Baha’i Perspectives

sam November 15th, 2009

Acceptance is the first step to overcoming a problem however simple or intricate it may be. When dealing with wounds of an emotional nature the process of healing must begin at this stage. From there the appropriate steps can be taken that will lead to sound and complete repair. However, until the person reaches that level of acceptance the wound they bear is a danger to their emotional wellbeing.

Human beings are physical as well as spiritual. Having this dual reality, it is therefore necessary to provide for the requirements of both aspects. Hence, emotional wounds must be approached with the same care and attention as physical ones would. This is something that still has to be learned as it is not widely practiced. It is a crucial step in protecting our general wellbeing. This is especially true in current society. People are constantly delivering and receiving wounds from each other with little thought of the consequences of such actions. This raises the urgency of learning how to find and administer appropriate remedies.

There is but one power which heals — that is God. The state or condition through which the healing takes place is the confidence of the heart.

(Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 95)

First and foremost, the individual should turn to God. Pray for healing and for aid in finding the correct treatment. It is important to note, that healing takes place through “the confidence of the heart”. The assurance a person has in the treatment being received is vital to the healing process. Such an assertion leaves it to the individual’s needs and state of mind to decide which course of action to take. This of course must be done with both prayerful reflection as well as scientific reason. One cannot just pray and hope that healing will miraculously be administered as the person sits back and waits. Steps must be taken to help the healing take place.

Take for instance, a cut hand; if you pray for the cut to be healed and do not stop its bleeding, you will not do much good; a material remedy is needed.

(Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 65)

The mindset of the person is then the next part that must be addressed. One must strive to adopt a learning mentality. This will allow the individual to view everything that is experienced as an opportunity to learn. With this approach, many of the superficial hurts that are received become little lessons, encouraging growth, acting as catalysts for the reassessing of attitudes towards life and hardships experienced. This outlook on life aids in coping with most tests and difficulties encountered. It keeps the spirits up and helps to avoid getting weighed down by the changes and chances of life. With this in mind though, one must also realise that the more serious the wound the more intricate the methods of healing. Occasionally, an experience leaves deep wounds that cannot be dealt with alone.

The question is then raised as to what steps must be taken to provide for a clear path of action in finding the remedy. A good first step to obtaining clarity of mind is to seek counsel with a person whose judgement is trusted. This allows for the situation to be observed by an individual who is not influenced by the pain. Often a counsellor can be visited. Due to their expertise on this subject and the level of experience that they have they can provide very productive and helpful advice that will help open clear paths for action.

Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians

(Baha’u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 60)

At this point, another reflection must be taken into account to act as a safety net. When a person harms themselves, a clean environment is sought out to prevent further complications and infections. The same idea must be applied to dealing with wounds of an emotional nature. The individual must be aware of the environment and healing administered, ensuring that it will prevent them from having future complications. This requires sound judgement and reasoning with regards to whom they approach and how they weigh the advice given. To produce this “healthy environment” within our mental psyches it is important to go to a pure Source. This Source provides a standard to work by. This standard will provide a sound framework to start the recuperation as well as a safe basis to weigh against the remedied being suggested by those individuals sought out.

…if thou wishest to know the true remedy which will heal man from all sickness and will give him the health of the divine kingdom, know that it is the precepts and teachings of God. Focus thine attention upon them.

(Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 151)

We must learn to take great care in dealing with emotional wounds. As the damage is not physically visible, acceptance of it is vital in the process of coping with the impact. The next step is then finding clear paths of healing as well as providing a hygienic environment to minimize further damage. As these steps are taken, constant reliance on God and a learning mindset must be held fast to. This pure and open mindset allows for us to receive healing as well as the guidance required to discover the remedies needed for a sound recovery.

Man is under all conditions immersed in a sea of God’s blessings. Therefore, be thou not hopeless under any circumstances, but rather be firm in thy hope.

(Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 204)

Tags: healing, tests

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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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nooshin April 14th, 2009

You will have to forgive me if this is against proper netiquette, but I am going to blog about one of my own articles.  It’s one I wrote about after a trip to flood-affected areas of northern Namibia, telling the story of Helvy, a 84-year old great grandmother.  I met her in a relocation camp, where her village had moved after their homes were submerged when the nearby river burst its banks.

Almost six hundred people are living in the camp, five or six families in each tent. They have to sleep on the hard ground, and at night when it gets colder, only a few have blankets to cover them.  There are two taps in the whole camp, and the Red Cross has built three temporary toilets on the outskirts.  They have lost not only their homes, but also their fields of maize and sorghum.  So, not only is this year’s harvest gone, but next year’s one is lost too, because the seeds for next year come from this year. 

I met Helvy during our brief visit to the camp, a little bit after midday.  She was dressed in what I suspect is her best dress, accessorised with a beautiful long handmade bead necklace.  There had been a state visit earlier in the day, and the whole camp was spick and span.  Helvy was sitting outside her tent, cradling a sleeping child in her arms.  I don’t know if it was one of her own great-grandchildren, but from the number of children clustered around her tent, I think she must be a child-magnet.

Through an interpreter, she told me about the night they had to abandon their home and escape to the camp.  She told me that they had lost most of their possessions and their food and about how scared she had been.  Then she gave me a blinding smile, and said “But I am blessed.  My family is safe, I am safe, and we are together.  I am very thankful to God”.

I was taken aback.  After all this hardship, shouldn’t she be bitter and miserable? Shouldn’t she be bemoaning her fate, instead of being thankful?  I kept thinking about her all day, humbled by her radiant acquiescence, her detachment from material things, and her love for her family. She seemed to epitomise what the Baha’i Writings tell us about tests and difficulties:

For what can dark doubts do with the light of guidance, or clouds with the shining moon? Tests and trials only cause agitation to weak hearts. But the pure souls, a hundred thousand tests are but to them like mirage, imagination and shadow. 

Praise be to God that thou hast kept steadfast with all firmness under the millstone of tests like unto a grain of diamond. Be not grieved; tests lead to the development of holy souls and the ardor of the flame of fire causeth the pure gold to shine and the violence of winds is conducive to the growth and thriving of a firm and well rooted tree.

So the next time there is a blip in my ordered life, and things do not go as planned and I begin to feel sorry for myself, I hope I will remember Helvy and her blinding smile.

Tags: tests

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nava October 12th, 2008

“In this world we are influenced by two sentiments, Joy and Pain.”

According to ‘Abdu’l-Baha, every human being, from monarch to peasant, wealthy to impoverished, from darkest brown to palest beige, is influenced by joy and pain.  The second part seems obvious.  We’ve all grieved.  But often we forget the first.  Especially in times of grief, how easily we forget that joy is frequently right around the bend.

BBC News recently published an article about fears of escalating suicide rates in Japan due to the economic downturn.  The article was published on October 6, and the economic travail ransacking global markets has only gotten sharper.  The collapse of some major institutions and fragile condition of others reminds us that even the most elite are vulnerable to loss, are subject to affliction.

Such is this mortal abode — a storehouse of afflictions and suffering. It is negligence that binds man to it for no comfort can be secured by any soul in this world, from monarch down to the least subject. If once it should offer man a sweet cup, a hundred bitter ones will follow it and such is the condition of this world. The wise man therefore does not attach himself to this mortal life and does not depend upon it; even at some moments he eagerly wishes death that he may thereby be freed from these sorrows and afflictions. Thus it is seen that some, under extreme pressure of anguish, have committed suicide.

Abdu’l-Baha

Yukio Shige spends his nights patrolling Tojimbo Cliffs, a popular suicide venue for many in Japan, hoping to persuade another would-be jumper to step back.

Life on the edge.  It’s hard.

According to Yukio, many of the men he speaks to want someone to talk them out of their plan to end their lives.  They just need someone to listen.  Even a stranger will do, as demonstrated by the fact that Yukio has managed to persuade over a hundred fifty people to step back.  The article explains that:

“For a lot of them it’s a cry for help.  They are really hoping someone will stop them before they take their own lives.” Sometimes grown men burst into tears in front of him, he says. “I say to them ‘You must be in a lot of pain, tell me what happened’.”

Volumes could be written about the psychology involved in the decision to end one’s own life, but the reality is, life is hard.  Life is painful and some do not believe themselves capable of withstanding it.  It’s not true, though.  We all have the capacity to endure whatever comes along our path.  Perhaps if we really understood our purpose in life-a journey of growing closer to our Lord, our Beloved-we would not be perturbed by the pain that we know will inevitably visit, and revisit, us.  As explained in the article about faith in times of crisis, tests, which often bring us sorrow, are the means through which the soil is ploughed.  Tests are an important part of growth, a way of building and revealing our nobility of character.

Perhaps what is most tragic about suicide is the fact that it won’t actually end the suffering of the grieved person who committed it.

Whoever commits suicide endangers his soul, and will suffer spiritually as a result in the other worlds beyond.

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)

More to the point, it simply does not work.  Grief is not a state of the body, it is a condition of the soul.  The soul is not destroyed even when its body is.  ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains that:

The spirit is changeless, indestructible. The progress and development of the soul, the joy and sorrow of the soul, are independent of the physical body.

Thus it stands to reason that by killing our body, we’re destroying the wrong thing.  The body manifests the pain, but is not the source of it.  Killing it will not kill the grief.  So now the sorrow for him who has ended his life only amasses. Continue Reading >

Tags: death, suicide, tests

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negin October 9th, 2008

That going through the path of life completely carefree, with everything happening as planned and always getting what we want, is impossible, would be something most people agree on. There are few – or I would say no – people that go through life without encountering any kind of hardship or crisis; be it social, economic, spiritual or health-related. However, there seems to be a major difference in how these hardships are met, and more interestingly, how they shape our lives.

Working within health care, this is a matter I come across in some way on an almost daily basis. The definition of “crisis” is of course very broad; death, separation, illness, bankruptcy, violence and betrayal are examples of incidents that cause people to go through a crisis – a turning point in life after which there will be a change. The initial stages of shock and sadness are of course natural and more or less similar for everyone, but when it comes to how people recover and adjust on a longer term, the diversity is striking. Is it just accidental? Or do some people have certain qualities that make them more able to handle hardship?

In psychology, Resilience is one term that is used for defining the ability to recover – or bounce back – from a crisis. A number of studies have been done aimed at finding out what makes a person resilient. Why do some people recover faster than others? And how come some individuals seem to gain strength from and grow through their hardships, while others despair?

Different significant characteristics have been identified in these studies. One of these, that is recurrent, is the value of having faith and an ability to find meaning in life. Anybody working within health care, interacting with patients, would probably recognize this tendency.

Traditionally, people have always turned to religion and faith when facing hardship. However, not all the world’s religions are able to satisfy the modern mind in this regard. Some place sin on the shoulders of the “victim”, as the reason for what has occurred. Others encourage disengagement from all worldly affairs and suggest isolation and/or an ascetic lifestyle to be a model.

From a Baha’i perspective, crisis and suffering is an inescapable part of life. It is not an aim in itself, but a means through which one grows and develops.

The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering. The more the ground is ploughed the better the seed will grow, the better the harvest will be.

Abdu’l-Baha

Beyond just seeing a meaning in the suffering itself, having a faith and holding deep spiritual values also affects how people interpret events and incidents in their environment. Seeing oneself as part of a greater whole, believing in the benefit of striving and, perhaps most importantly, trusting in a Divine Reality, must surely provide a clarity of vision and lend strength in recovering from adversity.

Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you.

Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs. Succor cometh from Him alone. He succoreth whom He will with the hosts of the heavens and of the earth…

Baha’u'llah

So even though walking on the path of life without stumbling or falling seems to be impossible, accepting that there are hidden wisdoms in hardships that make them meaningful, and believing in a greater purpose, will give us tools to better handle the obstacles that are bound to appear along the way.

Tags: faith, tests

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iman October 2nd, 2008

In the third part of this series on happiness, examining the “three S’s” above, it is proposed that the trials of suffering can make one happier.  Sounds counter-intuitive. “Does the soul progress more through sorrow or through the joy in this world?” was the question posed to Abdu’l-Baha in Paris, in the early 20^th century.  He replied:

The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering…His attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness. Man is, so to speak, unripe: the heat of the fire of suffering will mature him. Look back to the times past and you will find that the greatest men have suffered most…. Through suffering he will attain to an eternal happiness which nothing can take from him. The apostles of Christ suffered: they attained eternal happiness.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 178)

No-one enjoys sorrow. Suffering presents itself in countless ways and it is for this reason that no-one is left unaffected.  Everyone is tested in various ways; ways which may differ from person to person. Whilst many a time we may find circumstances unbearable,  it is how we deal with, and accept the latent wisdom that lies within these challenges, that provides a path to happiness:

…suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilised as a means for the attainment of happiness. This is the interpretation given to it by all the prophets and saints who, in the midst of severe tests and trials, felt happy and joyous and experienced what is best and holiest in life. Suffering is both a reminder and a guide. It stimulates us better to adapt ourselves to our environmental conditions, and thus leads the way to self improvement. In every suffering one can find a meaning and a wisdom. But it is not always easy to find the secret of that wisdom. It is sometimes only when all our suffering has passed that we become aware of its usefulness. What man considers to be evil turns often to be a cause of infinite blessings.

(Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha’i Community)

Be it illness, the loss of a loved one, or poverty, amongst the many struggles we are faced with, a lot of the times it is through suffering that we develop more compassion and are more willing to sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of the lives of those around us:

To attain eternal happiness one must suffer. He who has reached the state of self-sacrifice has true joy. Temporal joy will vanish.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 178)

Ever wondered why the simple act of giving gifts makes us happy?  In its purest form it is not merely the act of giving the gift, but sacrificial interplay on a higher level. How much more the mutual happiness that can be derived from acts of service on a highly participatory, more global scale?  How much more rewarding to unceasingly sacrifice for our  Creator, the Infinite?:

In the Bahá’í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer. A physician ministering to the sick, gently, tenderly, free from prejudice and believing in the solidarity of the human race, he is giving praise.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 176)

In addition, service helps us overlook our own perceived shortcomings (and, sometimes, imaginary remedies), which are often a source of discontent:

The more we search for ourselves, the less likely we are to find ourselves; and the more we search for God, and to serve our fellow-men, the more profoundly will we become acquainted with ourselves, and the more inwardly assured. This is one of the great spiritual laws of life.

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 18, 1954)

Suffering and sacrifice can be overwhelming at times so what can sustain us? – it is the faith that our sacrifices can be the cause of irreversible spiritual growth, both for us and for those around us.   Faith will be discussed in the next post.

“…and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their broken hearts.”
(Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 95)

Tags: happiness, sacrifice, service, tests

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