27 Serving the Cause
Throughout the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Baha’u’llah enjoins upon us to serve the Cause of God. This can be done through proclamation, teaching, and being a good example. We are also to support those who serve, in whichever ways we can.1 This book has covered in significant detail how to be a good example, or at least has shared the framework the Kitab-i-Aqdas provides. Thus, this closing chapter will focus on proclaiming and teaching.
27.1 Proclaiming the Cause
27.1.1 The Abolition of Impurity
Baha’u’llah tells us to proclaim the Cause to the followers of other religions.2 This command comes immediately after describing the abolition of the law of impurity from all things and of other religions. This is a subtle but important foundation. The first day of Ridván itself purifies. Remember how Ridván is an annual festival whose purpose is to proclaim the Cause. Invite people to the festival and proclaim the purifying effect of Ridván. It is a day when people of all religions no longer have to view another as impure.
27.1.2 Mention God Among Nations and People
Baha’u’llah has permitted, but not required, people to learn various languages to proclaim the Cause of God throughout both East and West.3 The Kitab-i-Aqdas also expresses a couple of proclamations God had made Himself through Baha’u’llah. I consider these proclamations to be examples of how to mention God among the nations and people.
One example is for people to turn with radiant faces and hearts of joy towards the Sidrat-ul Muntaha which proclaims “There is no God but Me, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting.”4 Another example is when Baha’u’llah counsels us to be manifestations of steadfastness when the Book proclaims “There is no God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Praised.”5
27.1.3 The Great Announcement
These two simple instructions parallel most of Baha’u’llah’s guidance in what a proclamation consists of. When associated with the Day of Resurrection, the proclamation is about the Great Announcement where God has announced He has arrived to speak and guide humankind. Thus, proclamation should be considered as an announcement. Ridván is the day when Baha’u’llah first made His announcement to the world, and this announcement continued throughout the rest of His ministry.
We must be steadfast, radiant, and joyous in our proclamation. If we lack either trait or quality, the Great Announcement will not have the full effect. There are only four things which need proclaimed. The first is “there is no God but Me”, the second is God has spoken again through the name of Baha’u’llah, the Glory of God. The third proclamation is the Cause of God. You do not even have to explain the Cause of God in the proclamation, but that there is a Cause. A Cause can also be known as an effect of God’s Word. God exists, God speaks, and God affects you. If you were to say what the Cause is, I would advise to identify in one short sentence what the Cause is. For me, an effect could be as simple as saying “to usher in the Most Great Peace,” “to liberate the souls from oppression,” or “to purify all religion.” What is the Cause of God to you? If you believe in this Cause with radiance, joy, and steadfastness, share it but share it simply. The final part of the proclamation is the invitation. Invite the audience to the Cause.
27.2 Teaching the Cause
The Kitab-i-Aqdas itself says very little about teaching, yet we know teaching has a high station. With the inheritance law, teachers are the only non-familial category to receive a share in the absence of a will. If anyone chose to model their inheritance after the Aqdas, teachers receive 3.6%. This means not only are teachers entrusted with a task, we are also entrusted to serve the teachers. There is no other profession in the Kitab-i-Aqdas held with such a high responsibility.
Children are the first audience to teach, which is the responsibility of parents and the Houses of Justice in the absence of parents being able to fulfill this responsibility. Teaching is not limited to children, but it is for anyone who is interested in learning. In this capacity, even adults are children who are still developing their souls. Teaching comes after proclamation, if anyone had responded to the proclamation. If no one responded to the proclamation, we let go and move on.
Baha’u’llah instructs us adorn ourselves with good deeds, then through wisdom and eloquence.6 Baha’u’llah expands upon this simple framework in an unnamed tablet BH02623. I’m personally calling it “Teaching with the Measure of Mercy.” It is a thorough but brief summary of all the ways Baha’u’llah Himself has taught others, and how we can teach using His example. The entirety of this section is derived from this tablet.
27.3 Teaching With The Measure of Mercy
Teaching with the measure of mercy begins with orientation. Baha’u’llah says the teacher is the “spiritual physician and the true sage.” A sage is one who is acclaimed and respected for their experience, judgment, and wisdom. Not every person who wants to teach is capable of teaching, but through time, practice, and patience, one can be a true sage if they desire to heal the spirit.
27.3.1 Being a Spiritual Physician
The second aspect of a spiritual physician being needed is there are things in this world which have harmed the spirit of a soul. The teacher must look towards two conditions as they seek to heal the spirit with wisdom. The first condition is the requirements of the time and days. This could be a good application of the helper, trustee, and helper model of trusteeship. The teacher witnesses a common struggle people are having. For example, in the United States it has been common enough for religious leaders to sexually prey on children. There is considerable distrust of religious institutions due to these oppressive corruptions. Through witnessing such issues, a true sage will consider someone who responds to the proclamation could be a person who experienced such hardship in their youth. What might be the remedy for this issue of our days? The second condition directly speaks to this, which is the condition of the soul. If we witness a particular soul who has suffered from this greater social issue, we can serve as their trustee. The medicine we give them must be tailored to their condition in order to be of help. If we lack the wisdom to give the proper medicine, find an expert who can.
The best way to ensure we are qualified to be a spiritual physician is to be immersed in the spiritual practices of the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Pray, recite, remember, reflect, and honor God with regularity. This keeps the mirror of the soul oriented and polished as well as it can be. As spiritual practice is regular, without a rush, and with a sense of detachment, teaching is the same way. When we seek to teach, we do not give all treatments, all at once, without knowing the patient or student. We take time to know them, for them to know us, and only develop a treatment plan (teaching mode) once we know what needs healing.
27.3.2 Trauma of Bad Spiritual Leadership
Baha’u’llah describes what happens when people are subjected to spiritual leaders who are scholars of illusions. Remember the chapter on the private self and all of the illusions one may face. Imagine a soul who trusted a spiritual leader whose spirit was enraptured by their own illusions and desires, not the salvation or well-being of a soul? Baha’u’llah says this type of soul will be shaken by just the mention of spiritual leaders, let alone the divinity of God. He says in cases such as these, be wise by withholding teachings of command, power, manifestation, and such. Perhaps the focus would emphasize God’s names of Mercy and Love, without expecting the soul to want to submit to any type of spiritual leader. Guide the person to healing. Let them heal from their spiritual trauma.
This trauma can be caused in a myriad of ways. I will not go in all the ways, but know if trusteeship is meant to be practiced in every level of human experience, so too have the expressions of oppression and tyranny. Be receptive and know this world has a lot of pain to heal. Even the teacher themselves could be healing as they heal.
27.3.3 Milk Before Meat
Baha’u’llah uses the analogy that you do not give a child meat instead of milk. They start with milk. The medicine of teaching is based on the developmental capacity of the student. The milk begins with a goodly character and pure deeds. The teacher is the example of this milk, and teaches this goodly character and pure deeds. This duration we give milk can vary, and is entirely dependent on the soul receiving the milk. The person likes the ethics, but may not be ready for more difficult or challenging teachings.
Once the soul’s capacity has been nurtured and has grown, the next stage is to give fruit. The fruit is guardianship (the Arabic word wilayat). A wali could be someone viewed as a saint or friend of God. This would be the stage where the teacher introduces Baha’u’llah as not merely a teacher of good character, but also as a friend who loves them. They are being prepared for maturity. They can view Baha’u’llah as an authority without panic or with suspicion. They can start to trust Baha’u’llah cares for them, and sees Him and their teacher as examples to follow. The spiritual practices can be introduced, instructed, and practiced. The soul explores these at their own pace and learn to develop a personal relationship with God. Even if there is a challenging time, or even a challenging teaching. Most importantly, the person feels safe to be themselves, a more regularly refining version of themselves. The soul may still wish God acted as they wanted, or that revelation more conformed to their wishes. Yet, because of their trust in Baha’u’llah, they still partake of their fruit. They remain friends.
Over time, the fruit has nurtured the soul and when they are ready, the teacher may give them the meat. The meat would be the most difficult aspects of belief. This could include expressing the full station of Baha’u’llah. For many, just the idea there is not a final prophet is a huge psychological challenge to overcome. Or in the case of someone abused by a person who claimed to be a man of God, or acting on behalf of God, this could be scary. It could take years to achieve the stage of meat. Other forms of meat would be teachings which challenge the current culture or commonly accepted notions of how things are. Meat can be tough to chew, and has to be prepared just at the right temperature, for the right duration, and with the right seasoning. Once the soul is consuming this spiritual meat, they are at the stage where they are willing to transform beyond their who they once were. They are developing their own God consciousness. This is the stage of submission to God’s will.
27.3.4 Every Soul is a Seeker
Baha’u’llah explains that every soul is a seeker. They may not be actively seeking in the moment, but at some point they will. The reason why they stop seeking or turn away from God is due to what He calls the “fancies arranged beforehand.” These fancies are shaped by parents, friends, religious leaders, non-spiritual leaders, cultural icons, and other sources. Burning away these fancies is very difficult.
The only way to burn through these fancies is for the spiritual physician to embrace mercy, kindness, and compassion. All souls were created in stages, and even if we desire a soul to be in a different stage for their own long-term well-being, we must never force upon the soul more than they are ready for. The journey is not on the teacher’s terms. A seeker may seek, stop, seek, stop, and continue this cycle. The true sage is detached from outcomes. All that is desired is the soul is free from the oppression of prior institutions. A liberated soul can love and navigate the spiritual worlds freely. Maybe this soul, nurtured with milk, fruit, and then meat will help the next soul who suffered with the ways of the world.
27.4 The Kitab-i-Aqdas is the Curriculum
I want to close this book with one more observation. In real life, doctors work best when their top priority is the health of their patients. In the United States, healthcare has many bureaucratic layers which were originally designed to help facilitate the healthcare process. Over time, the bureaucratic layers became the process and the pathway to healing. The doctor has consumed more of their time in checking the boxes and filling out the appropriate forms more than actually being with their patients or leading care.
I believe this is why Baha’u’llah did not create any other curriculum or any formal institution. The Teaching With Mercy method is purposefully open-ended. Each stage of milk, fruit, and meat when working with a true sage is specifically curated for the seeker’s needs. There is no standardized curriculum which works for every person. Yet, all potential curriculum can be derived from the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the letters, tablets, and books Baha’u’llah wrote to support the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
I hope this book had done a good job in demonstrating one way the Kitab-i-Aqdas could be viewed. I also hope this book has inspired a desire to explore the Kitab-i-Aqdas further, on your own terms. Finally, I do also hope there was something in the book to inspire you. In all truth, each chapter could have been a book in and of itself. There will always be much more to explore. No matter what your future holds, I do hope you believe you have a soul, its purpose is to be liberated, and that you are willing to act as a trustee to your own soul. Thank you!