Compete to Cooperate

No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony and union.

(Tablets of Baha’u’llah:163)

Baha’u’llah wrote these words more than one hundred years ago. The situation has, on most fronts, only become worse, though encouraging signs of humanity’s unification are there to see.  A healing crisis, guided by the divine Physician, is underway.  But the deeper point of the phrase “all were made for harmony and union” is that disharmony and disunity either within the human soul, or between people, is not a God-created condition, but a human-created one, since human beings were created for “harmony and union.”  It should, therefore, be easier to cooperate in unity than to compete in disunity, as it is easier to smile than to frown.  But to do that individuals must live from the higher nature, not the lower one, and human institutions must be designed that nurture the expression of that higher nature.  This latter can only be achieved if those institutions themselves embody principles and express social virtues exemplifying the consciousness of the oneness of humanity. 

            Selfish competition is not an irremovable human quality but a removeable one.  With sufficient inducements and rewards, it can be transformed into cooperation, for both have to do with relations with others.  Competition is to bring the best out of oneself by striving with not against others.  Cooperation is to bring the best out of everyone by working together.  Materialism is really the legitimate desire for prosperity gone hideously awry, and the creators of this illusion are transfixed by their own creation. 

We can legitimately compete in the expression of spiritual virtues.  Ruhiyyih Khanum, wife of the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, wrote that Shoghi Effendi “frequently quoted Bahá'u'lláh's admonition: ‘Vie ye with each other in the service of God and of His Cause’ and openly encouraged a competitive spirit in its noblest form.” (The Priceless Pearl: 400)   As an immature attitude and behavior, destructive competition is fed and nurtured by philosophies such as nationalism, sexism, racism, and all those other isms that divide a single humanity into separate camps of self-interested people.  The wellspring of all wrong competition is the attitude of me-first.  Such competition is more characteristic of the world of animals than the human kingdom.
         But the spiritual form of competition reverses the direction and purpose of moral effort.  ‘Abdu’l-Baha writes: “Happy the soul that shall forget his own good and, like the chosen ones of God, vie with his fellows in service to the good of all.” (The Secret of Divine Civilization:116) Looking out for others rather than "number one" is something “inherent” to our higher nature, though it must be brought forth or educed.  It can be done because such vying to serve others brings happiness to the soul.  But an improper education tells us that we are nothing more than naked monkeys and, ignorant of our true nature, we never grow out of this dreary, self-interested, ego-thinking and acting.

While it may be hard to believe that, given humanity’s bloodstained past, unity, reciprocity and cooperation, and spiritually vying for the good of others, are possible to achieve and maintain, the reason lies not in our nature, but in an education that has brought us down to a poverty of self-understanding.  That is, the reason lies not in something we are and, therefore, cannot change, but something we have learned to be and can, therefore, unlearn. But to prove these assertions is not possible through words alone.  Models of behavior must demonstrate the efficacy of spiritual principle to transform the self and society.  But also criteria that measure this new kind of real wealth are needed.

            In a material economy wealth is measured in financial terms, by the number and quality of goods available, the capital needed to produce these goods and deliver them to the consumer, and the amount of money one has to purchase commodities, whether goods or services, materials or labor.  In a spiritual economy wealth can be measured by the services and self-sacrifices community members give to each other.  Service is the currency of the Divine Economy.

Baha’u’llah admonishes, for example: “Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches….Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavors be spent in promoting your personal interest.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah: 138)  How opposite is this statement to the moral order we are trying to grow out from?  ‘Abdu’l-Baha echoes this sentiment: “the happiness and greatness, the rank and station, the pleasure and peace, of an individual have never consisted in his personal wealth, but rather in his excellent character, his high resolve, the breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems.” (The Secret of Divine Civilization:23)

Prosperity is achieved between individuals and small groups primarily through networks of service, sharing, and cooperation.  It is a change from looking out for oneself to caring for each other.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says: “Think ye at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race….Let each one of God’s loved ones centre his attention on this: to be the Lord’s mercy to man; to be the Lord’s grace. Let him do some good to every person whose path he crosseth, and be of some benefit to him. Let him improve the character of each and all, and reorient the minds of men.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l Baha:3)  “Beware,” says Bahá’u’lláh, “lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors.” (Gleanings:315)  Service and preferring others is the foundation of prosperity.  But if we are to have ethical economies of scale, social justice achieved by law is required and, as I stated at the outset, institutions must be designed that nurture not denature our higher self.

‘Abdu’l-Baha said while in Paris: “Certainly, some being enormously rich and others lamentably poor, an organization is necessary to control and improve this state of affairs. It is important to limit riches, as it is also of importance to limit poverty. Either extreme is not good. To be seated in the mean is most desirable. If it be right for a capitalist to possess a large fortune, it is equally just that his workman should have a sufficient means of existence.

A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity. When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life.

There must be special laws made, dealing with these extremes of riches and of want. The members of the Government should consider the laws of God when they are framing plans for the ruling of the people. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved.” (Paris Talks: 153-154)

Next post will conclude our discussion of the moral economy.

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