This naturally flows into one of the foundational concepts of human existence: the nobility of man. Baha’u'llah states:

13. O SON OF SPIRIT!

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

(Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)

One of the hallmarks found in the Bahá’í Writings is that we should continuously look to the positive aspects of our person. We should not dwell on, though we should identify, those lower aspects of our nature that result in actions that cause us to feel shame. Often times, we feel guilt for the outcomes of our actions, which I think is a distracting tendency. We should instead look to the root issue. It is the difference between administering to a symptom as opposed to addressing the disease or malady directly.

Again, when attempting to envision the concept of guilt through this chain of thought, it transforms shame from an oppressive force into a method, instrument or process that leads to upliftment. It begins a tool that reinforces the nobility of man and actually serves as a source of freedom.

In our current world, I do not believe we handle our guilt well. Not only does it operate as a rampant destructive force within individuals across sectors, many cultures and social norms inherently impose a strong notion of shame as a means of confinement, as opposed to a releasing of positive potential.

In Part II, I will elaborate further on this theme.

Egyptian Fe-mail is a blog whose post of April of last year speaks directly on this subject of a guilt-culture. The author states:

“Shame” – what a word! It has the power to clog your mouth and seal your lips just by pronouncing it. Have you ever noticed how such a tiny word can lock your mind, inhibit your feelings, and imprison you in a world of rules that are not supposed to be broken just because it is a “shame”? We were born free and uninhibited, and then we were given “the rules of shame and its derivatives”; cover your body, hide your feelings, withhold from expressing your opinion, and filter your words before you get yourself in trouble, were all tips to treasure from childhood onwards.

The critical theme of this post is the oppressiveness and judgment of a society built upon the concept of shame and guilt, which in turn actually leads to a spiral of self-delusion, self-hatred and in essence self-negation within a society. Other critical concepts to take into account from the Bahá’í perspective, with regards to individual and community life, are those that deal with and encourage a mindset of learning.

This simple statement has profound impact and meaning. It allows one to transcend and be open to a process of transformation, and recognizes the need to place the high station of man’s inner being and true essence at the forefront of ones decisions. It allows one to be in a state of growth, development and reflection. It allows us to bring ourselves to account, to investigate the nature of our actions, to use “shame” as a positive instrument in the building a of stronger sense of conviction and consecration.

The sense of shame, when considered in its rightful context, can serve as a powerful agent for proactive societal change. Yet, even as a reactive force, it plays a needed role. Without it, how could nations feel compelled to right the wrongs of past generations? How could the privileged ever consider uplifting the previously down-trodden in society, often at their own expense? Without a new found sense of understanding guilt, how could we begin to repair those insidious affects of years of racial prejudice experienced by (and still affecting) such countries as the United States and South Africa?

Abdu’l-Baha, the son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u'llah, further comments on prejudice:

The causes of dispute among different nations are always due to one of the following classes of prejudice: racial, lingual, theological, personal, and prejudices of custom and tradition. It requires a universal active force to overcome these differences. A small disease needs a small remedy, but a disease which pervades the whole body needs a very strong remedy. A small lamp may light a room, a larger would light a house, a larger still might shine through the city, but the sun is needed to light the whole world.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 59)

Continuing on the concept of racial prejudice, how are we to ameliorate the affects of such a detrimental and long lasting illness? It is through the acceptance of the “universal active force” of the oneness of humanity.

In the Bahá’í view, the oneness of humankind represents an organic interdependence within a corporeal social entity. This implies that the welfare of the constituent components of this body is inextricably interwoven with that of the whole. Moreover, the essential oneness of the human race is not restricted to the physical dimension; it extends to the social and spiritual aspects of human life. Through the nurturing and unfolding of man’s transcendental potential, cultural diversity can begin to be viewed as the expression of this universal and basic truth. Only then can perceived racial barriers be overcome.

(Baha’i International Community, 1990 Jan 26, Combating Racism)

Again, at the foundation of this post is the need to reorient and restructure the concept of guilt or shame — to take it away from a repressive force, to one that is both active and positive. This will, of course, require a shift in education and moral training which would need to be structured in such a way as to provide the holistic perspective — a perspective that surpasses the narrow vision of excessive individualism and fragmentation. Its objective would be to provide solutions by which we approach the realities of life and our decisions proactively and through reflection.

Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.

This quote threw my rudimentary ideas of reward and punishment into disarray….”hmmmmm, that lottery I won was a reward from God?…. no wait, was it a punishment?”  It seems that to try to compartmentalize one’s life (our limited understanding may make us do so) into a series of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘rewards’ and ‘punishments’ would be entirely false.  With regards to justice, Baha’u'llah says:

The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment. And in another connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue: Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment.

Suggestions of what we can do — instead of dwelling on the dubieties of reward and punishment — are to reflect on our actions, strive to correct these actions if necessary, move on with the understanding that God’s grace and forgiveness will deal with us justly at some stage in our earthly life (or afterlife),  and all the while to remember:

Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God’s creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.  Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.”