Virtues of Prosperity: Generosity; Gratitude; Humility.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..

(Galatians 5:22)

The last few posts have presented the first four of what I call the Ten Virtues of Prosperity.  These virtues are the different denominations of the currency of the moral economy, as dollars and cents are for the material economy.   Exemplifying these virtues will be difficult to say the least.  I mean that we should be clear about one thing: applying spiritual principles of thought and behavior among people whose values are materialistic, whose conception of human nature is ego-centered, and whose idea of human purpose is self-centered action, creates upheaval, arouses suspicion, and invites negative reaction. 

Ideally, of course, spiritual principle and practical action are inseparable, one seamless flow of thought and behavior.  But we do not live in such an ideal condition, but one that is almost exactly the opposite of it.  Baha’u’llah wrote of the effects of moral acts in an immoral society: “One righteous act is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished.” (Gleanings: 286)  I call your attention especially to the “tear every bond asunder” threat wedged in between the two firm promises of elevating the dust and restoring the force that hath spent itself and vanished.  Christ said that new wine cannot be poured into old wineskins, for as the new wine ferments it expands and the old skin having lost its elasticity bursts.  This is what happens when the new wine of Revelation gets poured into our old wineskins of social and mental reality.  We are seeing increasing insanity and immorality, because our old thought patterns, values and assumptions about Reality have burst asunder. Virtue is the new wineskin.    

The fifth virtue is generosity.  As opposed to any Calvinist-type thinking that accumulation of material riches is the proof of spiritual felicity, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says: “Eternal happiness is contingent upon giving.” (Promulgation of Universal Peace: 131)   There is no greater means to achieve general prosperity than by generosity.  Bahá’u’lláh commands us to: “Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people.” (Gleanings: 297)  In another place He warns the rich, saying: “Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.” (The Hidden Words Persian #49)  

In His letter to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote:  “Among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is voluntary sharing of one’s property with others among mankind.  This voluntary sharing is greater than equality, and consists in this, that one should not prefer oneself to others, but rather should sacrifice one’s life and property for others.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: 302)  To the great financier and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, He wrote: “Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily performed, not through good deeds the doing of which was forced upon him. And sharing is a personally chosen righteous act: that is, the rich should extend assistance to the poor, they should expend their substance for the poor, but of their own free will, and not because the poor have gained this end by force. For the harvest of force is turmoil and the ruin of the social order.  On the other hand voluntary sharing, the freely-chosen expending of one's substance, leadeth to society's comfort and peace.  It lighteth up the world; it bestoweth honour upon humankind.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: 115)   And while in Paris He said: “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.” (Paris Talks: 153)

But just to tell someone “be generous like Christ or Bahá’u’lláh” probably will not get him or her very far.  This is because whenever an immature soul gives to another he may well fear that he is impoverishing himself, for he thinks life is a competitive zero-sum game with only winners and losers.  But we are not in competition with each other if we are cooperating with higher powers.  For in that cooperative relation there is plenty for all, and we need not fear running out of wealth, either personally or collectively.  The spiritualized soul recognizes that the act of giving itself is wealth in a higher form.  This is our true affluence—a word which means flows freely.  Personal prosperity is founded on and expressed through generosity. It is not those who have too little that are in poverty; it is those who wish for more than they need that are poor in spirit.

The sixth virtue is gratitude.  Gratitude is an active power drawing to us the good pleasure of God—the first attracting the second.  Gratitude works for prosperity by establishing good human relations and relations with divinity.  Grace is the root of gratitude, so we should be grateful for our innate virtues and use them to contribute to prosperity.  But gratitude must be sincere to be effective.

‘Abdul-Baha wrote: “There is a cordial thanksgiving, too, which expresses itself in the deeds and actions of man when his heart is filled with gratitude. For example, God has conferred upon man the gift of guidance, and in thankfulness for this great gift certain deeds must emanate from him. To express his gratitude for the favors of God man must show forth praiseworthy actions. In response to these bestowals he must render good deeds, be self-sacrificing, loving the servants of God, forfeiting even life for them, showing kindness to all the creatures.” (Promulgation of Universal Peace: 236)

It takes little effort to imagine what other kinds of deeds and “praiseworthy actions” would contribute to prosperity, besides the one’s the Master lists: self-sacrificing, loving the servants of God, showing kindness to all creatures.  The important point for this discussion is that we do these services for others to show our gratitude to God: we give because we have already received and thus have something to give.

Seventh is humility.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was often likened to an ocean, not just because He seemed bigger than any situation, but also because His deep humility made Him put Himself lower than everyone else and thus serve them.  All waters flow to the ocean for it lies at the lowest point, yet the ocean is also the fount of all life.  So is service the fount of wealth in the moral economy.  Now a strange kind of happy math would happen if all were humble and serving others instead of being self-serving.  That is, if everyone is looking out for me, and not just me looking out for me, there is a lot more security and wealth for me, so long as I am looking out for others.  Hence, humility is not such total self-effacement that one feels unworthy to do anything, or that one has nothing to give.  Humility is an attitude that seeks out service; that always wishes to help.  It should be the chief quality of the leaders of humankind.

Steven Covey, author of Principle-Centered Leadership, writes: “You can’t have a oneness, a unity, without humility….The great servant leaders have that humility, the hallmark of inner religion.” (Principle-Centered Leadership: 92.)  I will complete the ten virtues in the next post.

A direct link to my book, Renewing the Sacred, is http://tinyurl.com/cndew5a.  It is now also in Kindle.

Virtues of Prosperity: Trustworthiness and Faith

(T)he 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.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization: 23)

In a spiritually-based economy, what I call the moral economy, material wealth must of course be generated.  But we are not after material wealth per se.  We are after prosperity.  Wealth is absolutely essential for prosperity to mean anything but fine words, but material wealth itself is not prosperity. Indeed Baha’u’llah wrote: “Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the lover and his beloved... Well is it then with him who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal Kingdom.” (The Hidden Words, Persian #53)

Prosperity comes from combining of spiritual riches (virtues) with material wealth.  Wealth can be used to build hospitals or bombs.  But prosperity makes one decision infinitely better than the other.  But in either case, wealth is like having a strong hammer to drive a nail.  Poverty is like having only your hand to do it.  The question is not, then, to choose between a false dichotomy of either ethics or economics.  The real question is: How is the ethical economy established?  That is why I am putting forth what I am calling the ten virtues of prosperity.  Last post discussed love and truthfulness.  This post discusses trustworthiness and faith.

If we are lovingly caring for others, are cooperating with them, and are truthful in all matters, we are demonstrating that we are trustworthy, that others may repose their trust in us to take care of the poor in our midst who are His trust.  Trustworthiness is also trusting that we will be cared for in ways which we may not know or understand, that we will be fed by hidden celestial springs.  In a phrase I discussed in a previous post (August 9, 2012), Shoghi Effendi wrote: “To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by the fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good – that is the secret of right living.” (Directives from the Guardian: 32). 

So important is trustworthiness in social and economic affairs that Bahá’u’lláh had a vision of trustworthiness as: “one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: “O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My effulgence. By God, the True One! I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof, and the beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank and station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the most great ornament of the people of Baha, and the vesture of glory unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. I am the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world, and the horizon of assurance unto all beings.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah: 37)  In another tablet He wrote: “The goodliest vesture in the sight of God in this day is trustworthiness. All bounty and honour shall be the portion of the soul that arrayeth itself with this greatest of adornments.” (The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 327)

In another place He wrote: “We have enjoined upon all to become engaged in some trade or profession, and have accounted such occupation to be an act of worship. Before all else, however, thou shouldst receive, as a sign of God's acceptance, the mantle of trustworthiness from the hands of divine favour; for trustworthiness is the chief means of attracting confirmation and prosperity.” (The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 335)

 “Commerce,” He wrote in yet another connection, “is as a heaven, whose sun is trustworthiness and whose moon is truthfulness. The most precious of all things in the estimation of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth is trustworthiness: thus hath it been recorded in the sacred Scroll of God. Entreat ye the one true God to enable all mankind to attain to this most noble and lofty station.” (The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 335-336)  Nothing more need be said about this virtue than what Bahá’u’lláh wrote.

Faith is the greatest creative power in the human reality.  It is an intrinsic impulse of the human spirit.  The power of faith was summed up by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when He said: “Nothing shall be impossible to you if you have faith. As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be.” (Bahiyyih Khanum: 225)  Much of the hopelessness present today is really a lack of faith.  Of course, there is good reason to put no faith in failing systems and institutions and untrustworthy people.  But the general lack of faith comes from the breakdown of trust, in oneself, in others and in institutions, because more and more relationships and systems no longer work.  In relation to prosperity, should we have real faith we would believe that: “The Spirit breathing through the Holy Scriptures is food for all who hunger. God Who has given the revelation to His Prophets will surely give of His abundance daily bread to all those who ask Him faithfully.” (Paris Talks:57)  To ask faithfully doesn’t mean to put in your sincere request to the divine food bank and passively wait for a magical cornucopia to open.  It means to work hard toward a necessary or noble goal, all the while believing that divine assistance is aiding you in your quest.

            Many recoil from belief in invisible power and say: “Seeing is believing.”  They mean by this little gnome of supposed insight that wisdom is to be skeptical of anything that can’t be seen with the physical eye.  But actually the opposite is true.  Real faith is never blind belief, or belief in something we cannot relate to.  The Biblical statement of the correct attitude is Jesus declaration: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (The Book of Mark 11:24)   Jesus is saying look into the world of vision, perceive with your spiritual eye, as He did, and believe that what you perceive there is real and can be manifested. 

            So many don’t really believe what they mentally envision, calling it “just imagination” or "only a dream."  This is doubt speaking and the lower form of faith is doubt.  We often lose heart and feel doubt when pursuing a dream because we encounter obstacles or resistance.  This, too, is a form of poverty thinking (See the November 4, 2012 post) that can become a self-fulfilling belief.  Doubt has an impoverishing effect, for we are actually saying that we don’t believe in the reality of spirit.  Thus what we desire from that realm will never manifest.  But to believe that you have received before you have actually received, as Christ said, means that you must mentally make a place in your life for the desired reality.  If you are not prepared for it you are actually strengthening doubt not belief.  In this case, doubt will increase, faith will decrease, and you are ensnared in a self-fulfilling prophecy of hopelessness and despair.

A direct link to my book, Renewing the Sacred, is http://tinyurl.com/cndew5a.  It is now also in Kindle.

Virtues of True Prosperity

The honor and exaltation of every existing being depends upon causes and circumstances….the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perception, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's life for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the exaltation of man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honor!

(‘Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions: 78-80)

        With ‘Àbdu’l-Bahá’s statement in mind, we can say that real prosperity lies in advancing ourselves into higher realms of spirit where true wealth resides.  It is not to be rich in this world, but to use this wealth to express more spirit.

In the next few posts I am going to discuss what I call the ten personal virtues of prosperity.  These virtues all derive from the central pivot of Baha’u’llah’s teachings, which is the consciousness of the oneness of humanity.  That is, these virtues come out of and support that central ideal and give it varied expression in interpersonal relations.  They do not exist or have real power without that larger context provided by that consciousness.  This must be kept in mind, or they become simply disembodied ideas and airy beliefs. 

Before I get to the heart of the discussion, however, I want to put forward two considerations.  First, ‘Abdu’l-Baha reminds us that: “These virtues do not appear from the reality of man except through the power of God and the divine teachings, for they need supernatural power for their manifestation. It may be that in the world of nature a trace of these perfections may appear, but they are unstable and ephemeral; they are like the rays of the sun upon the wall.” (Some Answered Questions: 80)

Secondly, some may question my choice of virtues: “What, only these virtues and not others?”; or, “Why did he not include….”?  My answer is that I have found this approach a useful one and I hope the reader does also.  It is comprehensive but not overly complex.  If any reader wishes to add to or subtract from the list, fine, for they are, naturally, free to make their own list using other virtues.  The goal, though, is neither to make lists, nor to argue over whose list is better, but to practice virtues.  

The two virtues to discuss today are love and truthfulness.  The discussion will necessarily be short, but the hope is that the essentials will be apparent. 

First is love.  Love is both the foundation and center of everything human.  In a talk in America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained the connection between love and true economics: “The fundamentals of the whole economic condition are divine in nature and are associated with the world of the heart and spirit….Hearts must be so cemented together, love must become so dominant that the rich shall most willingly extend assistance to the poor and take steps to establish these economic adjustments permanently. If it is accomplished in this way, it will be most praiseworthy because then it will be for the sake of God and in the pathway of His service. For example, it will be as if the rich inhabitants of a city should say, ‘It is neither just nor lawful that we should possess great wealth while there is abject poverty in this community,’ and then willingly give their wealth to the poor, retaining only as much as will enable them to live comfortably.

Strive, therefore, to create love in the hearts in order that they may become glowing and radiant. When that love is shining, it will permeate other hearts even as this electric light illumines its surroundings. When the love of God is established, everything else will be realized. This is the true foundation of all economics….Economic questions will not attract hearts. The love of God alone will attract them. Economic questions are most interesting; but the power which moves, controls and attracts the hearts of men is the love of God.” (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: 239)  

            But this love is no mere soft and lifeless acceptance of things as they are.  It is divine love, not human imitations of it.  We must understand the dynamic power of love to change human conditions.  Think of a Mother Teresa.  Without love there is only tolerance of others, without unity there is only passive acceptance of differences.  To quote again a statement from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “See ye no strangers; rather see all men as friends, for love and unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: 24)  “Love is a light that never dwelleth in a heart possessed by fear,” says Bahá’u’lláh, (The Four Valleys:58) bringing to mind Shoghi Effendi’s admonition to give “undeterred by the fear of poverty.” (Directives from the Guardian: 32

            But to get a real sense of the power of love let us ponder these words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “Love is…the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things. .... the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race and nation.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha: 27)  Love, then, is the binding power of all things, especially of human relations.  If we truly loved each other we would never think of taking advantage or justify self-interest.

The second virtue is truthfulness.  Though it is the second virtue, it is the first intellectual virtue and therefore the foundation of mental activity and progress.   The Master says: “Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all of the worlds of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also become realized.” (Bahá’í World Faith: 384)  Mere casual reflection tells us that if people were truthful in their personal dealings then misunderstanding, suspicion, hurt and anger would decrease, and trust, cooperation and service would increase.  Truthfulness by itself would increase prosperity, for watchdog agencies would not be necessary to police the graft, bribery, tax evasion, and other forms of immoral self-interest that siphon off so much from the public funds.  Truthfulness in the corporate and public world would be a great benefit to society, and would eliminate all those scandalous underhanded dealings that so plague our world today. 

The collective form of truthfulness is consultation, the aim of which is to determine the truth in any matter by each one speaking truthfully his or her opinion on the matter at hand.  Bahá’u’lláh admonishes: “Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah:168)

A direct link to my book, Renewing the Sacred is http://tinyurl.com/cndew5a

Poverty Thinking

God grant that all men may turn unto the treasures latent within their own beings.

(Tablets of Baha’u’llah:72)

            We are learning the hard way that real happiness resides neither in a mad, frenetic pursuit of material things, nor in that drowsy complacency resulting from gorging on a glut of material wealth, or rather it may for awhile, but it cannot endure without the developments of our virtues, both private and public. 

The evolution of what has become a materialist order of life, thought, and society was built upon an ethos of self-interest.  ‘Abdu’l-Baha summed up that ethos this way: “Today, all the peoples of the world are indulging in self-interest and exert the utmost effort and endeavour to promote their own material interests. They are worshipping themselves and not the divine reality, nor the world of mankind. They seek diligently their own benefit and not the common weal. This is because they are captives of the world of nature and unaware of the divine teachings, of the bounty of the Kingdom and of the Sun of Truth.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha:103)

            Opposed to this self-centered ethic of anarchy, competition and division, Baha’u’llah asserts the moral view that has animated every great religion: “Forget your own selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbor. Bend your energies to whatever may foster the education of men.” (Gleanings: 9)  And: “Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah: 86)  And in relation to the inner gems of virtue within His Revelation He promises: “Were ye to discover the hidden, the shoreless oceans of My incorruptible wealth, ye would, of a certainty, esteem as nothing the world, nay, the entire creation.” (Gleanings:323)

Bahá’u’lláh’s estimation of the value of this world is: “The world is but a show, vain and empty, a mere nothing, bearing the semblance of reality. Set not your affections upon it.” (Gleanings:323)  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá elaborates on His father’s statement: “This present life is even as a swelling wave, or a mirage, or drifting shadows. Could ever a distorted image on the desert serve as refreshing waters?  No, by the Lord of Lords! Never can reality and the mere semblance of reality be one, and wide is the difference between fancy and fact, between truth and the phantom thereof.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdul-Baha:177)

            Now material things are real enough, as anyone running into a wall can tell you.  So when Bahá’u’lláh says the world is a mere nothing, He does not mean it is not real.  He means it is of little value compared to spiritual reality and that the materialistic mind overvalues it.  Bahá’u’lláh identifies our true psychological relation with material wealth: “In earthly riches fear is hidden and peril is concealed.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah:219) 

One can never gain a feeling of security and peace from pursuing, possessing and accumulating material riches because fear and peril are hidden and concealed in their very essence.  These dangers are there because material riches are always threatening to dissolve.  They are a fleeting form of congealed dust.  Compared to spiritual wealth, the reality of material riches is illusion itself. The gold they give is only a fool’s gold, material wealth being but the semblance of inner spiritual riches.  Their promise of happiness, security and peace is a lie because they can only deliver fear, suspicion and competitive self-interest.  The more material riches are pursued and accumulated, whether by individuals or nations, the more fear and a sense of imperilment is brought into human life, for that pursuit is merely chasing shadows and reflections through the looking glass!  But fear and peril are difficult to see because they are hidden beneath the sparkling glitter of allurement—“If I get that big raise I can….” 

            Material needs and desires are a necessary part of human life and well-being: but only in a proper measure.  However, materialism as a philosophy is built entirely on fiction and illusion, for it is founded upon poverty thinking, and poverty generates anxiety which fuels a compensating avariciousness.  The  whole materialist paradigm is driven to overcome these paralyzing feelings of scarcity and fear of poverty by the donkey’s carrot of aggressive self-interest and material accumulation.  Not only is there no common prosperity there, there can never be any sense of prosperity for the lower nature is a poverty mentality seeking enrichment.  As we become engaged in cutthroat competition for limited resources we lose any sense of our spiritual nature and become blind to true human purpose.  The inner anxiety is compensated for by a lust for power and material security—but it never goes away.  Yet, from prolonged exposure to this illusion, to this improper education that brings forth our ego-qualities of negativity, we have bought into the delusion given us and the development of human consciousness suffers correspondingly. 

Shoghi Effendi put it this way: “Indeed the chief reason for the evils now rampant in society is the lack of spirituality. The materialistic civilization of our age has so much absorbed the energy and interest of mankind that people in general do no longer feel the necessity of raising themselves above the forces and conditions of their daily material existence. There is not sufficient demand for things that we call spiritual to differentiate them from the needs and requirements of our physical existence.

The universal crisis affecting mankind is, therefore, essentially spiritual in its causes. The spirit of the age, taken on the whole, is irreligious. Man’s outlook on life is too crude and materialistic to enable him to elevate himself into the higher realms of the spirit….the core of religious faith is that mystic feeling which unites Man with God.” (Directives from the Guardian 1973 edition: 86)

            Inner poverty can only be cured by spiritual riches, not by greater material wealth.  The real scarcity today is within our empty souls, not in our empty pocketbooks.  We don’t see this, or only see it through a heavy fog of confused thoughts, because our value system, as it is called, is horribly skewed.  We have an ego-based morality. 

            In viewing our relationship with material wealth Bahá’u’lláh again presents a view opposed to the common one: “Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from it. Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession, and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom.” (The Hidden Words #56Arabic)  So that we may be educated to see ourselves and the world properly the divine Educator warns: “Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.” (The Hidden Words #55A)  We are finding out that the attraction for gold, or material wealth, is a spiritual fire we put our souls in—and it can roast the spirit.       

            True prosperity is where the spiritual and the material are in harmonious balance for everyone, not just for oneself.  So a spiritual solution to the economic problem means, at this juncture, to use our inner spiritual resources to create this balance, to mine and express those inner gems deposited within the soul of every human being, to bring about the death of scarcity.  Spiritual resources we have in abundance for we are created rich.  Spiritually, wealth is not something we need but something we are. 

            What are the virtues we need to manifest to solve our economic problem?  The first three are love, truthfulness and trustworthiness. 

The Third Purpose: Advancing Civilization

Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence flowing from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah: 287)

Another individual purpose is to “carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.” (Gleanings: 214)  Here I don’t wish to get into a sociological discussion of this purpose, because that strays too far into examining social institutions.  At this juncture, suffice it to say that social institutions everywhere and at every level will no doubt evolve and become more humane as they buckle, then crumble, then are rebuilt in new global form by wise leaders of humankind under the imperative of manifesting the oneness of humanity. 

             However, before that civilization becomes the reality that we live within and not just dream about, every individual has still an important role to play in advancing civilization toward that goal.  While most individuals can only negligibly advance material civilization, every person can play a central role in advancing spiritual civilization by acting as a catalyst and model of virtuous behavior.  In this we are following the example of humanity’s great Spiritual Lights.  The power of example lies in its effect of raising the general consciousness of humanity’s spiritual nature.  Uplifting human consciousness subtly influences society and people toward ends that benefit everybody.

Virtues are powers not verbal platitudes.  They are not set-in-stone gems, mere adornments to a pious life.  Virtues are gem-like potentials of “inestimable value” that have been deposited within every human being.  They are fields of inner power: radiant divine energies with vibrating influence.  Virtues are talismanic powers that attract whatever is needed from the spiritual realm.  But, in the practical world, virtues are the right and proper way for human beings to behave toward each other.  They are templates of moral action.  By beholding their expression in some people, others can recognize their own divine nature.  Virtues attract the divinity of others and evoke a spiritual response from them.

We are created rich in such potentials.  Educing and practicing our virtues releases their powers and aids humanity to create prosperity.  How?  We know how to create material wealth by investing capital and organizing work production, and with the technological revolution of the last two hundred years we have the means at hand to produce wealth beyond the dreams of past kings.  But the earth does not contain the non-renewable natural resources to produce unlimited material plenty for all.  One of the revolutions spawned by the industrial revolution was a psychological transformation in economics from supply to demand as the drive of material production.  For millennia supply limited demand, but the early promise of a universal cornucopia from industrial production was that we no longer need have any limit on desire.  Demand now drives supply and a continuous revolution in science and technology is supposed to deliver on that promise.  But the promise is false when it is made to all who want a share in a global consumer economy based upon non-renewal, finite commodities. 

Now we must learn to create ever-renewable wealth by investing through service our innate moral capital in each other, and organize the creation and distribution of material wealth upon spiritual principles.  The proper distribution of wealth will further augment collective human spirituality as it does individual spirituality, and this collective spiritual advance will lead to even better social productivity and the sharing of wealth and opportunity.  Having realized material prosperity for some, we must now go into a higher realm of virtue to obtain true wealth and real prosperity for all. 

Virtues transmute the base metal of ego thoughts and selfish actions into the pure gold of selfless moral behavior.  They act to overcome and redirect a materialist value system revolving around me-first into a spiritual one based on you-before-me.  They replace the lies, injustice, faithlessness, greed, irresponsibility, pride, discontent, and the passive/predatory attitude characteristic of that me-first way of life with truth,  justice, faith, and with responsible actions and altruistic attitudes that “enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”  There is no doubt that if we nurture even some of our innate virtue a new kind of civilization will emerge whose people look out first for each other rather than for "number one".  But again, knowledge of these virtues is not enough.  They must be put into practice. They must be manifested.  The Master said: “We know that to help the poor and to be merciful is good and pleases God, but knowledge alone does not feed the starving man, nor can the poor be warmed by knowledge or words in the bitter winter; we must give the practical help of Loving-kindness.” (‘Abdu'l-Baha in London: 60)

            No one can deny the difficulty of believing that just “being good” will do much good.  We live in a world where unconscionable amounts of poverty, inequity, exploitation, discrimination, and prejudice are allowed to exist.  The situation seems utterly hopeless to many.  But that is because we are bucking hundreds of years of conditioning that has, frankly, delayed our understanding of the powers of spirit, warped our thinking and blinded our insight, though we are, generally, unaware of this.  And it has filled our minds with unmanageable levels of anxiety, fear, and insecurity—and we are acutely aware of this! 

            The House of Justice pointed to a way out: “The light of the Revelation is destined to illumine every sphere of endeavor; in each, the relationships that sustain society are to be recast; in each, the world seeks examples of how human beings should be to one another.  We offer for your consideration, given its conspicuous part in generating ferment in which so many people have recently been embroiled, the economic life of humanity, where injustice is tolerated with indifference and disproportionate gain is regarded as the emblem of success.  So deeply entrenched are such pernicious attitudes that it is hard to imagine how any one individual can alone alter the prevailing standards by which the relationships in this domain are governed.  Nevertheless, there are certainly practices a Bahá’í would eschew, such as dishonesty in one’s transactions or the economic exploitation of others.  Faithful adherence to the divine admonitions demands there be no contradiction between one’s economic conduct and one’s beliefs as a Baha’i.  By applying in one’s life those principles of the Faith that relate to fairness and equity, a single soul can uphold a standard far above the low threshold by which the world measures itself.  Humanity is weary for want of a pattern of life to which to aspire.” (The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 2012)    

            In sum, we can say that every individual has three main purposes: first, to acquire virtues, which means to express innate powers; secondly, to attain a share of the grace of God, which is also connected with developing innate talents and abilities and finding a calling; and, finally, to advance civilization by striving to achieve the first two purposes.  These are not separate purposes, but, rather, intimately connected purposes that flow out naturally from true self-knowledge.  Now that we know something of human purpose and how it is intimately linked with knowledge of our true and inmost self we can go to the third question and discuss how we should act toward one another.  In the next few posts I will present what I call the ten personal virtues of prosperity, and indicate how they can actually impact our daily economic life.

A direct link to purchase my book, Renewing the Sacred: A New Vision of Education, is: http://tinyurl.com/cndew5a

Human Purpose: Acquiring The Grace of God

The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him.  Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. p. 8)

We have many purposes.  Last post I discussed one purpose of life is to acquire virtues.  Another purpose of human life, because it is a spiritual duty, is stated by Bahá’u’lláh above.  What does the grace of God mean in the context of prosperity?

In its broadest sense the grace of God is His Message, the revelation of the eternal and temporal truth.  Baha’u’llah writes that the Word of God “is God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah:144)  But this all-pervasive grace gets particularized in each person.  St. Paul helps us understand this when he writes: “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…” (The Book of Romans 12:6)  Regardless of circumstances, grace as unfolding innate talents becomes active in our lives when we exert ourselves to receive the grace of spiritual empowerment and divine confirmation.  What does that mean in a concrete sense?

Baha'u'llah wrote: “Please God, the poor may exert themselves and strive to earn the means of livelihood. This is a duty which, in this most great Revelation, hath been prescribed unto every one, and is accounted in the sight of God as a goodly deed. Whoso observeth this duty, the help of the invisible One shall most certainly aid him. He can enrich, through His grace, whomsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, hath power over all things....” (Gleanings:202

Of course, this counsel, as He says, is not just for the poor, but for everyone.  To achieve individual wealth: “(I)t is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding!” (The Hidden Words #80 Persian)  And in relation to the path to take to achieve wealth, He admonished an individual: “Concerning the means of livelihood, thou shouldst, while placing thy whole trust in God, engage in some occupation. He will assuredly send down upon thee from the heaven of His favour that which is destined for thee. He is in truth the God of might and power.” (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh: 267)  Another aspect of this purpose can be seen when we recall that “grace” is the root of “gratitude”, so that we should be grateful for the grace given to us in the form of innate talents and abilities, and that our gratitude is best expressed in our livelihood and in the services we perform for others or the common good. 

Let's look more closely at these statements.  Although Baha’u’llah states: "It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah: 26) it should be clear that we are not simply being told to go find a job in order to pay the bills, though that may be necessary for a while.  We are counselled to put work in a more comprehensive context of personal spiritual development, service to others, and divine confirmation and guidance. We should first strive to know ourselves and our purpose, to work to realize these, trust that God will assist us, and be grateful for all trials and victories.  This attitude is of grace/gratitude is easier to manifest when we remember Baha'u'llah's promise that: “We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One.  Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah: 26)  As grace and gratitude are linguistically connected, so, to, are work and worship from the same root word, thus work is worship in their proper context.  But we are also being told to look for something else, and this last aspect closes the circle to make a truly unified conception and execution. 

Though all work is good and can even be a form of worship when undertaken with sincere intent to grow and serve, there is a specific kind of work each person should try to engage in.  This work is the inner secret of the secret of wealth, so to speak.  This purpose is explicitly stated by Bahá’u’lláh: “The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds.” (Hidden Words #82 Persian) And: “True reliance is for the servant to pursue his profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His Hands is the destiny of all His servants.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah: 155)   We are not just created, but created to fulfill a destined purpose in some Great Plan.  Every individual has his or her own natural abilities, interests and inclinations in, say, athletics, art, science, scholarship, or trade skills, which education must bring out.  These are demonstrated in one’s instinctual aptitudes, often in what one daydreams about.  Such abilities and dreams are indicators of a life path:  What do you like to do?;  What are you almost instinctively good at?  The poet, Rumi, said it well: “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”  Knowing this desire is also part of self-knowledge.

Any job, craft or profession can bring renumeration, and at any time one can serve humanity from any place in the work force.  But there seems to be a special magic in pursuing one’s calling, an affirmative response to the divine call to occupation “put in every heart.” Fulfilling one’s calling is a powerful way to shape an uncertain destiny into a more certain future.

Now we clearly understand that individual purpose as what one feels one is created to do, and social purpose as what one is created to give, are two sides of the same coin.  That is, the created to do and created to serve purposes should be inseparable.  Each individual is created to do something, which he or she feels called to do, but that individual is, from a spiritual point of view, then required to contribute that something to the common wealth through service.  In a nutshell, our first goal is to find our calling, but our goal after that is to serve via our calling.  Hence the full purpose in knowing ourselves is to understand how we can serve most effectively.

The lucky among us learn that a good way to find wealth is through using our innate gifts to pursue a calling.  But the best of us know that wealth is not for hoarding or for self-indulgence, but to help humankind.  The spiritually mature person could never use personal wealth only for himself while others were in deprivation.  Rather, he would see the possession of material wealth as a gift to use responsibly to alleviate to whatever extent possible the distress of those in need.  To him it is inconceivable that those who have plenty would not provide for those who have naught.  That is, he would act as the grace of God for others. 

A direct link to purchase Renewing the Sacred: A New Vision of Education, is: http://tinyurl.com/cndew5a

To What Purpose Do We Exist?

We cherish the hope that through the loving-kindness of the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, the obscuring dust may be dispelled and the power of perception enhanced, that the people may discover the purpose for which they have been called into being.

(Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 35)

Regarding economic prosperity, recall that the House of Justice said: “It is not merely material well-being that people need. What they desperately need is to know how to live their lives — they need to know who they are, to what purpose they exist, and how they should act towards one another; and, once they know the answers to these questions they need to be helped to gradually apply these answers to everyday behaviour.”  (Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986: 283.)   My last few posts have been devoted to a discussion of the topic of human nature—who we are.  We turn now to a discussion of purpose, the second thing that people desperately need to know.  The next few posts will explore this topic.  

            The Bahá’í Writings state several purposes for why we exist.  One purpose is to individually acquire virtues, such as love, justice, compassion, and forgiveness.  But “acquire” means, I believe, to gain the ability to constructively express these divine gems already latent within our essential reality. In a proper education we acquire or learn the skills, knowledge, techniques and practices that enable us to “bring forth” or manifest these inner gems from the mine of the human spirit “so that mankind may benefit therefrom.”  The outcome of this learning process is called spiritual transformation.  But real spiritual transformation can not occur, according to Bahá’í teachings, absent the soul’s labor to “translate that which hath been written into reality and action.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah:166)  Service is a key word here, and inculcating a positive attitude toward it is a central purpose of all spiritual education.

            To acquire virtues connects directly with God's purpose in creating human beings and relating them to Himself (i.e. His Manifestation).  Bahá’u’lláh wrote: “The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.” (Gleanings: 287)  We must neither squander nor bury these gifts, as the Biblical parable of the talents warns.  Bahá’u’lláh also admonishes: “Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny.” (Gleanings:196)  But we must no longer allow an “improper education” to deprive us of them, either.

            Every soul is endowed with various moral potentials of which that individual may be unaware, but which can be made manifest by personal volition in response to wishes, tests, and circumstances, or under the tutelage of spiritual principles.  One way to manifest a virtue is by following a model.  For followers of every religion their Founder, whether Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus or Muhammad, is their supreme model of virtue, and the Teachings each leaves behind is the source of human moral and social development, the educing forms that draw forth human potential by giving them resonant principles to respond to.  Following spiritual principle translates a spiritual potential into an actuality, a behavior.   

            For example, faith is one inherent power that can be brought out by a model.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says: “Man is endowed with ideal virtues, for example intellection, volition–among them faith, confession and acknowledgment of God...” (The Promulgation of Universal Peace:51)   The faith that human beings express is a reflection or likeness of the faithfulness that God through His Messengers shows us.  That is, we know and express our innate potential for faith because God and His Messengers are first faithful towards us.  But we also know faith by perceiving how another is faithful to principle, to belief, or to conviction. 

            The Founder’s life and teachings provide exemplars for human thought and action.  But more than this: Their Words and deeds are creative. They educe our higher nature.  The Bahá’í Teachings assert: “The Messengers of God are not merely teachers, although this is one of their primary functions. Rather, the spirit of their words, together with the example of their lives, has the capacity to tap the roots of human motivation and to induce fundamental and lasting change. Their influence opens new realms of understanding and achievement.” (Baha'i International Community, 1992 May 29, Statement on Baha'u'llah:10)

All human qualities are pale reflections of the luminous qualities of God that are manifested for us by humanity’s great Spiritual Luminaries.  The image of God which is our higher self is the God within us recognizing its true Reality in the more perfect likeness of itself demonstrated by the life and teachings of the Prophet, and responding to it.  But such recognition only occurs on condition that the inner “faculty” for recognizing Him has been developed.  Obscuring this faculty so that we can not recognize either the Image or the Voice of God is exactly what an “improper education” does.  It does this by defining “God” as merely a psychological projection of our own best image, and thus thick clouds of spiritual uncertainty form that obscure the radiant Light of the Sun.  The person becomes enclosed within himself, locked up within his own subjectivity.  

This obscuring of our innate spirituality has occurred, I believe, because in the last few hundred years’ humankind has lived from primarily a material point of view.  One positive result of this style of life and thought has been an unprecedented material productivity.  But we have lost the ability to perceive spiritually, settling instead for perceiving rationally.  Too, the very success of our economic productivity has generated a thinking that gives undue importance to material life and the values that justify selfishness and greed.  We think money or more material goods can solve our economic problems.  We are wrong. 

            Baha’u’llah asks: “What advantage is there in a life that can be overtaken by death, or in an existence that is doomed to extinction, or in a prosperity that is subject to change?” (The Summons of the Lord of Hosts:87)

            Many of us have ridden this merry-go-round of anxiety and frustration in pursuit of material wealth many times, yet will still pretty consistently try it again.  Why such a slow learning curve? 

            The answer for me is, simply stated, an improper education which provides no proper guidance or real connection between who we are, what is our purpose, and what we want.  The person who really needs something to accomplish his work is never unhappy when he receives it.  The carpenter who needs a hammer to pound a nail will not be unhappy if somebody hands him the one he needs.  He knows what he wants and needs because it flows out from his purpose.

            But if we never stop to think who we are, we never start “being”, we just know that we want things.  At best, we may vaguely hope that the thing we want will help us to find who we are and fulfill some purpose.  But this thinking boils down to: I am only what I am pursuing and purpose lies in getting it: then on to the next pursuit.  The Christian Bible warns: “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom….For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Book of Proverbs 23: 4, 7)  Pursuing happiness by pursuing material wealth is to reverse the sequence of thoughts that brings happiness. Being the reverse of what is right and true such thoughts can only lead to what is wrong and false.  About such people Bahá’u’lláh asked: “I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty?  Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?” (The Hidden Words, Arabic #13)

A direct link to purchase my book, Renewing the Sacred: A New Vision of Education, is: http://tinyurl.com/cndew5a