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.