The Independent Investigation of Truth

After a long hiatus, we return to the second of the twelve principles of the Bahá'í Faith. This would be the Independent Investigation of the Truth. Previously, we have covered this idea while studying the first two paragraphs of the Kitáb-i-Íqán. The first paragraph begins with the deceleration, "No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth."

Before we continue, we must define what man is. In The Divine Philosophy, 'Abdu'l-Bahá breaks up the idea into three parts. You have the soul, the mind and the spirit. He writes, by "the soul we mean the motive power of this physical body which lives under its entire control in accordance with its dictates." Thus, the soul is in control of everything we do. There are two natures of the soul, one which may be compared to darkness and the other to light. The soul is in charge of our free will, thus it allows us to go either way. However, referring to the Seven Valleys, we need to make it the Will of God, hence we teach and pray to give life to our soul, thus allowing us to make good decisions (by good, meaning to following the Will of God).

After the soul, we fall to the mind "which unfolds to his vision the secrets of existence... whereby he may investigate the reality of every object." The mind is the power of comprehension. We are very curious beings, taking our surroundings and manipulating them to our advantage. Though many of our thoughts are simply neurons charging through the brain as action potentials, there must be more to it than that. It really comes together from evolution. As animals evolved from the sponge to anemone to shellfish, sensory organs began to form. Eyes sensed the light and changes in light would be noticed and could either mean danger or safety. Taste and smell became tests for food with many nutrients or food which was dangerous to eat. Hearing could sense nearby enemies or prey to catch. Touch allowed the body to know it was being attacked. These senses became centralized in a super-organ called the brain. Here, the mind and storage areas were created as memories so that we could keep everything we had learned and build from it. It allowed for greater and more efficient survival. Today, rather than solely memorizing places good for food, we also use the mind for discovery of natural laws which guide our world and which we can manipulate to our advantage.

Finally, we come to the spirit "which is an emanation from the divine bestower... the effulgence of the sun of reality, the radiation of the celestial world, the spirit of faith..." It can perhaps be better described as the divine energy which gives us eternal life. We learn about the twin dichotomies of being and doing. Being is simply the existence where the mind and soul exist. However doing is within the realm of the spirit as it is what causes us to rise above simple existence and use whatever capabilities we have for our own benefit. 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes, "that although the souls of humanity are living, yet if they are deprived of contact with the spirit they are as dead." Since it is with our free will that we learn to worship God, praying and service are as life to the soul while wandering in the mist of promiscuity is as death. The spirit is our desire to reach this highest end-both physically (witnessed through our lives) and spiritually (witnessed through our dreams). We need to learn to activate both ends of the spectrum in order to complete our lives.

Through the soul, man chooses good or evil; through the mind, man comprehends his surroundings; through the spirit, man has energy for both the soul and the mind. The three work together in order to create our being. So when Bahá'u'lláh writes, "No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth," He is speaking of all three components of our existence. The soul must follow the right path towards God, the mind must give up what it has stored as knowledge which will keep it from falsely negating truth and the spirit must be the energy which causes this detachment on both ends.

So why is this Independent Investigation of the Truth a good idea? In religions of old, there were priests and other clergymen which controlled the day to day activities of everybody. They interpreted the Writings and the commoners accepted whatever was told of them as true. However, during those times, many people did not have the ability to read or write-they did not have the time to learn. Instead, they would have one person designated to do this job and he was almost as a keeper of knowledge.

Today, literacy is becoming universal. Due to education becoming available for all people (hence the Universal Education as another major principle of the Bahá'í Faith), almost everybody has the ability to read and write and decide for themselves what they think is true rather than simply blindly following somebody else. Our minds were made to manipulate and understand; what is its use if we simply listen to another person? Man "can never enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets." It is not to the words of other people we turn to when trying to comprehend but to the words of God and our own minds to see what we can understand.

This does not mean we should not try to explain things to others. It is wonderful to share our own ideas and build upon each other. We are social beings and have the ability to teach one another. Why waste time learning something for oneself if one can learn it faster from another? However, we need to always have proof and validation for whatever is claimed. We must also never force somebody else to accept an idea which they do not believe. This is contrary to the Independent Investigation of Truth.

The spirit is necessary for both ends for our progression.

Next time we will cover the Unity of Religion

The Oneness of the World and Humanity

Many people look at the Twelve Principles of the Bahá'í Faith and scoff. "The Oneness of the World and Humanity? Of course we are all equal! How is that a principle of your religion?" These principles were brought right after the American Civil War, at a time when the Jim Crow Laws were just being formed. Now, today, I walk around my college campus and see Asians, Indians, Africans, Caucasians, Latin Americans, Middle Easterners and many other races merged together, studying together and working together.

But I step outside and into the world. I see bigotry and hatred. People think that their race is the supreme race. That they are the most important, the wisest.

The beauty of the First Principle is that the other Eleven stem from it. We always talk about World Peace. We want peace on earth, but how can this be accomplished without unity? This Oneness of the World and Humanity is the beginning. The next Eleven Principles build the idea of Peace on Earth.

As 'Abdu'l-Bahá puts it in His Paris Talks, "All men are servants of the One God. One God reigns over all the nations of the world and has pleasure in all His children. All men are of one family; the crown of humanity rests on the head of every human being." If this be the case, why then do we fight amongst ourselves. It is funny really. When we go to war over land, we are essentially going to war over land in which we will be buried. Yes, we may grow crops on this land-but this is only temporary. This physical life is momentary while the life after death is eternal.

It is very true that one can say we have different talents and capabilities. The Valley of Unity from Bahá'u'lláh's Seven Valleys makes note of this fact. However, it is this inequality that we are equal. Somebody is a good runner, while another is an incredible swimmer. Somebody is excellent at logic and reasoning, while another is a talented speaker. We have different qualities to share amongst ourselves.

So, how do we bring about unity? Let us think about from the perspective of the Seven Valleys. The first valley, the Valley of Search, brought the idea of being detached from our bias. The second valley, the Valley of Love, made us realize we love everything for the sake of our love for God. The third valley, the Valley of Knowledge, allows us to see our own knowledge is nothing in comparison to the Knowledge of God. After surpassing these three valleys, we enter the Valley of Unity. Now let us look at this in terms of humanity. If we as humanity leave behind our biases of each other, love one another as brothers and sisters and realize our own knowledge (we can assume this to mean forms of government as sources of unity that mortals created) is nothing in the sight of God's Knowledge, then we can enter the Valley of Unity and truly be united as humanity. We can thus understand that the Seven Valleys are more than just a singular journey, but also a plural one.

In The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá'u'lláh asserts, "Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch over men. From them are revealed such blessed and perspicuous words as are the cause of the well-being of the world and the protection of the nations." This idea of justice stems from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas where the laws of the Bahá'í Faith may be found. Such laws are to bring about justice in a united society and make sure that humanity is kept in order. Without order, anarchy is born and anarchy is simply a state where every man is for himself and there is no unity.

"Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship... So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth... Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can insure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however, as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure the daystar of justice, remain undispelled, it would be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled to men’s eyes..."
-Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Oppression of the peoples of the earth is another barrier to complete unity. In His letters to the kings and rulers of earth (see Summons of the Lord of Hosts), Bahá'u'lláh lays this foundation and offers each ruler the key to unity, but they all refused-from Napoleon III of France to Sultan Abdu'l-Aziz of the Ottoman Empire. Looking at history, you see every ruler which did not follow the rules of unity (forced or by choice) had his empire collapse.

Unity is the key to peace and stability.

The Basic Twelve Principles of the Bahá'í Faith

Thus far, we have focused on the Bahá'í Faith as an individualistic effort to come to peace and reach complete detachment from all things but God. It may seem that the Bahá'í Faith is a very Dharmastic religion, but there is much more to it than that.

As mentioned in the first post, the Bahá'í Faith is a universal religion whose purpose is the unification of all the people's of the earth under one universal cause and one common faith. Through prayer and detachment, we only reach unity within ourselves, but there is an idea of outer unity. This is the idea of the unification of the world.

Bahá'u'lláh gave us the blue prints for personal and global unity. The Seven Valleys and the Hidden Words offer us advice and methods for our growth and for own personal unity. Much of the rest of His work, including, but not limited to, the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Servitude), Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Summons of the Lord of Hosts and His Tablets (some of which are found in Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh), focus on the idea of global unity.

Every day for the next twelve days we will focus on the Twelve Principles of the Bahá'í Faith.

1. The Oneness of the World and Humanity
2. The Independent Investigation of Truth
3. The Foundation of Religion is One
4. Religion Must be the Source of Unity
5. Religion Must be in Accord with Science and Reason
6. The Equality of Man and Woman
7. Removal of all Prejudice (including but not limited to religious, racial, national or political
8. Universal Peace
9. Universal Education
10. A Spiritual Solution to Economic Problems
11. A Universal Language
12. An International Tribunal, or Parliament of Nations-The Universal House of Justice with the Davidic Gardens

Do not take these as the only principles of the Bahá'í Faith. In Paris Talks, 'Abdu'l-Bahá offers the following eleven as the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh to focus on. Whenever we can, we will draw from His Wisdom to understand the twelve mentioned above. From 'Abdu'l-Bahá:

I.—The Search after Truth.

II.—The Unity of Mankind.

III.—Religion ought to be the Cause of Love and Affection.

IV.—The Unity of Religion and Science.

V.—Abolition of Prejudices.

VI.—Equalization of Means of Existence.

VII.—Equality of Men before the Law.

VIII.—Universal Peace.

IX.—Non-Interference of Religion and Politics.

X.—Equality of Sex—Education of Women.

XI.—The Power of the Holy Spirit.

Do not take the next few entries as what the Bahá'í Faith is. Rather, they are teachings that the Bahá'í Faith offers amidst an ocean of many more.

What we studied together regarding our journey to God merges with the principles of the Bahá'í Faith and its Teachings under on single book- Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

Until next time.

Voices from Iran

A little while back, we spoke about the misery that the Bahá'ís in Iran are facing and have been facing for the past 160 years. Due to their beliefs, they are thought to be at the lowest tier in the Muslim world-they are infidels, vermin. Bahá'ís are unable to hold government posts, their shops are shut down, university is not an option, schools are difficult to enroll in, at any moment, the Basij may come in and destroy their entire livelihood. Places considered Holy to the Bahá'ís (even if they are historically significant to Iran) have been desecrated. Imprisoned, tortured and killed, their voices are a shadowed cry heard around the world. It is muffled by government secrecy and censorship.

Despite all of this, the Bahá'í Faith still maintains the status of the largest minority religion in Iran. Why is this? It is because the Bahá'ís are steadfast in their Faith and they know that if they give in to the pressure of the Iranian regime, what they are fighting for will be lost. For 165 years, hundreds and thousands of people in Iran alone have lost their lives fighting for this one cause. This cause is the unity of humanity. The Iranian government, backed by the Mullahs and other religious leaders, claim that the Bahá'í Faith desires to spread corruption in the world. If corruption means working together for the betterment of the global society, then yes-it is true.

For now I will leave you with a passage from the Fire Tablet and two accounts from the perspectives of Iranian Bahá'ís (I keep their identities anonymous for their own sake).

Were it not for the cold, how would the heat of Thy words prevail, O Expounder of the worlds?

Were it not for calamity, how would the sun of Thy patience shine, O Light of the worlds?

Lament not because of the wicked. Thou wert created to bear and endure, O Patience of the worlds.

How sweet was Thy dawning on the horizon of the Covenant among the stirrers of sedition, and Thy yearning after God, O Love of the worlds.

By Thee the banner of independence was planted on the highest peaks, and the sea of bounty surged, O Rapture of the worlds.

By Thine aloneness the Sun of Oneness shone, and by Thy banishment the land of Unity was adorned. Be patient, O Thou Exile of the worlds.

We have made abasement the garment of glory, and affliction the adornment of Thy temple, O Pride of the worlds.

Thou seest the hearts are filled with hate, and to overlook is Thine, O Thou Concealer of the sins of the worlds.

When the swords flash, go forward! When the shafts fly, press onward! O Thou Sacrifice of the worlds.

Dost Thou wail, or shall I wail? Rather shall I weep at the fewness of Thy champions, O Thou Who hast caused the wailing of the worlds.

The first two sections relate the idea that if one does not understand the lowest parts in life, then the brightest parts cannot be appreciated. We are powerful and must defend ourselves against the world; we can defend ourselves with the pen-not the sword.


This is a commentary written by a Bahá'í who left Iran about ten years ago.

Why?
Why must my grandparents have to suffer living apart from their children and grandchildren, b/c their grandchildren would not be allowed to attend university solely because of their Faith, when they (my grandparents) have spent their entire LIVES in service to their countrymen, to their land, and working to create a better life for their posterity? This is injustice, for me to have to hear my grandfather's tired voice over the phone, from thousands of miles away, telling me that old age is sweet, but only if you have your children, their spouses, and their children around you, and me knowing full well that, unless I want to give up my education and practically my future, there's nothing I can do to help. Thank you blind prejudice and utter ignorance for doing this to our lives.


This one is from a father writing about his child unable to go to school.

The Forgotten Child
(Translated by Gloria Yazdani)

A friend once told me that when she took her first child to school, her little one who was a bit younger than the other child (and most eager to go to school) looked angrily upon her and complained as to why she had not obtained the same sort of birth certificate for him as she had for his brother, so that he, too, could go to school…

Years have now passed since then, but our children still pine with the same eagerness to begin school and learn the alphabet and more with the tender affections of a loving teacher… When August comes around, the hustle and bustle of back-to-school begins also; and the kids along with their parents set out excitedly to buy books, pens and papers and other school supplies.

But for my child, the excitement of the back-to-school month is one filled with great fear, disappointment and grief. So I call out to you… To those of you who enjoy utmost liberty in your lands … those of you who have the freedom to register your child at any time, at any school, and to send him/her off to acquire knowledge of all that she/he desire… To those of you who sit back in your armchairs at day’s end and give ear to the news of the world … such news as is meant to inform you of patrol resources and of its price fluctuation in the world market … of the rise and fall of stock from this firm and that factory… or of rocket-science research and countries that have developed nuclear power…

I call out to you to listen to the cry of my child as he recounts his own excitement of the back-to-school season:

Is anyone out there on the face of this planet thinking of me … even a little? As the back-to-school season rolls around, my life begins its circle of an unexplainable fear about whether or not I can find a school that would enroll me… Would I be able to find a place that would allow me the opportunity to gain knowledge? I don’t seem to understand what difference there is between your child who was born on the other side of the globe and someone like me who was born in Iran! Are we not all – as children -- the future of the world? Then why is it that I have been deprived of my most basic rights while some of you are sitting quietly in other parts of the planet in comfort and raise not a cry against such a perverse calamity? Or do you not consider my plight to equal that of a calamity? The expulsion of a bomb or the firing of a bullet may take a life and release the physical body of its earthly attachments instantly… But my soul is broken every single day… No, every single hour in this corner of the world with the pain of this deprivation -- and yet the world does not seem to care!

I walk inside the school registry office with my hand in mother’s hand. The man looks upon the form which mother has filled out and shakes his head in disappointment… A discussion pursues between him and my mother on legality and the sort, of which I don’t understand anything…. And we are finally sent to see the school principle. I look upon my mothers face with expectant eyes and she drowns my heart in a sea of love with her affectionate gaze. But the principle -- who seems to have been already informed of the nature of our complaint -- does not even lift his face from off his papers and shaking his head in a sign of negation directs us -- with his finger pointed at the door -- to take our leave... And I realize that this school, too, like the one before does not allow a space for me…

From news clips on television and listening to my parent's conversations, I gather that there are countries in other parts of the world that give children great importance and in which governments actually support and protect tender souls…. I hear that those governments actually come up with ways and means of facilitating education for children from every walk of life, because they believe their children are their nation’s greatest assets for the future.

I cannot fathom why it is not so in my land!!! I am being tossed around from one school to the other; and -- even if one were to enroll me -- would I dare contemplate the manner in which I would be treated there? I hear the reason for this chaotic treatment of my enrolment is because my parents are Baha’is. I have heard of a word here and there which I am told is used to define a virtue… A virtue, of which some are possessed and some are not. .. The word is “fair-mindedness”… It seems that school principals in Iran are amongst those who are not possessed of this virtue. I am sure though that they receive their orders from higher up… I am also certain that most of you are fair-minded, and so I dare ask you: “Why don’t you raise your voices in my defense? Why don’t you speak out and say “that it is every human being’s right to gain an education and that no-one should remain illiterate in today’s world”? Why do you busy your minds only with such issues as nuclear energy? Why do you show interest only in such news as those pertaining to wars and homicide? Why have you all forgotten me? Why don’t the powerful men of this world stand up for a defenseless child like me? Why do most people define nobility only in involvement in matters of an astronomical proportion? What would you do if your own child was afflicted with such atrocity? Would you not expect others to stand up for you and for your children? Why then -- I ask again -- have you forgotten me?”

These are questions that are burning away in the hearts of many Baha’i children, pre-youth and youth in Iran who are afflicted every year at this time with the fear and dilemma of deprivation from education while everyone else is enjoying the excitement of the “back-to-school” season… Is anyone out there who would give ear to this call? Can anyone hear the cries of my child?


Here are the voices. Be the amplifier which blasts it across the world.

"Translating That Which Hath Been Written Into Reality And Action"

One month ago on this very day, we embarked on a journey to begin understanding the Seven Valleys. Though we have hardly touched the tip of the iceberg, we made some progress into its core. Through each Valley, we detach ourselves of one part of our life-physical and spiritual-and finally end with nothing but our free will which we offer to God, thus making our will the Will of God.

Before ending this basic and novice study, we will cover six more quotations which will assist us in understanding what we have to do in order to achieve the Final Valley. Last time, I mentioned the use of the Hidden Words and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas as tools and resources. For this reason, we will be covering passages from these two Works. Remember, we are on a journey to the Friend, God. He has given us guidelines on how to reach His Presence, thus the Seventh Valley. In this journey, we assume that we are not going to give up and that we will finish our task. We will use the tools given by God to reach the end. Here are our primary tools.



The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration. -Kitáb-i-Aqdas ¶1

This is the first duty. A duty is a task that must be carried out, otherwise the end is a failure. There are two parts to this duty. The first is to recognize Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation... This means that we must follow the Manifestation of God for the current day. Bahá'ís believe this to be Bahá'u'lláh. Remember, God will send new Manifestations of Himself in the future. It is a progressive cycle. The Bahá'í Faith is not going to be the last. It is simply the beginning of a new era. The second part of the duty is to observe the ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. We must obey the laws given by the Manifestation of God for this day. It is then fitting that this be in the first paragraph of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas as it is the Bahá'í Book of Laws.

As wayfarers moving towards God, we need both duties to be successful. If we miss one, then there is no purpose. If we believe in Bahá'u'lláh as the Manifestation of God for this day but do not follow His Laws and Commandments, why should we be considered a Bahá'í? We would simply be carrying around a title. On the other hand, if we follow the Laws of Bahá'u'lláh but do not accept Him as the Manifestation, then we are missing the other aspect and that is the Faith and the spirit which comes from God. The laws are wonderful even without being a Bahá'í, but if we follow them purposelessly without journeying towards the Friend, we lose out on the final destination of our journey. Thus it hath been Written, "Whoso achieved this duty hath attained unto all good."



O SON OF SPIRIT! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting. -Arabic Hidden Word #1

Unlike a duty, which is more urgent and forceful, a counsel is just a piece of advice that is wise to be heeded. The purpose of the Hidden Words is to draw us nearer unto God. Within each are multiple pieces of advice, which, if we abide by, will make the journey to the Friend easier. Because there are so many Hidden Words, we will only look at two of them.

It makes complete sense that this should be the first of the Hidden Words. People are attracted to those who are kind and radiant in spirit. It means we are pure and able to progress to further levels after purity in our journey to the Friend. The purity of heart is immortal (unless we rid ourselves of it) and for this reason, we shall be imperishable and everlasting. Also, it refers back to the Seventh Valley, where we become of God and His Will.



O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR! The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in the rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy goal. -Persian Hidden Word #1


A counsel is a guidance-thus our first guidance is to have a pure heart. A duty is a necessity, and our first duty as humans is to follow the Covenant-meaning accept Bahá'u'lláh and follow His laws. Now in the current Hidden Word, we have a call. This is what we are asked to do-this way we reach our goal, the Friend.

We can assume that we are the mystic nightingale that is following the hoopoe bird to Seemorgh. The hoopoe bird would then be either God or His Manifestation.

A rose-garden is a place of beauty to all the senses (except touch to touch. Thorns are never fun...). The fragrances, the nightingales singing, the radiant colors-all are so pleasing. Thus we must reside in a place which is pleasing to the spirit.

Solomon (Sulaymon in the Qúran) was a great king with much power-but his sin caused his entire kingdom to be split in two. The reference in the Hidden Word I believe, however, unlike most of other works of Bahá'u'lláh, focuses on the Biblical rather than the Quranic interpretation of the story (mostly because of the mention of Sheba). Sheba is a place of great wealth and extreme prosperity. The messenger of Solomon was hoopoe bird (this same bird is the leader who leads thirty birds to the land of Seemorgh (described to be like a phoenix)). The hoopoe bird left Solomon because it was looking for a better place to live. Thus we are told to be like the hoopoe bird (by Bahá'u'lláh) and find this spiritual prosperity.

The last part is to be a phoenix of faithfulness. I am not sure exactly what this means, but I will make a guess here. As mentioned earlier, Seemorgh was a phoenix like bird. In Attár's epic poem, the hoopoe bird leads many birds to the land of Seemorgh, many of whom fall away. Finally, only thirty remain. These thirty are told to look in a lake for Seemorgh-and they only see themselves. It is interesting because Seemorgh translates into "thirty birds" a play on words by Attár. These thirty, being a metaphor of Seemorgh-the phoenix, are the most faithful, and follow the guidance of the hoopoe bird. In likewise, we must follow the guidance of Bahá'u'lláh.

So let us put the entire Hidden Word together. We are told by God to listen to the following: Be in a place pleasing to your being, find shelter only in the Kingdom of God and be steadfast in your following of His Teachings. In this way we will reach our ultimate goal-being near unto God.




So what is it that we need to do? We need to follow the Manifestation of God for this day, follow His laws, have a pure heart and be steadfast in our Faith to God. These four tasks together allow us to begin the journey.

Remember, from the first paragraph of the Kitáb-i-Íqán, "No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayán."

Thus without detachment from all things, we may never reach true understanding and true understanding is found within each level of the Seven Valleys as we progress in the various stages of detachment. The station which God hath destined for you may be achieving our full potential (recall the Valley of Unity) and enter the shelter of God's Grace.

Also, we need to remember the Words from the Short Obligatory Prayer:

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

We were created to know and to worship God. How do we do this? By prayer and service. These are simply more tools to guide us through the journey of the Seven Valleys. They assist us to attain the purity of heart and steadfastness in faith. And what is the greatest form of service?

'Abdu'l-Bahá writes this, "Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abhá Beauty and teach the Cause of God." -page 25, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

People say our life is the greatest of God's gifts to us. But it is in fact Teaching. The reason for this comes from the idea that our lives are physical, thus temporary and mortal. Teaching on the other hand is immortal. You are drawing people into the journey of the Seven Valleys. You are offering them the idea of unity in the world and the ability to assist with the progress of humanity. What gift is more incredible than this?


The Words of Bahá'u'lláh are then clear. "It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action." We cannot just sit and lounge on our couches and try to understand the Writings of God. We also need to go into the world and assist in bringing in the New World Order.

Our study is now complete, but the journey is only in its first step.

For What Reason Do We Have Free Will?

Together we have traversed six of the seven Valleys. Now we reach our destination, the Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness. Each stage of the journey has lead us to this place-our final destination. We throw aside all of our previous conceptions, ideas, beliefs, possessions, positions... simply put, using the words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abhá Beauty and teach the Cause of God" (Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá)

But what is this final destination? Last time we mentioned the idea of free will. What is free will? Going to Some Answered Questions, it writes, "...in all the action or inaction of man, he receives power from the help of God; but the choice of good or evil belongs to the man himself." It is a two pronged process. We have the choice of doing whatever we want, hence the many dichotomies of life. However, with each action we are assisted by God. Does this mean then that God will help us with any evil action we choose to commit?

In the 5th Arabic Hidden Word, it is written, "Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee." Also, the Short Obligatory Prayer Writes, "I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee." Also, note the phrase from the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá from above. Let us put the entire thing together.

We were created to worship God. Returning to the Valley of Love, we know that love and worship can be equated to one another because we would do anything for our loved one and we consider him/her the sole focus of our lives. Using the same Valley, we know that all love stems from our love for God. By loving God, His Love will return to us-thus His assistance in all of our daily lives. But this does not answer the question from above. Does God help with all actions we commit, including those considered "evil?" This is where the quote from 'Abdu'l-Bahá comes into play. Our worshiping of God consists of detaching ourselves of all things and teaching His Cause. If we are not teaching His Cause (which can assume to be "good"), then we are not worshiping God, thus not loving Him and thus being veiled away from His love.

The 7th Arabic Hidden Word writes, "If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee." This Hidden Word may be broken into three parts.

1. "If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself..." This represents the first three Valleys. We lay aside our previous preconceptions of life, fall in love with God and give up our worldly titles and possessions and find the wisdom behind our pains and sufferings. We are detached from the material realm.

2. "...and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own..." This represents the second three Valleys. We find that we are no longer attached to this earth as everything comes from God, that we are content with whatever occurs as we are rich in spirit and everywhere around us is creation. We are detached from ourselves.

3. "...that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee." This represents the final Valley. Using our free will, we have detached ourselves from everything but God, and we make our will the Will of God. Our every move, our every breath is for God. It does not mean we become God, but we become of God. We become a channel through which God's Love may enter throughout humanity. This comes from teaching.

Now what does the name of the Valley mean? Why is it the Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness? Essentially, we have become poor in everything except in God. Bahá'u'lláh states it rather clearly, declaring, "Poverty as here referred to signifieth being poor in the things of the created world, rich in the things of God’s world." (Seven Valleys) It is due to this poverty that our Faith becomes an unmovable pillar.

It can be considered that to enter this Valley, one must live as a monk or dervish and possess nothing. But this is not true. So long as we are detached from all things, we are impoverished. The 55th Arabic Hidden Word writes, "Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants." Gold can symbolize the material things of this Earth. They were given to us for our enjoyment. But, these material things are also placed on this Earth to test us and our detachment (or our attachment to God).

The beauty of the seventh Valley is that it is no ordinary form of detachment. We realize that this earth is nothing but dust and mortal, much like our physical selves. There is no purpose of even attaching ourselves to any of it.

But an interesting question comes up. In the forth Valley, we learn each person has different capacities and we cannot transcend our own capacities. Does this mean that some people may not reach this seventh Valley? Bahá'u'lláh seems to hint at this idea writing, "This is the goal thou didst ask for (from the first Valley); if it be God’s will, thou wilt gain it."

To stay in this Valley, we need to follow the Law of God unwaveringly. If not, we fall from the grace of God.


Before ending, it is important to note that none of the Seven Valleys have a specific end point or beginning point. It is a journey which melds into itself. The traveling of these seven Valleys seems daunting and impossible. We have been given tools to assist us though. Reading through the Hidden Words, one will begin to realize a parallel structure between what is asked of us by God from the Hidden Words and our journey through the Seven Valleys. The Seven Valleys tell us what we need to do. The Hidden Words tell us how we need to do it. The Kitab-i-Aqdás (The Most Holy Book-the Bahá'í Book of Laws) contains the tools to which we advance ourselves.

Next time we will see what we can do now after finishing the Seven Valleys of Bahá'u'lláh.

The Reality of Wonderment

At every moment, you turn and see something new. You are a child, newly born and curious of your surroundings. Your eyes open wide at the glory surrounding you. Large figures staring at you and smiling in joy, strange skins placed on your body, magnificent creatures flying in the air. The temperature is no longer constant. You realize you have the power of emotion and to control your surroundings. You have free-will.

Through birth, the physical realities become evident. Through death, the spiritual realities become evident. Yet, much like a child stirring in the womb, we can get a glimpse of the spiritual while in this world. After happening through the previous five Valleys, we enter the Valley of Wonderment. Through the first three, we rid ourselves of our physical reality. The forth we let go of the ego and saw equality in diversity within all of creation. In the fifth we are detached from all materialism and all feelings in general which abase us. In such a manner we enter the sixth Valley where true reality is unveiled.

We believe in this world we are free. It is true that we have the ability of transcending beyond physics and breaking laws of nature to suit our needs. Yet, we are still bound in the chains of mortality. Due to our limitations we are unable to the creation of the soul-a position designated only to our Creator. And thus the wonderment begins.

Let us peruse a passage from Summons of the Lord of Hosts. It writes, "Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Bahá, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant?" This physical reality is nothingness and the kingdoms of men are mortal, while the Kingdom of God is immortal.

Seeing the world again after coming to these realizations, the wayfarer is thrown into his state of wonderment at what God hath wrought. Recall, the essence of God may be found within all of creation. It is as if one were reborn as a child, viewing the world in new light. The truth within this reality is found within the land of dreams.

Before trespassing this land, let us read through what 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes on the Immortality of the Spirit in Some Answered Questions.

The other manifestation of the powers and actions of the spirit is without instruments and organs. For example, in the state of sleep without eyes it sees; without an ear it hears; without a tongue it speaks; without feet it runs. Briefly, these actions are beyond the means of instruments and organs. How often it happens that it sees a dream in the world of sleep, and its signification becomes apparent two years afterward in corresponding events. In the same way, how many times it happens that a question which one cannot solve in the world of wakefulness is solved in the world of dreams. In wakefulness the eye sees only for a short distance, but in dreams he who is in the East sees the West. Awake he sees the present; in sleep he sees the future. In wakefulness, by means of rapid transit, at the most he can travel only twenty farsakhs an hour; in sleep, in the twinkling of an eye, he traverses the East and West. For the spirit travels in two different ways: without means, which is spiritual traveling; and with means, which is material traveling: as birds which fly, and those which are carried.

In the time of sleep this body is as though dead; it does not see nor hear; it does not feel; it has no consciousness, no perception—that is to say, the powers of man have become inactive, but the spirit lives and subsists. Nay, its penetration is increased, its flight is higher, and its intelligence is greater. To consider that after the death of the body the spirit perishes is like imagining that a bird in a cage will be destroyed if the cage is broken, though the bird has nothing to fear from the destruction of the cage. Our body is like the cage, and the spirit is like the bird. We see that without the cage this bird flies in the world of sleep; therefore, if the cage becomes broken, the bird will continue and exist. Its feelings will be even more powerful, its perceptions greater, and its happiness increased. In truth, from hell it reaches a paradise of delights because for the thankful birds there is no paradise greater than freedom from the cage. That is why with utmost joy and happiness the martyrs hasten to the plain of sacrifice.

In wakefulness the eye of man sees at the utmost as far as one hour of distance because through the instrumentality of the body the power of the spirit is thus determined; but with the inner sight and the mental eye it sees America, and it can perceive that which is there, and discover the conditions of things and organize affairs. If, then, the spirit were the same as the body, it would be necessary that the power of the inner sight should also be in the same proportion. Therefore, it is evident that this spirit is different from the body, and that the bird is different from the cage, and that the power and penetration of the spirit is stronger without the intermediary of the body. Now, if the instrument is abandoned, the possessor of the instrument continues to act. For example, if the pen is abandoned or broken, the writer remains living and present; if a house is ruined, the owner is alive and existing. This is one of the logical evidences for the immortality of the soul.

The world of dreams is like a derivative of death; one is able to transgress the physical plane, yet not quite enter the land of the spirit. Yet, we still have no use for our physical body. At what point do we find the firmament between the dream and true reality? Because is it not true that we find ourselves dreaming and in the future it becomes a physicality?

At this point, a separation of minds begins. All minds have capacities of comprehension-yet as the Valley of Unity covered, capacity varies from person to person. Yet, we all have the ability to comprehend the reality of God, though some try to deny such a reality. Bahá'u'lláh quotes a Persian mystical poem writing:

How can feeble reason encompass the Qur’án,
Or the spider snare a phoenix in his web?

Our minds are not capable of understanding the truth behind any of the Writings, even the current one at hand. The capacity is not given. And like a child, we witness it-bulging eyed. However, unlike the child, we never find the meaning behind the events at hand. There is a universe, infinite in it's vastness that we must voyage and discover. But that is still part of the limited physical world. There is an infinite amount of infinities of such universes, more grand in their scale in the next reality.

What is humanity? It is beyond the animal scale. There are various spirits as described by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Some Answered Questions. There is the vegetable (growth), animal (senses), human (rational soul/spirit-meaning rationality and the capacity of divinity-in essence, the mind). Then, what Bahá'u'lláh is telling us to do is rid ourselves of the physical senses and begin utilizing our spiritual capacities and understand the limitless world.

We have been given the possibility of attaining eternal glory. However by solely putting our energy in the physical realm, such a glory can never become a reality. We are wasting the unique capacity we have been given as humans by our Creator. We must completely detach ourselves of the world and everything therein. By choosing the world of dust, we abstain ourselves of the grandeur of what is to come. This is what awaits us.

All our forms of perception have been tossed aside (at this point) for a new one using our free-will. We have nothing, yet we still have our free-will. Even having detached ourselves of everything, we still have our free-will. What is to become of it? Through the Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness, the answer is found.

Contentment: The Antidote of All Pain

For those people who are joining us right now in our study, I will do another quick summary in order to review what is going on in our study of Bahá'u'lláh's mystical work, The Seven Valleys. Thus far, we have detached ourselves of all our previous bias, our ideas of love, our accomplishments and knowledge and from the earth. Not that any of these steps are easy, or even feasible at times, but at this point, each Valley becomes more and more challenging to endure.

Before we begin, I would like to bring out a quote I used from Nabil's Narrative, The Dawn Breakers.
Unfamiliar names in this passage include Quddús, one of the Báb's first eighteen disciples called the Letters of the Living (much like the Apostles of Jesus the Christ). Mullá Ṣádiq was a Bábí-a follower of the Báb. Ḥusayn Khán was the governor of the province of Fárs and not a friend of the Bábí Faith.

Quddús and Mullá Ṣádiq were teaching the Bábí Faith when Ḥusayn Khán came and arrested the two of them. He "reviled and cursed him [Mullá Ṣádiq specifically], ordered his attendants to strip him of his garments and to scourge him with a thousand lashes. He then commanded that the beards of both Quddús and Mullá Ṣádiq should be burned, their noses be pierced, that through this incision a cord should be passed, and with this halter they should be led through the streets of the city. 'It will be an object lesson to the people of Shíráz,' Ḥusayn Khán declared, 'who will know what the penalty of heresy will be...'"

"An eye-witness of this revolting episode, an unbeliever residing in Shíráz, related to me the following: “I was present when Mullá Ṣádiq was being scourged. I watched his persecutors each in turn apply the lash to his bleeding shoulders, and continue the strokes until he became exhausted. No one believed that Mullá Ṣádiq, so advanced in age and so frail in body, could possibly survive fifty such savage strokes. We marvelled at his fortitude when we found that, although the number of the strokes of the scourge he had received had already exceeded nine hundred, his face still retained its original serenity and calm. A smile was upon his face, as he held his hand before his mouth. He seemed utterly indifferent to the blows that were being showered upon him. When he was being expelled from the city, I succeeded in approaching him, and asked him why he held his hand before his mouth. I expressed surprise at the smile upon his countenance. He emphatically replied: ‘The first seven strokes were severely painful; to the rest I seemed to have grown indifferent. I was wondering whether the strokes that followed were being actually applied to my own body. A feeling of joyous exultation had invaded my soul. I was trying to repress my feelings and to restrain my laughter. I can now realise how the almighty Deliverer is able, in the twinkling of an eye, to turn pain into ease, and sorrow into gladness. Immensely exalted is His power above and beyond the idle fancy of His mortal creatures.’”

What is the reason for me to account this story? In a way, it relates directly back to the fifth Valley, the Valley of Contentment. Here, the wayfarer detaches himself finally of all things of the world, including himself. He, in fact, is detached from suffering and finds no pain or sadness within himself. Everything is because of God and for the sake of God. The suffering is temporary and if done with the spirit of absolute detachment, "God will compensate each one out of His abundance."

From the Valley of Unity, they wayfarer has detached himself from the world. But from the current Valley, he realizes that he has something far greater. He resides in the Kingdom of God, and there is no greater fountain for contentment than this knowledge. However, there is a catch-22. The only way to understand this Valley and the secrets laden within, one must experience it for himself.

But the recounting of Mullá Ṣádiq gives us a glimpse of the power which is latent within the Valley. A man at such an age receives fifty lashes. Just ten of these lashes would make an able bodied person fall to the dust, but this feeble man received fifty. However, due to his steadfastness and detachment, God does compensate out of His abundance and he relieves Mullá Ṣádiq out of his suffering.

Many stories such as these may be found throughout the Dawn Breakers and other histories of religions. If you have any, please share them!

After the Valley of Contentment, the wayfarer moves to the next realm-the Valley of Wonderment.

Unity and Oneness

I decided to do another entry to make up for a lot of lost time and some extra time that I have on my hands.

Before we begin, I'd like to return first to the Valley of Knowledge. Recall the idea of the paradox of finding peace in war and knowledge in ignorance. After some consultation, I found a better solution or perhaps understanding of this paragraph. There is an interesting philosophy in which people declare darkness is simply the absence of light. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly as it makes complete sense. If you enter a room, it may be in complete darkness. However, when you exert energy (i.e. light a lamp), there is light which illumines the room. Likewise, ignorance is simply the absence of knowledge and war the absence of peace. You have to add something (i.e. do work) in order to obtain the true good. Hence the phrase, "it is easy to be bad and hard to be good." This is simply because one must exert energy in order to be good.

Remember, it is all about the Knowledge of God and not our own knowledge. It is this way we begin to perhaps begin to understand what is going on in the world around us that on the surface seems inexplicable.

Now to the Valley of Unity. After exiting the Valley of Search, Love and Knowledge, we have detached ourselves of our physical reality-the limited-and have allowed ourselves to enter the limitless. Here, one's identity begins to be lost because we see that everything is united under God. There is no difference in creation as it is all from God. However, this does not mean there are not different tiers of creation. Within each being, there is the potential to manifest the attributes of God. Bahá'u'lláh likens this idea to the sun, where the sun shines its rays on the earth, but each medium reflects or uses the rays in various methods (i.e. the mirror simply reflect it, but a crystal can refract it). Likewise, it is like the idea of visible colors. Light shines on every object, but the object only chooses to shed back certain parts of that light. It is not that the sun shines different on every object. It simply is due to the potential of the object itself (I will not get into the aromatics or photochemical effects behind this). Thus all objects are equal but have different potentialities. For this reason, it is written, "Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of thy Mercy." (Prayer for Mankind) One can then make the assumption that we are all equal in our inequalities. We can see it like man and woman and their equality. We are equal as human beings. Both genders have brains and minds to think with and hearts, lungs, nose and mouth to breath with. Physiologically we are very similar. However, we are still not equal. Man and woman both have different methods of thinking-man being more aggressive and logical, woman being more compassionate and thoughtful. Both are necessary and both genders need to work together to advance forward. In like wise, it does not mean that animals shall become like humans (they shall not become anthropomorphic). Rather, again, we are separated by our capacities. The tree very well will not begin to move and walk around, much like the dear will not begin to speak and drive a car. Humans, also, shall for this reason be separated from God and His Manifestations.

Much of the conflict the world has faced throughout the years is because of this idea. We find differences in others and try to make claims due to these differences, we are better than them. Such is a ridiculous claim. However, God is the Most Forgiving. He allows us to clean our own mirrors, thus empowering us and purifying our hearts. By this point, we have the desire simply to give our lives to God.

When we fall in love with the Word of God, thus the Manifestation of God for the current day (whether it be Jesus, Bahá'u'lláh, Buddah, etc.), our entire body becomes immersed with these Words and it shows through our action. However, all of this mentioned above is hidden within us unless we remove the veils which shut us out from God. That would mean our physical self. The physical is simply an illusion of our self and it keeps us from progressing, from realizing the oneness of everything. Thus we begin to realize we are unstoppable in our actions. From here many doors open and eternity is witnessed.

The beauty is that it is our humanity that limits us. We can go forever as humans, but we can surpass this infinity but detaching ourselves of everything of our mortal selves. The mortal has three realms of detachment, three stages which we must surpass. The immortal has four realms... and this is just the first. And we cannot even unravel the Hidden Mysteries within each realm even when we reach them. They remain hidden to our minds as we do not have the capacity to understand them.

For each Valley, we will all see different things for we all have different paths and different experiences and different capacities. The tests we face and the powers we gain shall be to different levels. However, the same idea applies-we are detaching ourselves of each part of our existence.




We begin with the Valley of Search trying to find what our journey is to lead to, detached of previous bias.
We enter the Valley of Love to detach ourselves of all previous love and love for the sake of God.
We enter the Valley of Knowledge where within everything we find the possibilities of perfection and we detach ourselves of all previous knowledge.
We leave the limited realm and enter the limitless Valley of Unity and see God within every being, and we no longer are the center of the universe.

The limitless realms will continue as we enter the Valleys of Contentment, Wonderment, and True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness.

If there is anything I did not explain well or you think must be clarified, please do so! Thank you very much!

The Limits of the Physical Realm

I apologize for the long gap between these two entries-I have had much on my plate to work on. In return, I shall go through both the Valley of Love and the Valley of Knowledge in this entry.

We have all heard the phrase "blinded by love." When you fall in love with somebody, you cannot imagine anything but being with your desire. It is appropriate then when the Hidden Words write, "Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart’s desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved." Hidden Word 4 Persian. It is a beautiful idea really-complete attachment to something due to attractions we can hardly describe. Yet this creates a problem. The purpose of the Seven Valleys is to describe a journey to detachment, yet right here we have attachment. How can this paradox be mended?

It is the love of God we are to find within ourselves. We need to blind ourselves of our own desires and see only God, our Creator, our Beloved. The stead of this Valley is pain. We all know clearly when a love goes wrong, pain is felt. Pain teaches us unhappiness and we want to avoid it, thus we need to cling to our love. In such wise, we cling to the love of God, thus we do not lose it and find ourselves in misery.

Attar writes, and is quoted by Bahá'u'lláh in this passage:

"For the infidel, error—for the faithful, faith;
For Aṭṭár’s heart, an atom of Thy pain"

But what does this mean? It means this is simply what we desire most from our love. The faithful desires faith while the infidel, error (its a cultural reference I am pretty sure). Attár on the other hand desires pain... God's pain to be specific. But does God feel pain? Perhaps it could mean the desire of a pain so he could understand his love for God more clearly.

For love to be absolutely pure, one must be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve such love-and in the case of our love of God, it means even offering up our lives for the love. What better way is there to show our love than to give up our physical reality-what was given to us by God in the first place? Thus love is the second Valley... We give up our bodies to God, but He gave them to us in the first place, so what does it matter? He dons us atoms to create a physical entity by which we may live and progress-if He wants it back, why should we not give it to Him. This does not mean commit suicide spontaneously of course. Just giving up our lives randomly does not help matter at all because it is like getting a gift from a friend and throwing it away moments later. Giving up our lives for the sake of God is more like a friend gives us a gift and we use it for his benefit. We give up our lives (and it does not even mean we need to die! We could offer up our time, our comforts, our rest and be giving up our lives this way) for the sake of God when protect His Holy Words and the Message He has brought for this day.

But we digress from the topic at hand. We are never quenched by our love and we should continue to allow it to grow and expand. The love we feel for others must stem only because of our love of God; due to our love of God, we love others and ourselves. This love leads to the purity of the heart, and if God accepts this love, we may enter the next Valley, being the Valley of Knowledge.

Unlike the previous two Valleys, this Valley does not have a stead. It is the last of the three limited Valleys-meaning purely physical Valleys. Here, we begin to increase our certitude of Faith and begin to follow "the guiding light of the fear of God." In Arabic, there is a very similar idea behind fear of God and losing the love of God. Our fear of God stems from the very idea that His love will not reach us, hence the Hidden Word writing, "Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee." Hidden Word #5 Arabic. But we are in the Valley of Knowledge, why do we need love? Because everything builds on each other. Remember, if we lose sight of our goal and destination, we must start the entire process over again from the beginning.

Things seeming to be paradoxes will become understandable because they are within the Will of God. For example, "he will... seeth war as peace" has a greater meaning. War is an internal turmoil which should end up bringing peace to the greater whole. It is a tool (when utilized properly). The body uses war in order to protect itself and allow it return to equilibrium. It sends phagocytes and T-cells to infected places within the body and destroy macrophages which make us sick. Without this inner struggle or war, we would not be at peace. Remember, it must be utilized properly. War can also teach us lessons for what we can avoid in the future (much like the body creating antibodies which will be remembered for the next invasion of pathogens). Another paradox mentioned, which may be better understood, is from a Persian poem which writes:

Split the atom’s heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun.

Atomic bomb anybody? An atom is so small and so insignificant, but, when opened... it yields the power of the sun (or something similar in nature and strength, far greater than what we understand). And this was quoted 80-90 years before the advent of the bomb, let alone written.

In this valley, an almost inner peace is found. The petty trials within the world no longer cause us pain, but rather we begin to see that they allow us to growth further.

The story of the watchman and the lover really explains the idea of the paradox well. When the watchman chases the lover, the lover finds his beloved in his escape. Thus, what may seem horrible to us at one time, may in fact lead us to a greater path beyond our imagination.

Things of the limited realm become less and less important and less obtrusive. One may argue that this Valley proves that the end justifies the means; that the journey does not matter so long as we reach the end. However, this is preposterous. The means were brought about by things beyond our control. To reach our own ends, we must act with justice and with wisdom. Prayer is necessary-it acts almost as a catalyst in order to decrease the energy necessary to move us forward (a catalyst does not remove the entire necessity of energy use though. Work is still needed). Whatever God sends to move us forward, we must accept it with open arms.

Once this entire idea is understood and acted upon, we will enter the Valley Unity-the first of the limitless Valleys.

People, Names, Stories

"Attar roamed the seven cities of love -- We are still just in one alley."
-Rumi

Before continuing to the Valley of Love, it may be wise to dwell on a few stories, important figures and beliefs given throughout the Seven Valleys.

First and foremost: What is Sufism?

Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam whose adherents strive to achieve complete detachment from all else but God (very much what the Seven Valleys talks about). They arose out almost like rebellion against the Umayyad Dynasty; the Umayyad was a very materialistic society while the Sufis were a dervish-unmaterialistic-one. Much of its influence can be found from Yoga (the Hindu tradition of meditation applying both the physical and mental capacities of the performer) in terms of movement and concentration. The real idea however, is giving up one's own will and placing it with the will of God. It is in this way, one can perhaps become connected with God personally and attain Divine Knowledge. Islam in general follows this same belief, however, Sufis contend that this path begins in the physical life rather than after.
One cannot learn Sufism on his own. It requires years of discipline and training under a teacher. The students performs service for the teacher where one learns humility and detachment from all things.

Who are some important Sufis of note?

Shaykh Muhyi'd-Din: He is the Sufi who wrote to Bahá'u'lláh (circa 1860) about the journey to God which is a focus of Sufi tradition. He was of the Qádiríyyih branch of Sufism (they are not unique in their teachings or doctrines of Islam other than the mystic Sufi following), the oldest of the Sufi traditions leading back to 'Abd al-Qadir al-Djilani (the founder of this branch. In his eyes, charity was a crucial element of Islam. Many Sufi elements such as the chanting of praises of Muhammad and the body movements derive from him) and, even further back to Ali, son of the Prophet Muhammad. Shaykh Muhyi'd-Din left his post as a judge around the time he posed his question to Bahá'u'lláh and became a traveling dervish in the Kurdistan region of modern day Iraq.

Farídu'd-Dín Attár: Persian Sufi poet and theorist who lived from 1145-1221 AD. Not much is known about his life other than he traveled around India, Persia and Arabia before returning to his hometown as a Sufi. One of his most famous works is called Mantiq at-Tayr (the Conference of the Birds). In this allegory, he follows the journey of many birds in their servitude to their master, a hoopoe (compare this to the students of Sufism following their master). They are to be lead to the land of Simorgh, the greatest of the birds. They follow the hoopoe through seven valleys (not unlike the Seven Valleys of Bahá'u'lláh. Sufis use metaphors of valleys and cities as metaphors for one's own journey to enlightenment, hence Bahá'u'lláh's own use of the term) in which birds fall prey to their own wants and desires. It ends with only thirty birds who reach the land of Simorgh. Attár uses a play on words for this matter, for Simorgh in Persian translates directly to "thirty birds." Thus, these thirty birds did not find Simorgh, but themselves. The greater idea behind this story is the Sufi's own discovery of God within himself. He gave much influence to Rumi, perhaps the greatest of Sufi poets.

Jalálu'd-Dín Rúmí: Another Sufi poet, he lived from 1207-1273 AD. He and his father fled from Persia during the Mongol invasions. He met Attár who, feeling the spiritual capacity Rumi possessed, called Rumi an ocean walking behind a sea (Rumi's father). Afterward, Rumi came in contact with Sufis in Baghdad. He was trained in the tradition of Sufism by Siyyid Burhan ud-Din Muhaqqiq Termazi, and, after his master's death, Rumi himself became a Sufi Master and Scholar. His most influential work (a poem of over 50,000 lines and 424 stories) was the Masnavi-I Ma'navi meaning literally, "Rhyming Couplets of Profound Spiritual Meaning." Within this work and each of its stories, are analysis of Quranic ideas and verses which follow man's journey in his quest for God and the hardships he faces.

Khájih `Abdu'lláh: Another Sufi poet living from 1006-1088 AD. He followed many of the ideas of detachment throughout his life. Not only did he avoid the company of the rich and powerful, but he also gave what he had to the poor and needy. His influence was spread far and wide and many schools of thought were influenced and created by his philosophy.

Háfiz: Shamsu'd-Dín Muhammad: Persian lyric poet who lived from 1315-1390 AD. His work is most famous for containing many ideas within a single verse. Our life, in his eyes, is much like an illusion-thus the material is not to be a major focus. His work is probably the most famous in Iran today.

Who were Layla and Majnun?

This is probably the most famous love story in Arabic and Persian traditions. It follows Qays ibn al-Mulawwah ibn Muzahim, a poet, who is unable to marry his beloved Layla Al-Aamiriya due to Quranic traditions and the ill-will of her father. After some time, Layla's father married her to another man. Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, maddened by his grief, came to be known as Majnun, or madman. He left the village for the desert and would wander the land simply reciting poetry. Layla herself died over time. In his progress to madness, he wrote poetry about Layla and his love for her. He died over an unknown grave having written three final lines declaring his love for her.

Who were Joseph and Jacob?

This is a very interesting tale as the story of Jacob and his beloved Joseph has been told by two sources: The Bible and The Quran. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, had many children of his own-the youngest one being Joseph. At a young age, Joseph had a dream in which the planets, the sun and the moon bowed down to him. Jacob saw this as a fulfillment of the prophesy of Abraham where God's light would be spread to all the people. He warned Joseph not to tell this dream to any of his brothers as they would become jealous and be rid of him. This however did not matter because his brothers were jealous of their father's favoring of Joseph over them.

One day, they took Joseph out to play and left him in a well to be picked up and sold as a slave. They then took his shirt, covered it in sheep blood as proof to their father that he had been eaten by wolves. Jacob, aware of their treachery, said he would wait in patience until Joseph returned to him. The Bible, differs in its telling, claiming that the brothers sold Joseph into slavery to some Egyptians.

In the Quranic tale it writes how as Joseph matured, the signs of God became latent in him as a prophet. Many times, the wife of Imra'at al-Aziz (assumed to be the Pharoah Potiphar) attempted to seduce him. He refused however, but she continues to seduce him until caught by her husband. In order to protect his wife's honor, he placed Joseph in prison. In prison, it is said God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. The king, having heard of his ability came to Joseph asking him for advice on a dream he had. Joseph interpreted the dream to fortell the coming of a great famine which the King could save the people of Egypt from if he so desired. After Egypt avoided the famine, Joseph became a close adviser to the king.

Years later, he would come across his family. Jacob had become blind due to his tears of missing and desiring his son. He forgave his brothers, restored his father's vision and returned home with them.

The Bible gives a slightly different tale. Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt but freed after saving the people due to his interpretation of the King's dream. Jacob, suffering from famine, sent his remaining sons (except Benjamin-Joseph's only full brother) to retrieve grain from Egypt. Joseph, recognizing his brothers, imprisons Simeon claiming that they are all spies. He demanded Benjamin be brought to testify on their behalf. Jacob, hearing of this tragedy, refuses to send Benjamin. Judah, another of Jacob's sons, promises to Jacob not to allow Benjamin to come to any harm. When the brothers are sent once again to Joseph to retrieve more grain, Joseph demands Benjamin. However, Judah offers himself in Benjamin's place. Impressed, and perhaps proud that Judah did not betray Benjamin as he had betrayed him, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and offered them and his father sanctuary in Egypt.





All these stories, people and ideas simply give various qualities and attributes latent within The Seven Valleys. Detachment, love, determination/motivation and many more are required for one to achieve the end, The Valley of Poverty and Absolute Nothingness.

To return back to the Valley of Search, it is this desire to succeed and to attain the end which drives us forward. If we drop like many of the birds attempting to reach Simorgh, we will never reach our goal. But finding out what we are searching for is only the beginning. We continue on the journey next time in the Valley of Love. Keep in mind, the stead of this Valley is pain. What does this mean in terms of our search?

The Purpose of Our Quest: The Valley of Search

The first of the Seven Valleys is the Valley of Search. This is quite fitting for the first and the beginning point, because the wayfarer, us, is looking for how to begin his journey. The stead of this Valley is patience. Many of us strive day and night to reach a certain goal, but if we give up, then the goal will not be attained. This is why patience is crucial for our search. If we give up in the beginning, if we give up at all, then the journey is over. It may take eternity, but we still need to move forward. Bahá'u'lláh writes, "No bond shall hold them back, and no counsel shall deter them." If anything holds us back, then we will not be able to move forward. Recall the first sentence of the Kitab-i-Iqan where we need to be detached from all of our previous bias and knowledge and experience in order to gain true knowledge and understanding. The same idea applies here.

The major problem is that this is a limited realm. Thus, it is easy to be encumbered by those around us who are not searching. We need to be vigilante and watch for those who may hold us back. The true seeker, as Bahá'u'lláh mentions, will not be deterred by the world, but will constantly search for his ultimate possession-whatever this is to be.

Like for any form of search, we need to put work into it and until the end. Everyday we need to find the object of our quest. We will learn that we are actually encumbered by the things of this world, thus we will begin to cast them aside.

In the Arabic Hidden Word #30 it is Written, "...Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face..." Thus, in every face, we need to see the face of God and we begin to realize that this is the purpose of our quest; to find God, the Friend.

From here we move to the Valley of Love.
If you have anything to add, please do so! I always wish to learn more and gain a better understanding of what I am reading.



I would like to make a final note on the idea of detachment. By detachment it does not mean to get rid of everything we own and possess. Rather, it means we need to simply not worry about the material aspects of life (and as we progress, even life itself). This will only hold us back from progressing further. It is important to enjoy life, and if one does have the chance, it is perfectly acceptable to even drink from a gold cup-but it does not mean that our life depends on having it and that we would not give it up if necessary.

The Seven Valleys-A Road to Absolute Detachment

Bahá'u'lláh wrote an incredible and mystical response to a Sufi regarding the progression of the soul on its journey. The work came to be known as the Seven Valleys. In order these Valleys are Search (whose "stead" is patience), Love (whose "stead" is Pain), Knowledge, Unity, Contentment, Wonderment, and True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness. The first three are physical-limited. At each stage of the journey, the wayfarer brings himself closer to God by detaching something of his being. As it is, we begin first by giving up our physical desires, our spiritual desires, ourselves and then finally our freewill. It is a beautiful idea, I think. We have been given a freewill only to give it up to God.

In the long obligatory prayer we read, "Behold me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure. I implore Thee by the Ocean of Thy mercy and the Day-Star of Thy grace to do with Thy servant as Thou willest and pleasest. By Thy might which is far above all mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by Thee is the desire of my heart and the beloved of my soul. O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love."

This prayer is the one proof of detachment and humility we have towards God. Reading through it, the only possible way to say it with sincerity is to go through the Seven Valleys and detach ourselves of everything in heaven and on earth (except God of course).

Food for thought before we begin. In the Kitab-i-Iqan, first paragraph (this is perhaps one of my favorite statements of all time, thus you will find me quoting it everywhere), it writes, "No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth."

This true understanding comes also from detaching ourselves from everything. We can look at this in two ways. True understanding can be the Will of God, looking at this from the perspective of the Seven Valleys. However, it could also be referencing the investigation of truth in a more broad aspect-where we detach ourselves of all bias and search for what makes the most sense in the world (to our heart, soul and mind) and accept that as true.

Next time, we will begin with the Valley of Search.
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SVFV/svfv-1.html

Justice

O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

Hidden Word #2 Arabic

In the Bahá'í Faith, the greatest gift is the gift of teaching; it is the first obligation of every Bahá'í. Teaching does not mean campaigning and forcing people to accept the Faith. Rather, it is the act of informing people of the unification of all of humanity in one universal cause and one common faith; where people are united together to progress in a spirit of harmony and achieve a more perfect and better working society. This is where justice comes in.

Much like teaching, justice is a gift of God, a sign of His loving-kindness. In the world today, we view justice as either revenge based-if somebody does you wrong, you want to be compensated. Such compensation comes in two forms: violent or in the court of law. The first one is intolerable for a society based on unity. Violence simly spawns disunity, thus it should be left behind. But what about the court of law?

Let us return to the quote. The first sentence makes it clear that justice is extremely important. The second statement however is much more obscure. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Essentially the idea that can be understood from this phrase is through the aid of justice, we will not be influenced by the bias of others.

Before continuing, it is important to note a very important teaching of the Bahá'í Faith. There is an idea called the Independent Investigation of the Truth. The first sentence of the Kitab-i-Iqan begins as follows: No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. This phrase explains it all. In order to gain the underlying idea behind anything, one must leave his bias behind him and, with an open mind, seek the truth. Bias blinds us from the truth because we tend to focus on the ideas from our past which keep us from progressing. This relates back to the sentence, By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. By detaching oneself from our previous thoughts and investigating the truth, true justice will be able to be achieved. We should not let the opinions of others affect our decision in the slightest.

Returning to the court of law. How can one be compensated for an injustice in a court of law? In the American Justice System, we try to remove bias by creating a jury who will hold no bias towards the person due to the color of their skin, religion, beliefs, education, status, etc. Of course, this is near impossible; prejudice, whether we like it or not, still exists in our society and needs must be eradicated. In the end, the judge must look through evidence, witness testimonials and logical arguments to come to a conclusion.

What I ask of you: Using the Hidden Word, what can be concluded of the American Justice System? Is it corrupted and if so, how is it fixed using true justice?

Update on the Bahá'í Trial

Since Saturday, news has come through that the Seven Bahá'í leaders are still being held prisoner and their trial has been delayed until further notice.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/14/iran.bahai.trial/index.html

http://news.bahai.org/story/723

Why would the Iranian government delay the trial? Do they fear greater uproar-internationally and locally? Did they actually try and execute the Bahá'ís in secret? Do they, God forbid, simply wish to keep them in prison for life?

Let the world know!


“Had you believed in Me, O wayward generation, every one of you would have followed the example of this youth [Anis-the young man martyred along side the Báb], who stood in rank above most of you, and willingly would have sacrificed himself in My path. The day will come when you will have recognised Me; that day I shall have ceased to be with you.”
-Last Words of the Báb

So much can be taken out of this quote. Does the final part "that day I shall have ceased to be with you" mean His literal death? Or does it perhaps refer to the coming of Bahá'u'lláh and He being the One who they shall recognize? Any thoughts?

The Bahá'í Situation: A Brief Summary

Today we will not give a quote. Today, a more serious issue is at hand. Today, we will cover the persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran. More specifically, the seven Bahá'í leaders to be put on trial tomorrow after over a year in prison and without access to their lawyer.

You look around the world and pick any nation with a minority throughout history. This minority, somehow or another, is discriminated against. Even in the United States today, it is near impossible for people who are not of the Protestant sect of Christianity to achieve the presidency. Those who are of any other system of belief are usually shunned aside. In Iran, the news propagates President Ahmadinejad's, and every other (I believe) past president's, dislike of Israel and at times the discrimination of the Jews in Iran. However, there is a discrimination which is at the point of persecution which has been occurring in Iran since 1844.

From the inception of the Bahá'í Faith in Iran (1844 AD), its members have been persecuted, removed from their occupations, sent to prison, separated from their families, exiled, humiliated and even murdered. Lord Curzon writes,

“Before I quit the subject of the Persian law and its administration, let me add a few words upon the subject of penalties and prisons. Nothing is more shocking to the European reader, in pursuing his way through the crime-stained and bloody pages of Persian history during the last and, in a happily less degree, during the present century, than the record of savage punishments and abominable tortures, testifying alternately to the callousness of the brute and the ingenuity of the fiend. The Persian character has ever been fertile in device and indifferent to suffering; and in the field of judicial executions it has found ample scope for the exercise of both attainments. Up till quite a recent period, well within the borders of the present reign, condemned criminals have been crucified, blown from guns, buried alive, impaled, shod like horses, torn asunder by being bound to the heads of two trees bent together and then allowed to spring back to their natural position, converted into human torches, flayed while living."-circa 1900 (Introduction of The Dawn Breakers)

These persecutions were not saved only for the early Bahá'ís, but for everybody. However, to a greater extent, the Bahá'ís faced the barrel end of this persecution.

Let me write a brief history of the Bahá'í Faith and perhaps this will help us all understand the current situation. In 1844, the Báb (meaning the Gate) declared that He was a Manifestation of God heralding the coming of a new day. The Báb spoke of a person to come after Himself which He called, "Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest." He may be likened to John the Baptist who spoke of the coming Messiah, Jesus the Christ. The Báb's teachings spread throughout Persia like a wildfire and immediately the Persian officials became alarmed. Since this nation was (and still is) an Islamic state (specifically that of the Shiah sect), the Islamic leaders-the Mullahs and Ulamas-began denouncing the Báb and persecuting His believers. In the beginning, such persecution was on the more mild state. Two of the Báb's believers who began teaching the Faith were arrested and the governor of the province of Fárs, "...reviled and cursed him [one of the two believers], ordered his attendants to strip him of his garments and to scourge him with a thousand lashes. He then commanded that the beards of both Quddús and Mullá Ṣádiq should be burned, their noses be pierced, that through this incision a cord should be passed, and with this halter they should be led through the streets of the city. 'It will be an object lesson to the people of Shíráz,' Ḥusayn Khán declared, 'who will know what the penalty of heresy will be.'" (The Dawn Breakers)

At this point, one must be in a confused state. How can this be a more mild punishment? As the Bábi Faith grew, more and more people began to follow the Faith and awaiting the coming of Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest. The Islamic clergy felt nothing but fear could turn people away from the Báb. They had the Shah exile the Báb to the most remote parts of the country. At the height of the persecution, the Persian army was sent against a band of Bábis making their way through a town. For a five month period of time, the army clashed against this band who protected themselves in a fort. Every one of them was killed or imprisoned. In 1850, the Báb Himself was hung in the barracks square in Tabriz and a contingent of 750 soldiers took His life.

This however did not stop the movement. Bahá'u'lláh, a follower of the Báb, was released from prison in 1853 and exiled to Baghdad with His family and some of the other Bábis. Many people began to realize Bahá'u'lláh was a very special person due to His kindness and magnetic personality. In 1863, when He was about to be exiled again to Constantinople (again, the Islamic clergy began to see a gain in popularity in This Figure and were afraid He would take away from their power), Bahá'u'lláh declared He was Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest. The Bábis began then to referring themselves as Bahá'ís. From here Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Adrianople and finally to Akka, the prison city, the penal colony, where the worst prisoners-thieves, murderers, highway men, were sent. In each city, Bahá'u'lláh gained such a following that the leaders did not feel comfortable with having Him nearby. He died as a prisoner in 1892.

Returning to Iran. The persecution of the Bahá'ís never stopped. Due to humanitarian voicing however, it has declined to an extent. However, after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, this all changed. Bahá'ís began to be openly persecuted and killed. After the hanging of seven Bahá'í women began publicized (years after their deaths), public outcry increased to the extent that the persecution went underground.

In a document called the Closed Doors Document, the Iranian government planned the expulsion of all Baháís from education (in Iran and worldwide if possible). Here is a transcript of that very letter http://denial.bahai.org/002_1.php

Finally, the present. Now. Today. Within the next twentyfour hours, a group of Seven Bahá'ís are being put on trial. Their charge? Spying for Israel, spreading corruption on Earth and many others. Here is an article one may peruse giving more information on these Seven Bahá'í leaders.
http://news.bahai.org/story/719

Let me now refute the two above charges. After looking through the history, we know that the Bahá'ís were in Israel while it was still an Ottoman Province and then Palestine. The fact that they have their administrative body and Holy Places in Israel does not mean they spy for Israel. They were simply exiled there by the body who now accuses them of espionage.

Now corruption on Earth... This is a ridiculous charge. The Bahá'í Faith seeks to unite the world and eliminate all forms of prejudice. It believes that all of humanity is a family, that we are all brothers and sisters. How can this be corruption? If corruption is bringing people together, then their view of a perfect society is one of disunity and chaos.

In the past few months, we have seen journalists and other people taken into custody and put on trial in the most ludicrous of methods in Iran. The same may be expected for these seven Bahá'í leaders. All we can do at this point is pray.