Module #1

Knowledge, Volition, Action
Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh & ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“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’lláh, 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’lláh, Gleanings, pp. 79-80

OBJECTIVES: 

The Covenant, an ancient word endowed with new meaning - it stands at the heart of what it means to be a Bahá’í. 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 Bahá’u’lláh 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 Bahá’í 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-Bahá - the Center of the Covenant?

	6)	How is the Covenant in the Bahá’í Faith different than the Covenants in other 			religions?

	7)	What are the Greater and Lesser Covenants?

DEFINITIONS: (Basic Bahá’í Dictionary, Editor Wendi Momen, George Ronald Press 1989)

Action:
“Bahá’u’lláh 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.” {Bahá’u’lláh in Gleanings, p. 250}  This translation will depend upon “converting satanic strength” into “heavenly power.” {Bahá’u’lláh in 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 Bahá’í 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 Bahá’í community, Bahá’í 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 Bahá’í 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 author of “Bahá’í Comprehensive Deepening Program”

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Arc: 
An arc cut into Mount Carmel along which the international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith are being built. In the Tablet of Carmel, Bahá’u’lláh, addressing Carmel, proclaimed, “Ere long will God sail His Ark upon Thee, and will manifest the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.” {Bahá’u’lláh in Gleaning, 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 Bahá’í Library, along with an extension to the International Archives Building and the creation of nineteen monumental terraces surrounding the nearby Shrine of the Báb. The completion of the buildings on the Arc is linked to the beginning of the Lesser Peace.

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Ark: 
In the Bahá’í Writings the term “Ark” is often used to signify the Cause of God, or the Covenant, and Bahá’u’lláh, the Holy Mariner. For example, the Báb in the Qayyumu'l-Asma has lauded the community of the Most Great Name, the Bahá’ís, as the companions of the Crimson-coloured Ark.
{Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh Vol. 4, p. 361}

In the Tablet of Carmel Bahá’u’lláh 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.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh in Gleaning, XI}

In this context, Shoghi Effendi has said that the Ark refers to the law of God {Taherzadeh in Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh 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 }

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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, Bahá’í 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 Bahá’í prayers end with a list of some of the attributes or names of God.
{Smith, Bahá’í Religion, p. 14}

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Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh : 
The divinely-ordained “instrument” provided by Bahá’u’lláh “to direct and canalize these forces let loose by this Heaven-sent process [the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh], 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, Bahá’u’lláh clearly appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor, identifying Him as “Him Whom God hath purposed.” {Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 221}to whom all should turn after Bahá’u’lláh’s passing. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the Centre of the Covenant.

The intention of the Covenant is the protection of the unity of the Bahá’í 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-Bahá in Selections, p. 209}

‘Abdu’l-Bahá has called the appointment of the Centre of the Covenant “the most great characteristic of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.” {‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 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-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 445-6}

The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh 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 Bahá’í 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}

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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, Bahá’í 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.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, XIX}

However, man's purpose is to 'know' and to 'worship' God. This paradox lies in the centre of the Bahá’í 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, Bahá’í Religion, pp. 13-14}

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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.” {Bahá’u’lláh, 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-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 172}

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Knowledge: 
For Bahá’ís, “true knowledge…is the knowledge of God, and this is none other than the recognition of His Manifestation in each Dispensation.” {The Báb 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.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í 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.” {Bahá’u’lláh Gleanings,  I} Further, Bahá’u’lláh 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.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, CLIII}

The acquisition of knowledge - education - is an important Bahá’í principle: “Knowledge is one of the wondrous gifts of God. It is incumbent upon everyone to acquire it.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh, 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.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 51}

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Principles of the Bahá’í Faith:
Bahá’í term used for those fundamental tenets of Bahá’í social teaching excerpted from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and expounded by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 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:

The oneness of mankind
The common foundation of all religions
Religion's obligation to be the cause of unity and harmony
The protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit
The accord of religion with science and reason
The non-interference of religion with politics
The independent investigation of truth
The establishment of justice
The equality of men and women
The equality of all men before the law
The elimination of all kinds of prejudice
The elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty
World peace
World government
A universal auxiliary language
An international tribunal
Universal education
A spiritual solution to economic problems
Protection of cultural diversity

These principles, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 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-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 440}

He further states, “the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh 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-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 440}

QUOTES: 

“Bahá’u’lláh 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 Bahá’í Faith does as it spreads throughout the world; it provides the means through which each individual follower of Bahá’u’lláh can gain knowledge of God's purpose for man in this day and, in collaboration with all of the Bahá’ís 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 Bahá’ís, 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, “Bahá’í 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-Bahá, The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 71}

"The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh 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-Bahá 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 Bahá’u’lláh 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 Bahá’u’lláh'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…”
{Bahá’u’lláh, 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.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh , Lawh-i-Aqdas, The Most Holy Tablet to the Christians}

RECOMMENDED READINGS:

	Kitab-i-‘Ahd - Book of the Covenant by Bahá’u’lláh
	Last Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 
	Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh
	“The Covenant” by Adib Tahirzideh
 	“The Covenant” Its meaning and origin and our atitude towards it by the National Teaching 		Committee
	Brilliant Star Magazine