Module #1
Knowledge, Volition, Action
Covenants of Baha'u'llah & `Abdu'l-Baha Last Modified: October, 1996
Return to Fundamental Verities: Introduction
"It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to
translate that which hath been written into reality and action.... That one indeed is a
man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great
Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the
peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for
him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole
world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, CXVII
Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the
peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner
that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God's purpose in
sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men
from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The
second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by
which they can be established."
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, pp. 79-80
The Covenant, an ancient word endowed with new meaning - it stands at the heart of what it means to be a Bah '¡. To understand the Covenant is to understand our place in the unfolding plan of God.
The Greater Covenant involve's God assurance that He will never leave humanity without His loving guidance and our promise to try to live according to His will. Each Manifestation of God renews the Greater Covenant when He promises that another Manifestation of God will appear in the fullness of time.
The Lesser Covenant is an agreement between a Manifestation of God and his followers, requiring them to accept His appointed successor after Him. If they accept the successor, the Faith remains united and pure. If they do not, the Faith becomes divided and loses its power.
1) What does Baha'u'llah teach us about the purpose of life?
2) What qualities must we possess before religion can transform our spirit? (knowledge of God's purpose for man, the will to plan our lives around it, and the capacity to act)
3) Why doesn't the Baha'i Faith have sects or denominations or schisms?
4) How does the Kitab-i-Ahd assure the harmonious continuous operation of the Faith?
5) What is the station of Abdu'l-Baha - the Center of the Covenant?
6) How is the Covenant in the Baha'i Faith different than the Covenants in other religions?
7) What are the Greater and Lesser Covenants?
(Basic Baha'i Dictionary, Editor Wendi Momen, George Ronald Press, 1989)
Action:
"Baha'u'llah has stated that "It is incumbent upon every man of insight and
understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and
action." {Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p. 250} This translation will depend
upon "converting satanic strength" into "heavenly power." {Baha'u'llah,
Gleanings, p. 200} It is deeds action and not words that count. Spiritual
transformation is not possible without action. Thought, prayer, meditation, and study of
the sacred scriptures are all very important; but if no spiritual goals are set and no
action is taken to achieve them, no spiritual transformation will take place. The reality
of spiritual attributes can be perceived only in action.
Two important capacities are prerequisites our being in charge of our spiritual destiny. One of these is the capacity to see a discrepancy between our actions and God's purpose for man. The other is the ability to modify our actions to make them reflect this purpose. This is where self-discipline, the ability to take oneself in hand and correct a situation, plays a critical role.
It is the spiritual responsibility and obligation of each Baha'i to develop this type of self-discipline. Our fellow believers cannot provide us with it, nor can the administrative institutions of the Faith develop spirit qualities for us, though they can guide and encourage us as individuals. If we deviate greatly from God's purpose for man in a way that affects the Baha'i community, Baha'i institutions will help to correct the situation. Nevertheless, only the individual can decide to deal with the inner source of a problem in his own spiritual life.
Persevering in our efforts to act in accordance with God's purpose for man, without
excessive dependence on others or Baha'i institutions, has important consequences for the
quality of our lives. Such self disciplined action brings with it a sense self-worth. It
also builds confidence in our capacity to fight our own "spiritual battles."
{Daniel Jordan, Baha'i Comprehensive Deepening Program}
Arc:
An arc cut into Mount Carmel along which the international administrative buildings of the
Baha'i Faith are being built. In the Tablet of Carmel, Baha'u'llah, addressing Carmel,
proclaimed, "Ere long will God sail His Ark upon Thee, and will manifest the people
of Baha who have been mentioned in the Book of Names."
{Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, XI}
Shoghi Effendi interpreted this not only symbolically but literally to mean that the various institutions associated with the development of the Faith would actually have a physical presence on Mount Carmel.
Shoghi Effendi "began the construction of the Administrative Centre of the Faith,
to comprise five buildings in a harmonious style of architecture, standing on a far-flung
Arc centering on the Monuments of the Greatest Holy Leaf, her Mother and Brother. The
first of these five buildings, the International Archives, was completed in the beloved
Guardian's lifetime. The second, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, now stands at
the apex of the Arc."
{August, 1987, Letters of the Universal House of Justice}
In 1987 the Universal House of Justice called for the erection of the remaining three buildings: the Seat of the International Teaching Centre, the Centre for the Study of the Sacred Texts; and the International Baha'i Library, along with an extension to the International Archives Building and the creation of nineteen monumental terraces surrounding the nearby Shrine of the Bab. The completion of the buildings on the Arc is linked to the beginning of the Lesser Peace.
Ark:
In the Baha'i Writings the term "Ark" is often used to signify the Cause of God,
or the Covenant, and Bah 'u'll h, the Holy Mariner. For example, the Bab in the
Qayyumu'l-Asma has lauded the community of the Most Great Name, the Baha'is, as the
companions of the Crimson-coloured Ark.
{Taherzadeh, Revelation of Baha'u'llah, Vol. 4, p. 361}
In the Tablet of Carmel Baha'u'llah declares, "Ere long will God sail His Ark upon
thee, and will manifest the people of Baha who have been mentioned in the Book of
Names."
{Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, XI}
In this context, Shoghi Effendi has said that the Ark refers to the law of God {Taherzadeh,
Revelation of Baha'u'llah, Vol. 4, p. 361}and that the "sailing of His
Ark" refers to the establishment of the Universal House of Justice.
{Dr. Ruhe, Door of Hope, p. 171 }
Attributes of God:
Those qualities such as love, mercy, justice and trustworthiness through which man can
come to know something of the nature of God. God reveals Himself through His attributes.
Further, each created thing has been made the bearer of one of the signs or attributes of
God, "so that the whole of creation mirrors forth the beauty of God."
{Smith, Baha'i Religion, p. 14}
Human beings alone among creation have been made the bearers of all the divine
attributes, and therefore may be said to be made in the 'image' of God. It is one of man's
purposes in this life to acquire and refine these attributes and virtues. However, the
chief locus of divine attributes in this world are the Manifestations of God who exemplify
most perfectly all God's attributes. Many Baha'i prayers end with a list of some of the
attributes or names of God.
{Smith, Baha'i Religion, p. 14}
Covenant of Baha'u'llah:
The divinely-ordained "instrument" provided by Baha'u'llah "to direct and
canalize these forces let loose by this Heaven-sent process [the Revelation of
Baha'u'llah], and to ensure their harmonious and continuous operation after His
ascension." {Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 237} In His Will and
Testament, the Kitab-i-'Ahd, Bah 'u'll h clearly appointed Abdu'l-Baha as His
successor, identifying Him as "Him Whom God hath purposed." {Baha'u'llah,
Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 221}to whom all should turn after Baha'u'llah's passing.
`Abdu'l-Baha is the Centre of the Covenant.
The intention of the Covenant is the protection of the unity of the Baha'i Faith:
"The purpose of the Blessed Beauty in entering into this Covenant and Testament was
to gather all existent beings around one point so that the thoughtless souls, who in every
cycle and generation have been the cause of dissension, may not undermine the Cause."
{`Abdu'l-Baha, Selections, p. 209}
Abdu'l-Baha has called the appointment of the Centre of the Covenant "the most
great characteristic of the revelation of Baha'u'llah." {`Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation
of Universal Peace, p. 455} "By this appointment and provision He has safeguarded
and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms, making it impossible
for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief. To ensure unity and agreement He has
entered into a Covenant with all the people of the world, including the interpreter and
explainer of His teachings, so that no one may interpret or explain the religion of God
according to his own view or opinion and thus create a sect founded upon his individual
understanding of the divine Words."
{`Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 445-446}
The Covenant of Baha'u'llah is unique in religious history: "So firm and mighty is
this Covenant that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious
Dispensation hath produced its like."
{Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 237}
Further, the Covenant provides the basis for the primary social teaching of the Baha'i
Revelation: "It is indubitably clear that the pivot of the oneness of mankind is
nothing else but the power of the Covenant."
{Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 237}
God:
The deity. Baha'is believe there is only one God, unknowable in His essence, who is the
creator and absolute ruler of the universe. "All existence is dependent upon Him, and
from Him all beings derive their sustenance. He is independent of all things. He is alone
and without equal. No being can know or approach Him." {Peter Smith, Baha'i
Religion, a Short Introduction, p. 13} It is not possible to describe God.
"To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable
Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as
corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that
human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His
fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His
Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men."
{Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, XIX}
However, man's purpose is to 'know' and to 'worship' God. This paradox lies in the
centre of the Baha'i conception of God. One can come to know God only through His
attributes and signs, particularly through His word and command as revealed through His
manifestations. In the world of creation, God's attributes are revealed through created
things. Each created thing has been made the bearer of some sign of divine reality, so
that the whole of creation mirrors forth the beauty of God. Human beings have been made
the bearers of all the divine names and attributes, so that they may be said to be made in
the 'image of God'. However, the chief locus of the attributes of God in this world is the
Manifestation of God, who exemplifies most perfectly God's attributes and provides a
channel for the revelation of His command.
{Smith, Baha'i Religion, pp. 13-14}
Kingdoms of God:
The levels of creation: mineral, vegetable, animal, human. Each manifests some of the
qualities of God, except man, who potentially manifests them all: " whatever is in
the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it
of the attributes and names of God To a supreme degree is this true of man . . . For in
him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other
created being hath excelled or surpassed." {Baha'u'llah, the Kitab-i-Iqan,
p. 100} Lower kingdoms do not bear all of the characteristics of higher ones, nor can
lower kingdoms comprehend higher ones: "An inferior degree can never comprehend a
higher degree or kingdom. The mineral, no matter how far it may advance, can never attain
knowledge of the vegetable. No matter how the plant or vegetable may progress, it cannot
perceive the reality of the animal kingdom - in other words, it cannot grasp. a world of
life that is endowed with the power of senses. The animal may develop. a wonderful degree
of intelligence, but it can never attain the powers of ideation and conscious reflection
which belong to man...This being so, how can the human reality, which is limited,
comprehend the eternal, manifest Creator?"
{`Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 172}
Knowledge:
For Baha'is, "true knowledge is the knowledge of God, and this is none other than the
recognition of His Manifestation in each Dispensation." {The Bab in Selections, p.
89} The purpose of man's creation is to know God: "I bear witness, O My God, that
Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee."
{Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Prayers, p. 4}
The knowledge of oneself is a high station conferred upon man by God: "Whatever
duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the utmost Thy majesty and
glory is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the
station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own
selves."
{Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, I}
Further, Baha'u'llah links man's knowledge of himself with the ability to know God:
"Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to
entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created
things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves - a knowledge which is the same
as the comprehension of Mine own Being."
{Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, CLIII}
The acquisition of knowledge - education - is an important Baha'i principle:
"Knowledge is one of the wondrous gifts of God. It is incumbent upon everyone to
acquire it."
{Baha'u'llah, Tablets, p. 39}
"Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition
is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as
can profit the peoples of the earth and not those which begin with words and end with
words In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of
bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him."
{Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 51}
Principles of the Baha'i Faith:
Baha'i term used for those fundamental tenets of Baha'i social teaching excerpted from the
Writings of Baha'u'llah and expounded by Abdu'l-Baha during His talks in Europe and
America in 1911-13, as recorded in The Promulgation of Universal Peace and other books.
These include the following:
These principles, Abdu'l-Baha said, "embody the divine spirit of the age and are
applicable to this period of maturity in the life of the human world."
{`Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 440}
He further states, "the teachings of Baha'u'llah are the very healing of the sick
world, the remedy for every need and condition. In them may be found the realization of
every desire and aspiration, the cause of the happiness of the world of humanity, the
stimulus and illumination of mentality, the impulse for advancement and uplift, the basis
of unity for all nations, the fountain source of love amongst mankind, the centre of
agreement, the means of peace and harmony, the one bond that unite the East and the
West."
{`Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 440}
"Baha'u'llah has said that religion is dying out in every land. One of the most striking evidences of the truth of that statement is the abdication of responsibility for one's own life on the part of an ever increasing number of people. To be no longer in charge of determining one's destiny is to adopt a passive attitude towards life an attitude devoid of self discipline, initiative, volition, and attainment. The inevitable consequence is a yielding to the pressures of the old order and conformity to behavior patterns which hasten its downfall.
"Religion dies out when man forgets God's purpose for him. Without a sense of that purpose, there can be no vision of spiritual destiny, no motivation to live in the present in ways that guarantee a spiritual life in the future, no reason to resist the corrupting temptations of a collapsing civilization. The rebirth of religion, therefore, means an infusion of God's purpose for man into the affairs of men. Fundamentally, this is what the Baha'i Faith does as it spreads throughout the world; it provides the means through which each individual follower of Baha'u'llah can gain knowledge of God's purpose for man in this day and, in collaboration with all of the Baha'is throughout the world, translate that purpose into action which will ultimately lead us to the Most Great Peace.
"If we are serious about becoming true Bah '¡s, if this is one of our most
important objectives, then we must have knowledge of God's purpose for man, the will to
plan our lives around it, and the capacity to act. Without knowledge, volition, and
action, no spiritual transformation can occur."
{Daniel Jordan, Baha'i Comprehensive Deepening Program: Knowledge - Volition -
Action}
"A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement between God and man,
whereby God requires of man certain behavior in return for which He guarantees certain
blessings, or whereby He gives man certain bounties in return for which He takes from
those who accept them an understanding to behave in certain ways"
{Universal House of Justice }
"Know this for a certainty that today, the penetrative power in the arteries of
the world of humanity is the power of the Covenant. The body of the world will not be
moved through any power except through the power of the Covenant. There is no other power
like unto this. This Spirit of the Covenant is the real Center of love and is reflecting
its rays to all parts of the globe, which are resuscitating and regenerating man and
illuminating the path to the Divine Kingdom."
{'`Abdu'l-Baha, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, p. 71}
"The Covenant of Baha'u'llah is unbroken, its all-encompassing power inviolate.
The two unique features which distinguish it from all religious covenants of the past are
unchanged and operative. The revealed Word, in its original purity, amplified by the
divinely guided interpretations of Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, remains immutable,
unadulterated by any man-made creeds or dogmas, unwarrantable inferences, or unauthorized
interpretations. The channel of Divine guidance, providing flexibility in all the affairs
of mankind, remains open through that institution which was founded by Baha'u'llah and
endowed by Him with supreme authority and unfailing guidance, and of which the Master
wrote: 'Unto this body all things must be referred.' How clearly we can see the truth of
Baha'u'llah's assertion: 'The Hand of Omnipotence hath established His Revelation upon an
enduring foundation. Storms of human strife are powerless to undermine its basis, nor will
men's fanciful theories succeed in damaging its structure."
{The Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance, p. 13}
"I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that
there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed thy Cause, fulfilled Thy
Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth.
Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and
changes of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their
all, in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful."
{Baha'u'llah, the Medium Obligatory Prayer}
"Say: Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze. Blessed the lifeless one
who is quickened through My reviving breaths. Blessed the eye that is solaced by gazing at
My beauty. Blessed the wayfarer who directeth his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory
and majesty. Blessed the distressed one who seeketh refuge beneath the shadow of My
canopy. Blessed the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My
loving-kindness. Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish desires for love
of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table which I have sent down from the heaven of
divine bounty for My chosen ones. Blessed the abased one who layeth fast hold on the cord
of My glory; and the needy one who entereth beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of My
wealth. Blessed the ignorant one who seeketh the fountain of My knowledge; and the
heedless one who cleaveth to the cord of My remembrance. Blessed the soul that hath been
raised to life through My quickening breath and hath gained admittance into My heavenly
Kingdom. Blessed the man whom the sweet savours of reunion with Me have stirred and caused
to draw nigh unto the Dayspring of My Revelation. Blessed the ear that hath heard and the
tongue that hath borne witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized the Lord Himself,
in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur and dominion. Blessed are they that
have attained His presence. Blessed the man who hath sought enlightenment from the
Day-Star of My Word. Blessed he who hath attired his head with the diadem of My love.
Blessed is he who hath heard of My grief and hath arisen to aid Me among My people.
Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold hardships for
the sake of My Name. Blessed the man who, assured of My Word, hath arisen from among the
dead to celebrate My praise. Blessed is he that hath been enraptured by My wondrous
melodies and hath rent the veils asunder through the potency of My might. Blessed is he
who hath remained faithful to My Covenant, and whom the things of the world have not kept
back from attaining My Court of holiness. Blessed is the man who hath detached himself
from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance
into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty,
hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself
with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and
hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and
glorification. Verily, he is of Me. Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty
and My glory."
{Baha'u'llah, Lawh-i-Aqdas, The Most Holy Tablet to the Christians}
Kitab-i- Ahd - Book of the Covenant by Baha'u'llah
Last Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha
Dispensation of Baha'u'llah
"The Covenant" by Adib Tahirzideh
"The Covenant" Its meaning and origin and our atitude towards it by the National Teaching Committee
Brilliant Star Magazine
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For additional information contact:
Joel Nizin, Secretary
Baha'is of Ridgewood, NJ
(201) 652-6385