What the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh Means to Me
Who is Bahá'u'lláh and How He became my Mizán and my Friend
First How I I acquired be belie lief o or f faith i in n Bahá há'u' u'lláh? h?
Two D o Defin init itio ions of of “Fait ith” • Related to religion, faith for most people implies believing that which you cannot prove • The Bahá’í definition states, “By faith is meant, first, conscious knowledge, and second, the practice of good deeds.” • recognition of the Manifestation • to observe every ordinance He reveals • (reciprocity) neither is acceptable without the other
How Do W o We A e Acquir ire Con onscious Knowled ledge e of t the M Manif ifes estation?
Through P Proofs!
‘Abdu' du'l-Bahá há E Expl plains ns H How W We Obt btain P n Proof
Ever ery s y subje ject p presented ed t to a thoughtful audi udience m mus ust be be s supp upported d by rational pr proofs and logic gical a l argu guments Proofs are of four kinds That is to say, there are four criterions or standards of judgment by which the human mind reaches its conclusions. (Abdu'l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity , p. 86) • First, through sense-perception • Second, through the reasoning faculty • Third, from traditional or scriptural authority • Fourth, through the medium of inspiration.
Indi ndividually, Al All Four Ar ur Are I Insufficient . . . the four criterions or standards of judgment by which the human mind reaches its conclusions are faulty and inaccurate. All of them are liable to mistake and error in conclusions
Coll ollectiv ively ly, Th They E Establi lish t the e Mizá zán But a statement presented to the mind accompanied by proofs which the senses can perceive to be correct, which the faculty of reason can accept, which is in accord with traditional authority and sanctioned by the promptings of the heart, can be adjudged and relied upon as perfectly correct, for it has been proved and tested by all the standards of judgment and found to be complete.
How D Do W We A Apply t these f four ur s standa ndards ds t to Tho hose W Who ho c claim t to be be a a Manif ifestatio ion?
Proo oofs of of t the P Prop ophet (from the Iqán) 1. The Book: “Therefore, should a person arise and bring forth a myriad verses, discourses, epistles, and prayers, none of which have been acquired through learning, what conceivable excuse could justify those that reject them, and deprive themselves of the potency of their grace?” (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i- Iqan, p. 220) 2. Souls arise to proclaim the advent: “Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this, that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the divine Presence. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 221) “divinely appointed touchstone” –martyrs to the Cause. 3. Constancy of the Prophet in proclaiming the Faith of God. “He was afraid of no one; He was regardless of consequences. Could such a thing be made manifest except through the power of a divine Revelation, and the potency of God's invincible Will?” (, p. 230), Steadfastnes in the Faith is a sure testimony, and a glorious evidence of the truth. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 233) 4. Transmuting influence: “And among the evidences of the truth of His manifestation were the ascendancy, the transcendent power, and supremacy which He, the Revealer of being and Manifestation of the Adored, hath, unaided and alone, revealed throughout the world. No sooner had that eternal Beauty revealed Himself in Shiraz, in the year sixty, and rent asunder the veil of concealment, than the signs of the ascendancy, the might, the sovereignty, and power, emanating from that Essence of Essences and Sea of Seas, were manifest in every land.” (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 234) 5. Traditions (ḥadí ths). Prophecies.
Some O Other O Obj bjective M Metric ics P Provin ing t the he Inf nflue uenc nce o of B Bahá'u' u'lláh (ena nabling us us to obtain in c cons nscio ious k kno nowle ledge)
The M Miracul ulous R Resul ults of Bahá há'u'lláh’s L Life • From Him emanated the second most widespread religion in the world in the course of 174 years • Without seeking power or aligning Himself with the powerful, His influence has spread worldwide • Never before has a movement spread like this without the vested interest of the rich and powerful • Never before has the Founder of a revealed religion secured the religion against schism or perversion
From this Simple Room Looking out On an narrow street in a prison city emanated . . .
A Blueprint for Transforming Society and Bringing about World Peace
Bahá há'u'lláh caus used t d this to become … …
Th This is!
And t this is to o bec ecome . . . .
Th This is!
and spiritual forces sufficient to change the world focus on a simple shrine for One Who was born into this world two hundred years ago
The he Qiblih ih
Subje bjective metri rics by by which I h I came to accept the s station o of B Bahá há'u'l 'lláh h
The I Inf nfluenc nce o of B Bahá há'u'lláh i in M n My Life • I was a raised as a Methodist from childhood to age 19 • I have now been a Bahá’í for 58 years • That amounts to 29% of the 200 years since the birth of Bahá'u'lláh • I have had the privilege of being in the presence of nine Hands of the Cause • I have had access to those who were with the Guardian, with ‘Abdu'l- Bahá, and with Bahá'u'lláh • I have borne witness to the completion of the administrative order, the terraces, the arc, and, more recently, the global framework for action. • In light of this, what does this commemoration mean to me?
My Journey T Through Proofs
I Commun uned w d with h Chri rist a and G d God d through P h Prayer r and nd the W Word d
I Had H ad His I Imag age B Before Me an and the the Stor orie ies of of H His l life I Knew by H Hea eart
I Rej ejoi oiced in S Son ongs of of P Praise Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
I Rej ejoi oiced in S Son ongs of of P Praise Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
For Me Me the T Trinit ity w was n no proble lem: I Sens nsed a a Cl Clear Distinction Be Between Chr Christ a and nd God “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30) “…I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” (John 14:31-15:1)
Chr hris ist o on T n The he C Cross: Wha hat i it Meant t to O Others
He D e Died f for O Our S Sins: Without t the he C Cross, no no S Salvatio ion a and nd no no C Chr hristia ianit ity
Wha hat i it Meant t to M Me
He e Lived ed to Hel elp U Us Over ercome O e Our S Sins New L Laws, N New T Teachin ings, a Visio ion o of Go God a as F Father
My Introduction t n to the B Bahá'í 'í Faith Provi vided ed m me a a new ew Mizá zán
The he Mizan, the he “ Standa ndard” d” o or t the “Ba “Balance” As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the balance--this is the balance. --Abdu'l-Bahá
The he Mizan, the he “ Standa ndard” d” o or t the “Ba “Balance” The degree of conscious knowledge you implement into action in an ongoing reciprocal fashion Equals The strength of your spiritual powers and The plenitude and potency of divine blessings you will receive.
The S Stand ndard d or the B Balance
The Touchstone Thus hath Sadiq, son of Muhammad, spoken: "God verily will test them and sift them." This is the divine standard, this is the Touchstone of God, wherewith He proveth His servants. None apprehendeth the meaning of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have found favour with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him. (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 255)
The Touchstone Thus hath Sadiq, son of Muhammad, spoken: "God verily will test them and sift them." This is the divine standard, this is the Touchstone of God, wherewith He proveth His servants. None apprehendeth the meaning of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have found favour with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him. (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 255)
The he R Rela latio ionship o of t the he Mizan to th o the La Law of P of Parsimony (Occam’s ’s r razor)
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