The Individual Believer and Successful Teaching:
Spiritual Insights, Knowledge, and Skills
(Sample Chapter)
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Presenting the Message
Quotations for Reflection
A. Adapting the Presentation to the Seeker
1. "Moderation is indeed highly desirable. Every person who in some degree turneth towards the truth can himself later comprehend most of what he seeketh. However, if at the outset a word is uttered beyond his capacity, he will refuse to hear it and will arise in opposition."
(Bahá'u'lláh, "The Individual and Teaching" # 3)
2. "Follow thou the way of thy Lord, and say not that which the ears cannot bear to hear, for such speech is like luscious food given to small children. However palatable, rare and rich the food may be, it cannot be assimilated by the digestive organs of a suckling child. Therefore unto every one who hath a right, let his settled measure be given.
"'Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it.' Such is the consummate wisdom to be observed in thy pursuits. Be not oblivious thereof, if thou wishest to be a man of action under all conditions. First diagnose the disease and identify the malady, then prescribe the remedy, for such is the perfect method of the skilful physician."
(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 268-269)
3. "Caution and prudence, however, must be observed even as recorded in the Book. The veil must in no wise be suddenly rent asunder."
(The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 25)4. "Nor should any of the pioneers, at this early stage in the upbuilding of Bahá'í national communities, overlook the fundamental prerequisite for any successful teaching enterprise, which is to adapt the presentation of the fundamental principles of their Faith to the cultural and religious backgrounds, the ideologies, and the temperament of the divers races and nations whom they are called upon to enlighten and attract. The susceptibilities of these races and nations ... should at all times be carefully considered, and under no circumstances neglected."
(Citadel of Faith, p. 25)5. "In teaching the Cause, much depends on the personality of the teacher and on the method he chooses for presenting the message. Different personalities and different classes and types of individuals need different methods of approach. And it is the sign of an able teacher to know how to best adapt his methods to various types of people whom he happens to meet.... Flexibility and variety of method is, therefore, an essential prerequisite for the success of every teaching activity."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 44)6. "Our teaching methods should allow for a certain degree of elasticity in establishing contacts with various types of individual seekers. Every inquirer has to be approached from his own angle. Those who are essentially of the mystic type should first be given those teachings of the Cause which emphasize the nature and value of spiritual realities; while those who are practically minded and of a positive type are naturally more ready and inclined to accept the social aspect of the Teachings."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 49)7. "The same presentation of the teachings will not appeal to everybody; the method of expression and the approach must be varied in accordance with the outlook and interests of the hearer. An approach which is designed to appeal to everybody will usually result in attracting the middle section, leaving both extremes untouched."
(Wellspring of Guidance, p. 124)
B. What to Say
8. "Utterance must needs possess penetrating power. For if bereft of this quality it would fail to exert influence. And this penetrating influence dependeth on the spirit being pure and the heart stainless. Likewise it needeth moderation, without which the hearer would be unable to bear it, rather he would manifest opposition from the very outset. And moderation will be obtained by blending utterance with the tokens of divine wisdom which are recorded in the sacred Books and Tablets. Thus when the essence of one's utterance is endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be the prime factor in transforming the souls of men. This is the station of supreme victory and celestial dominion. Whoso attaineth thereto is invested with the power to teach the Cause of God and to prevail over the hearts and minds of men."
(Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 198-199)9. "From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman. So potent is their influence that the hearer will have no cause for vacillation."
(Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 200)10. "If their task is to be confined to good conduct and advice, nothing will be accomplished. They must speak out, expound the proofs, set forth clear arguments, draw irrefutable conclusions establishing the truth of the manifestation of the Sun of Reality."
(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 268)11. "Surely the ideal way of teaching is to prove our points by constant reference to the actual words of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master. This will save the Cause from being misinterpreted by individuals. It is what these divine Lights say that is truth and therefore they should be the authorities of our statements. This, however, does not mean that our freedom of expression is limited. We can always find new ways of approach to that truth or explain how they influence our life and condition. The more deep our studies the more we can understand the significance of the teachings."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "Deepening" # 103)12. "What the Guardian feels is of vital importance for the friends to do is to teach the Cause directly and by means of imparting the Holy Words...."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 47)13. "As to his question about the permissibility of promulgating the divine teachings without relating them to the Most Great Name, you should answer: 'This blessed Name hath an effect on the reality of things. If these teachings are spread without identifying them with this holy Name, they will fail to exert an abiding influence in this world.'"
('Abdu'l-Bahá, "The Individual and Teaching" # 25)14. "... we should try and avoid controversial issues in the beginning, if possible."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 68)
C. How to Say It
15. "Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and good-will. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments."
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 8)16. "If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained. If anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding."
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 289)17. "And should anyone reject thy offer, turn thou away from him, and put thy trust and confidence in the Lord of all worlds."
(Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 61)18. "In accordance with the divine teachings in this glorious dispensation we should not belittle anyone and call him ignorant, saying: 'You know not, but I know'. Rather, we should look upon others with respect, and when attempting to explain and demonstrate, we should speak as if we are investigating the truth, saying: `Here these things are before us. Let us investigate to determine where and in what form the truth can be found.' The teacher should not consider himself as learned and others ignorant. Such a thought breedeth pride, and pride is not conducive to influence. The teacher should not see in himself any superiority; he should speak with the utmost kindliness, lowliness and humility, for such speech exerteth influence and educateth the souls."
(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 30)19. "Do not argue with anyone, and be wary of disputation. Speak out the truth. If your hearer accepteth, the aim is achieved. If he is obdurate, you should leave him to himself, and place your trust in God. Such is the quality of those who are firm in the Covenant."
('Abdu'l-Bahá, "The Individual and Teaching" # 29)20. "... refrain, under any circumstances, from involving yourselves, much less the Cause, in lengthy discussions of a controversial character, as these besides being fruitless actually cause incalculable harm to the Faith. Bahá'u'lláh has repeatedly urged us not to engage in religious controversies, as the adepts of former religions have done. The Bahá'í teacher should be concerned above all in presenting the Message, in explaining and clarifying all its aspects, rather than in attacking other religions. He should avoid all situations that, he feels, would lead to strife, to hair-splitting and interminable discussions."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 52)
D. The Forum to Use
21. "The most effective method of teaching is the Fireside group, where new people can be shown Bahá'í hospitality, and ask all questions which bother them. They can feel there the true Bahá'í spirit -- and it is the spirit that quickeneth."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 104)22. "The believers are entirely free to hold as many little teaching groups or Firesides as they please in their own homes... In fact this personal, informal, home teaching is perhaps the most productive of results."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 77)23. "The fireside method of teaching seems to produce the greatest results, when each one invites friends into their home once in nineteen days, and introduces them to the Faith. Close association and loving service affects the hearts; and when the heart is affected, then the spirit can enter. It is the Holy Spirit that quickens, and the Friends must become channels for its diffusion."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 109)24. "... the most powerful and effective teaching medium that has been found so far is the fireside meeting, because in the fireside meeting, intimate personal questions can be answered, and the student find the spirit of the Faith more abundant there."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 86)25. "The believers must be encouraged to teach individually in their own homes."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 113)26. "The admonition of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to lead at least one new soul to the Faith each year and the exhortation of Shoghi Effendi to hold a Bahá'í fireside in one's home every Bahá'í month are examples of individual goals. Many have capacities to do even more, but this alone will assure final and complete victory for the Plan."
(Messages of the Universal House of Justice, p. 35)
The Example of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
"It was He, our beloved 'Abdu'l-Bahá, our true and shining Exemplar, who with
infinite tact and patience, whether in His public utterances or in private converse,
adapted the presentation of the fundamentals of the Cause to the varying capacities and
the spiritual receptiveness of His hearers. He never hesitated, however, to tear the veil
asunder and reveal to the spiritually ripened those challenging verities that set forth in
its true light the relationship of this Supreme Revelation with the Dispensations of the
past."
(Bahá'í Administration, p. 125)
"We must look to the example of the Master and follow our 'Inner Light', adapting our message as best we can to the capacity and 'ripeness' of the one we are seeking to teach....
"Man's spiritual digestive powers have similar laws to those that govern physical
digestion. When people are spiritually hungry and thirsty they must be given wholesome and
suitable spiritual food, but if we give too much at a time or too rich food for the
digestive powers, it only causes nausea and rejection or malassimilation."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 39)
"We must be careful not to teach in a fanatical way. We should teach as the Master
taught. He was the perfect Exemplar of the Teachings. He proclaimed the universal truths,
and, through love and wise demonstration of the universal verities of the Faith, attracted
the hearts and the minds."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "The Individual and Teaching" # 106)
Illustrations
"One day, a well-known divine came to visit Us [Bahá'u'lláh]. While We were
conversing with him, he referred to the above-quoted tradition. He said: 'Inasmuch as
fasting causeth the heat of the body to increase, it hath therefore been likened unto the
light of the sun; and as the prayer of the night-season refresheth man, it hath been
compared unto the radiance of the moon.' Thereupon We realized that that poor man had not
been favoured with a single drop of the ocean of true understanding, and had strayed far
from the burning Bush of divine wisdom. We then politely observed to him saying: 'The
interpretation your honour hath given to this tradition is the one current amongst the
people. Could it not be interpreted differently?' He asked Us: 'What could it be?' We made
reply ...."
(Kitáb-i-Iqán, pp. 39-40)
"He [Bahá'u'lláh] spoke about teaching. He said: 'A kindly approach and loving behavior toward the people are the first requirements for teaching the Cause. The teacher must carefully listen to whatever a person has to say -- even though his talk may consist only of vain imaginings and blind repetitions of the opinions of others. One should not resist or engage in argument. The teacher must avoid disputes which will end in stubborn refusal or hostility, because the other person will feel overpowered and defeated. Therefore, he will be more inclined to reject the Cause. One should rather say, "Maybe you are right, but kindly consider the question from this other point of view." Consideration, respect, and love encourage people to listen and do not force them to respond with hostility. They are convinced because they see that your purpose is not to defeat them, but to convey truth, to manifest courtesy, and to show forth heavenly attributes. This will encourage the people to be fair. Their spiritual natures will respond, and, by the bounty of God, they will find themselves recreated.'
"'Consider the way in which the Master teaches the people. He listens very
carefully to the most hollow and senseless talk. He listens so intently that the speaker
says to himself, "He is trying to learn from me." Then the Master gradually and
very carefully, by means that the other person does not perceive, puts him on the right
path and endows him with a fresh power of understanding.'"
(Words attributed to Bahá'u'lláh, Stories from the Delight of Hearts, pp.
109-110)
Skills Exercises
A. Adapting the Message to the Seeker
As the above passages indicate, the teacher should strive to adapt the Message to the seeker. What are the seeker's spiritual needs? What are the aspects of the Faith to which he would be attracted? Such an approach should not be misunderstood as an effort to alter or distort the Teachings in order to suit or entice the seeker; the integrity of the Teachings can never be compromised. Rather, the teacher is determining the needs of the seeker and prescribing a remedy. If the seeker has a spiritual "cold," the remedy of amputation would probably not be appropriate; likewise a cancerous tumor cannot be treated with cough medicine. The questions the teacher must ask are, "What Teachings does this soul need? What will help to lead this soul to his Lord?"
We have been given some guidance in this connection. For example, the Guardian has said that "Those who are essentially of the mystic type should first be given those teachings of the Cause which emphasize the nature and value of spiritual realities; while those who are practically minded and of a positive type are naturally more ready and inclined to accept the social aspect of the Teachings." We are told that "we should try and avoid controversial issues in the beginning, if possible."
For purposes of this exercises, let us write down the names of individuals we have been teaching or would like to teach. Let us reflect on their character, outlook, and needs, and consider the following questions:
1. What approach should I use with each seeker?
2. What Teachings would be particularly attractive to this person?
3. What are the appropriate Bahá'í books to give this person?
B. A Brief Response
Often, the way a conversation about the Faith begins is when a seeker directly asks us, "What is the Bahá'í Faith?" Many Bahá'ís have found it helpful to prepare a one or two sentence answer to this question. Thus, rather than giving any answer that comes to mind, the teacher can give an answer that is well thought-out and effective. By preparing and practicing this brief answer, the teacher can respond confidently and work to lead the conversation into a deeper discussion of the Faith.
We, of course, know that the "holy verses are the most potent elixir" and have a spiritual influence on the hearer. Therefore, it would be very good to include a phrase from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh in our answer. For example, one answer to the question, "What is the Bahá'í Faith" is: "The Bahá'í Faith is a religion that teaches unity. Bahá'u'lláh, its Founder, taught that 'The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.'" Another example is, "We Bahá'ís believe in the unity of religion, that 'This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.'"
A characteristic of an effective response may be that it arouses interest in the seeker to ask other questions. For instance, "The Bahá'í Faith teaches, 'So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.' We Bahá'ís believe that through the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, this unity can be established." Because of the way this response is crafted, the hearer may be aroused to ask, "Who is Bahá'u'lláh?" or "What are these Teachings that will establish unity?" The conversation can then easily move into a deeper exploration of the Faith.
For this exercise, let each of us prepare a one or two-sentence introduction to the Faith. Let us include in our response a phrase from the Sacred Scriptures. Once we have our response prepared, let us divide into small groups and practice giving it a number of times to other Bahá'ís, so that we can say it very naturally and comfortably.
As the teacher becomes more skilled, he can develop a number of different brief responses, which can be adapted to different situations. If you already have one opening line, prepare others to suit different inquirers or situations.
Study Exercises
A. Study Questions
1. Such "is the perfect method of the skilful physician."
2. What is "the fundamental prerequisite for any successful teaching enterprise"?
3. "Flexibility and variety of method is, therefore, an essential ____________ for the success of every teaching activity."
4. "Thus when the essence of one's utterance is endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be the prime factor in transforming the souls of men."
5. What are "the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman"?
6. "Surely the ideal way of teaching is to prove our points by constant reference to the actual words of ___________ and ___________."
7. What is "the lodestone of the hearts of men"?
8. What kind of speech "exerteth influence and educateth the souls"?
9. What is the "most effective method of teaching"?
10. "Close association and loving service affects the hearts; and when the heart is affected, then the ______ can enter."
B. Memorization Exercises
"'Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he
can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited
to the capacity of those who hear it.'.... First diagnose the disease and identify the
malady, then prescribe the remedy, for such is the perfect method of the skilful
physician."
(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 269)
"From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases
and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may
recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are
the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman. So potent is their influence
that the hearer will have no cause for vacillation."
(Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 200)
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