Free Will and Absolute Dependence

God has given us free will and yet...

We are completely dependent on His power and grace for our lives.

There are many seeming contradictions in spiritual studies. One reason is that we're Spiritual Beings having a Physical Experience.

The two quotes from Reality for today show how to jump the gap of apparent contradiction between Freedom and Dependence:

"Some things are subject to the free will of man, such as justice, equity, tyranny and injustice, in other words, good and evil actions; it is evident and clear that these actions are, for the most part, left to the will of man. But there are certain things to which man is forced and compelled, such as sleep, death, sickness, decline of power, injuries and misfortunes; these are not subject to the will of man, and he is not responsible for them, for he is compelled to endure them. But in the choice of good and bad actions he is free, and he commits them according to his own will.

"For example, if he wishes, he can pass his time in praising God, or he can be occupied with other thoughts. He can be an enkindled light through the fire of the love of God, and a philanthropist loving the world, or he can be a hater of mankind, and engrossed with material things. He can be just or cruel. These actions and these deeds are subject to the control of the will of man himself; consequently, he is responsible for them."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 70: "Free Will", p. 248

"….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. So if a king should appoint someone to be the governor of a city, and should grant him the power of authority, and should show him the paths of justice and injustice according to the laws—if then this governor should commit injustice, although he should act by the authority and power of the king, the latter would be absolved from injustice. But if he should act with justice, he would do it also through the authority of the king, who would be pleased and satisfied.

"That is to say, though the choice of good and evil belongs to man, under all circumstances he is dependent upon the sustaining help of life, which comes from the Omnipotent."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 70: "Free Will", p. 250

Spiritual Education ~ Continued

Yesterday's post dealt with the needs of true education.

Today's quote from Reality continues the educational theme but focuses on what happens when we don't implement True Spiritual Education:

"Observe how many penal institutions, houses of detention and places of torture are made ready to receive the sons of men, the purpose being to prevent them, by punitive measures, from committing terrible crimes—whereas this very torment and punishment only increaseth depravity, and by such means the desired aim cannot be properly achieved.

"Therefore must the individual be trained from his infancy in such a way that he will never undertake to commit a crime, will, rather, direct all his energies to the acquisition of excellence, and will look upon the very commission of an evil deed as itself the harshest of all punishments, considering the sinful act itself to be far more grievous than any prison sentence. For it is possible so to train the individual that, although crime may not be completely done away with, still it will become very rare.

"The purport is this, that to train the character of humankind is one of the weightiest commandments of God, and the influence of such training is the same as that which the sun exerteth over tree and fruit. Children must be most carefully watched over, protected and trained; in such consisteth true parenthood and parental mercy. Otherwise, the children will turn into weeds growing wild, and become the cursed, Infernal Tree [the Zaqqúm, Qur’án 37:60, 44:43], knowing not right from wrong, distinguishing not the highest of human qualities from all that is mean and vile; they will be brought up in vainglory, and will be hated of the Forgiving Lord. Wherefore doth every child, new-risen in the garden of Heavenly love, require the utmost training and care."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: from a Tablet translated from Persian, quoted in the compilation Bahá’í Education, Selection #66

Spiritual Education

There are so many people who feel Religion and the Mind are contradictory.

Today's quote from Reality forcefully puts forward the necessities for a proper spiritual education.

It's often been said that what's easy to obtain isn't valued highly.

If that's true, this kind of spiritual education is worth all the world !

"The root cause of wrongdoing is ignorance, and we must therefore hold fast to the tools of perception and knowledge. Good character must be taught. Light must be spread afar, so that, in the school of humanity, all may acquire the heavenly characteristics of the spirit, and see for themselves beyond any doubt that there is no fiercer hell, no more fiery abyss, than to possess a character that is evil and unsound; no more darksome pit nor loathsome torment than to show forth qualities which deserve to be condemned.

"The individual must be educated to such a high degree that he would rather have his throat cut than tell a lie, and would think it easier to be slashed with a sword or pierced with a spear than to utter calumny or be carried away by wrath.

"Thus will be kindled the sense of human dignity and pride, to burn away the reapings of lustful appetites. Then will each one of God’s beloved shine out as a bright moon with qualities of the spirit, and the relationship of each to the Sacred Threshold of his Lord will be not illusory but sound and real, will be as the very foundation of the building, not some embellishment on its facade.

"It followeth that the children’s school must be a place of utmost discipline and order, that instruction must be thorough, and provision must be made for the rectification and refinement of character; so that, in his earliest years, within the very essence of the child, the divine foundation will be laid and the structure of holiness raised up.

"Know that this matter of instruction, of character rectification and refinement, of heartening and encouraging the child, is of the utmost importance, for such are basic principles of God. Thus, if God will, out of these spiritual schools illumined children will arise, adorned with all the fairest virtues of humankind, and will shed their light not only across Persia, but around the world. It is extremely difficult to teach the individual and refine his character once puberty is passed. By then, as experience hath shown, even if every effort be exerted to modify some tendency of his, it all availeth nothing. He may, perhaps, improve somewhat today; but let a few days pass and he forgetteth, and turneth backward to his habitual condition and accustomed ways. Therefore it is in early childhood that a firm foundation must be laid. While the branch is green and tender it can easily be made straight.

"Our meaning is that qualities of the spirit are the basic and divine foundation, and adorn the true essence of man; and knowledge is the cause of human progress. The beloved of God must attach great importance to this matter, and carry it forward with enthusiasm and zeal."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selection #111, pp. 136-137

Why Do I Need Religion ?

There have been posts in this blog about the relationship between spirituality and religion.

We've also explored the idea that the actions and beliefs of human beings are not necessarily the best guide to what religion really Is.

Because so many folks have tossed religion out, it's become fashionable to claim that an individual, with their own power, can raise themselves to the heights of virtuous behavior.

Ever looked in one of these people's closets ... ?

Today's quote from Reality explains it much better than I can:

"There are some who imagine that an innate sense of human dignity will prevent man from committing evil actions and insure his spiritual and material perfection. That is, that an individual who is characterized with natural intelligence, high resolve, and a driving zeal, will, without any consideration for the severe punishments consequent on evil acts, or for the great rewards of righteousness, instinctively refrain from inflicting harm on his fellow men and will hunger and thirst to do good. And yet, if we ponder the lessons of history it will become evident that this very sense of honor and dignity is itself one of the bounties deriving from the instructions of the Prophets of God. We also observe in infants the signs of aggression and lawlessness, and that if a child is deprived of a teacher’s instructions his undesirable qualities increase from one moment to the next. It is therefore clear that the emergence of this natural sense of human dignity and honor is the result of education.

"Secondly, even if we grant for the sake of the argument that instinctive intelligence and an innate moral quality would prevent wrongdoing, it is obvious that individuals so characterized are as rare as the philosopher’s stone. An assumption of this sort cannot be validated by mere words, it must be supported by the facts. Let us see what power in creation impels the masses toward righteous aims and deeds!

"Aside from this, if that rare individual who does exemplify such a faculty should also become an embodiment of the fear of God, it is certain that his strivings toward righteousness would be strongly reinforced."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 97-98

"The Nonexistence of Evil"

Today's spiritual topic has been covered in this blog before but not with the complete clarity that today's quote from Reality brings us!

The idea that Evil is Nonexistent can be baffling.

Yet this excerpt from the Bahá'í Writings shows us how to understand such an elevated spiritual truth:

"Briefly, the intellectual realities, such as all the qualities and admirable perfections of man, are purely good, and exist. Evil is simply their nonexistence. So ignorance is the want of knowledge; error is the want of guidance; forgetfulness is the want of memory; stupidity is the want of good sense. All these things have no real existence.

"In the same way, the sensible realities are absolutely good, and evil is due to their nonexistence—that is to say, blindness is the want of sight, deafness is the want of hearing, poverty is the want of wealth, illness is the want of health, death is the want of life, and weakness is the want of strength.

"Nevertheless a doubt occurs to the mind—that is, scorpions and serpents are poisonous. Are they good or evil, for they are existing beings? Yes, a scorpion is evil in relation to man; a serpent is evil in relation to man; but in relation to themselves they are not evil, for their poison is their weapon, and by their sting they defend themselves. But as the elements of their poison do not agree with our elements—that is to say, as there is antagonism between these different elements, therefore, this antagonism is evil; but in reality as regards themselves they are good.

"The epitome of this discourse is that it is possible that one thing in relation to another may be evil, and at the same time within the limits of its proper being it may not be evil. Then it is proved that there is no evil in existence; all that God created He created good. This evil is nothingness; so death is the absence of life. When man no longer receives life, he dies. Darkness is the absence of light: when there is no light, there is darkness. Light is an existing thing, but darkness is nonexistent. Wealth is an existing thing, but poverty is nonexisting.

"Then it is evident that all evils return to nonexistence. Good exists; evil is nonexistent."

Abdu’lBahá-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 74: "The Nonexistence of Evil", pp. 263-264

The Truth

The last few posts have dealt with topics like submission, self, trust, and justice.

In various ways, they've all spoken to the Truth that Godliness can be trusted.

But...

Words smooth as silk can be as slippery as snakes while rough-shod sentences can be reliable and rock-solid.

Today's excerpt from Reality brings you a means of estimating the reliability of various people's proposed "Truth".

"Be fair: Is the testimony of those acceptable and worthy of attention whose deeds agree with their words, whose outward behavior conforms with their inner life? The mind is bewildered at their deeds, and the soul marveleth at their fortitude and bodily endurance. Or is the testimony of these faithless souls who breathe naught but the breath of selfish desire, and who lie imprisoned in the cage of their idle fancies, acceptable? Like the bats of darkness, they lift not their heads from their couch except to pursue the transient things of the world, and find no rest by night except as they labor to advance the aims of their sordid life. Immersed in their selfish schemes, they are oblivious of the Divine decree. In the daytime they strive with all their soul after worldly benefits, and in the night season their sole occupation is to gratify their carnal desires. By what law or standard could men be justified in cleaving to the denials of such petty-minded souls and in ignoring the faith of them that have renounced, for the sake of the good pleasure of God, their life and substance, their fame and renown, their reputation and honor?"

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraph 250, pp. 207-208

Self, Lust, and Ruin

Most folk go through life, spending most of their youth pursuing the pleasures and dangers of the physical world.

Somewhere between 30 and 60, most people reach at least a bit of resignation about the pain from weakened spirituality.

They may not even call it spirituality, only knowing it's something other than pursuit of physical pleasure.

The two quotes from Reality for today both have a certain severity to them but are capable of lifting you to a new understanding of your place in this World...

"This physical world of man is subject to the power of the lusts, and sin is the consequence of this power of the lusts, for it is not subject to the laws of justice and holiness. The body of man is a captive of nature; it will act in accordance with whatever nature orders. It is, therefore, certain that sins such as anger, jealousy, dispute, covetousness, avarice, ignorance, prejudice, hatred, pride and tyranny exist in the physical world. All these brutal qualities exist in the nature of man. A man who has not had a spiritual education is a brute."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 29: "Explanation of Verse Twenty-Two, Chapter Fifteen, of the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians", p. 119

"O REBELLIOUS ONES!

"My forbearance hath emboldened you and My long-suffering hath made you negligent, in such wise that ye have spurred on the fiery charger of passion into perilous ways that lead unto destruction. Have ye thought Me heedless or that I was unaware?"

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Persian #65

The Trouble with My Self . . .

Yesterday's post was about submission being better than liberty for humans.

Today's excerpts from Reality are both about our "self"--which usually wants the very liberty that's such a problem for it...

"....it is impossible for a human being to turn aside from his own selfish advantages and sacrifice his own good for the good of the community except through true religious faith. For self-love is kneaded into the very clay of man, and it is not possible that, without any hope of a substantial reward, he should neglect his own present material good."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 96-97

"Despair, both here and hereafter, is all you will gain from self-indulgence..."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 105

Give Me Submission Or Give Me Death

I'm from the United States of America and one of the buzz-words in America is "liberty".

Today's quote from Reality claims that liberty is not what we should strive to attain.

Apparently, our proper goal is "submission".

Just sounds dead wrong to a "modern" ear, eh?

So how well are our terribly modern theories of how to live serving our needs?

Many modern folk seeking liberty will deny the following quote. I have a strong tendency to believe they haven't hit 55 years of age yet...


"Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They ask for that which injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth them. They are, indeed, of those that are far astray. We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.

"Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench. Thus warneth you He Who is the Reckoner, the All- Knowing. Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal. That which beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker. Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station. It debaseth him to the level of extreme depravity and wickedness."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, paragraphs 122-123, p. 63