The meaning of the term “religion” in the Bahá’í teachings is markedly different from that which is current in much of society today.

Bahá’ís view religion as a living, dynamic, continually-unfolding system of knowledge and practice that guides understanding and action in response to Divine Revelation.  They conceive religion as the principal force impelling the development of consciousness.  Its purpose is not simply to describe and explore reality but to change human conduct and create a new social reality.  In this way, it is both prescriptive and descriptive.

In order to study the Bahá’í Faith – an independent, world religion – in a coherent manner it is important to take this perspective into account.  Therefore, we propose that the history and teachings of the Faith be studied primarily as they pertain to the ways that Bahá’ís are learning to apply spiritual principles to both their individual and collective lives in order to bring about social transformation.  These efforts include, for example, the cultivation of capacities to build spiritual and united communities with others and to engage in forms of social action that promote the prosperity, happiness and well-being of all peoples.

The human race has reached a turning point in the history of civilisation, and the crucial need of the human race is to find a unifying vision of the nature of man and society.  We live at a time of unique possibilities and unique dangers and in a world where great hope abounds, where there is great longing for positive change.  But there is also doubt, mistrust, suspicion, fear and cynicism.  We long to believe the visionary statements of world leaders that convey a new spirit of hopefulness about the future of our planet; yet, at the same time, we cannot ignore the deepening moral chaos in society which manifests itself in soaring crime, increased lawlessness, the ever-present threat of terrorism, ethnic violence, the breakdown of family life, political corruption, the pollution of our environment, to cite just some examples.

Without a common conviction about the course and direction of human history, it is inconceivable that foundations can be laid for a global society to which the mass of humankind can commit themselves.  What increasing numbers of people are beginning to realise is that the real issues are spiritual and moral.  What frustrates them is that the solutions being supplied by the political and intellectual leadership in society focus on efforts to address ultimately spiritual and moral phenomena with political and ideological instruments that are demonstrably inadequate.  Further, these voices are unable to articulate how the transformation now required in society can occur simultaneously both within human consciousness and the structure of society itself.

Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh.  What is becoming clear is that only in His Message do spiritual transformation and the advance of civilisation emerge as twin and inseparable features of one universal process.  A process, Bahá’u’lláh explained, that is ushering in a new kind of world.  A world of lasting justice and peace.  Ultimately, a global civilisation founded on the spiritualisation of human consciousness and in which the development of the whole range of human potentialities will be expressed.  The Bahá’í teachings offer a vision of a new world order and the establishment of world peace and declare that the struggle for power among individuals and communities will be supplanted by relationships governed by the principle of the oneness of humankind.

The purpose of the Bahá’í Faith is to bring about unity; its primary mission is the construction of the materially and spiritually prosperous civilisation envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh, the building of a new social order of unity, justice and peace that is shaped by the truths of His Revelation. In the words of Bahá’u’lláh: “That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith.”

Bahá’ís are the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages and the Manifestation of God or great Spiritual Educator for this age.  But being a Bahá’í means more than just recognition, it involves comprehending the Word of God and acting on it, individually and collectively.  It is to make the reality of one’s personal life and the pattern of society at large reflect the teachings. 

Bahá’u’lláh has not come merely to establish yet another alternative religious congregation in pursuit of its own aims.  Rather, He has renewed the wellspring of revelation in order to enable the human race to carry forward an ever-advancing civilisation; His Teachings will enable humanity to build a new world. He has created a community of people who are to unite around a new set of beliefs about human nature and well-being and sacrifice their own interests to work for justice, the unification of the human race, and the common good.  They consecrate themselves to a life of service that, in turn, will lead to the construction of a new social reality.

Achieving Bahá’u’lláh’s intended purpose for the human race requires new morals, new ways of generating knowledge, new ways of communicating, new ways of acting, and new institutions, because the change that needs to take place is total, both in terms of the inner life and external conditions of human society.  We will touch on some/all of these in the coming days.

What does Bahá'u'lláh hold to be the goal of the evolution of human consciousness?

Within the context of the history of civilisation, the objective of the succession of divine Manifestations has been to prepare human consciousness for the race's unification as a single species, indeed as a single organism capable of taking up the responsibility for its collective future.  Not until humanity has accepted its organic oneness can it meet even its immediate challenges, let alone those that lie ahead.  The Bahá’í vision of a new civilisation, then, is as far removed from current concepts of human well-being and happiness as is possible.  The principle of the oneness of mankind implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society such as the world has not yet experienced.

Paradoxically, it is only by achieving true unity that humanity can fully cultivate its diversity and individuality. This is the goal which all religions known to history have served.  Its attainment, Bahá’u’lláh says, is the stage of civilisation upon which the human race is now entering.

One of the most suggestive analogies to be found in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh is the comparison between the evolution of the human race and the life of the individual human being.  Humanity has moved through stages in its collective development which are reminiscent of the periods of infancy, childhood, and adolescence in the maturation of its individual members.  We are now experiencing the beginnings of our collective maturity, endowed with new capacities and opportunities of which we as yet have only the dimmest awareness

Against this background, it is not difficult to understand the primacy given in Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the principle of unity.  The theme of unity runs throughout Bahá’u’lláh's writings: "The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch.^”

He also made it abundantly clear that: “The well-being of the human race, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”

The oneness of humanity is the pivotal principle of the Bahá’í Faith, it is the central reality of contemporary history.  It is a reality that will dictate what will survive and what will fail, it is the standard against which must be tested all proposals for the betterment of humanity.  Not only will nationalism, sectarianism and racism fail – but so will any programme or worldview not founded on the reality of the human condition, in all its dimensions – material, social, intellectual, moral, spiritual, religious.

There is, Bahá’u’lláh insists, but one human race; inherited notions that a particular racial or ethnic group is in some way superior to the rest of humanity are without foundation.  Although we differ from one another physically and emotionally, although we have different talents and capacities, we all spring from the same root; we all belong to the same human family.

In a letter addressed to Queen Victoria over 130 years ago, Bahá’u’lláh compared the world to the human body.  Human society is composed not of a mass of merely differentiated cells but of associations of individuals, each of whom is endowed with intelligence and will; nevertheless, the modes of operation that characterise man’s biological nature illustrate fundamental principles of existence.  Chief among these is unity in diversity.  Paradoxically, it is precisely the wholeness and complexity of the order constituting the human body that permit the full realisation of the distinctive capacities inherent in each of these component elements.  No cell lives apart from the body, whether in contributing to its functioning or deriving its share from the well-being of the whole.  The physical well-being thus achieved finds its purpose in making possible the expression of human consciousness. 

What is true in the life of the individual has its parallels in human society.  The human species is an organic whole, the leading edge of the evolutionary process.  That human consciousness necessarily operates through an infinite diversity of individual minds and motivations detracts in no way from its essential unity.  Indeed, it is precisely an inhering diversity that distinguishes unity from homogeneity or uniformity.

In the Bahá’í community, we strive to bring our thoughts and actions in line with our belief in the oneness of humanity.  We should do everything possible to overcome our prejudices.  As the Bahá’í Writings exhort: “When the thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace.  A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.”

The process of humanity's coming of age has occurred within the evolution of social organisation. What the peoples of the world are today experiencing, Bahá’u’lláh said, is their collective coming of age, and it is through this emerging maturity of the race that the principle of unity in diversity will find full expression.  From its earliest beginnings in the consolidation of family life, the process of social organisation has successively moved from the simple structures of clan and tribe, through multitudinous forms of urban society, to the eventual emergence of the nation state, each stage opening up a wealth of new opportunities for the exercise of human capacity.

Humanity’s coming of age must entail a total transformation of the social order. The new society must be one capable of embracing the entire diversity of the race and of benefiting from the full range of talents and insights which many thousands of years of cultural experience have refined.  Because the relationship between the individual and society is a reciprocal one the transformation now required must occur simultaneously within human consciousness and the structure of social institutions.

The principle of the oneness of humanity implies an organic change – substantial, far-reaching change – in the very nature and structure of society.  Approaches to collective security, to governance, to decision-making, to education, to the advancement of women, to the distribution of the earth’s natural resources, to issues of social and economic development – these and other issues have to be weighed in the balance of this guiding principle of social life and organisation.

Laying the groundwork for global civilisation calls for the creation of laws and institutions that are universal in both character and authority.  The effort can begin only when the concept of the oneness of humankind has been wholeheartedly embraced by those in whose hands the responsibility for decision making rests, and when the related principles are propagated through both educational systems and the media of mass communication.  Once this threshold is crossed, a process will have been set in motion through which the peoples of the world can be drawn into the task of formulating common goals and committing themselves to their attainment.  Only through the dawning consciousness that they constitute a single people will the inhabitants of the planet be enabled to turn away from patterns of conflict that have dominated social organisation in the past and begin to learn the ways of collaboration and conciliation.

The chief instrument for the transformation of society and the achievement of world unity, Bahá’u’lláh asserts, is the establishment of justice in the affairs of humankind. The subject has a central place in His teachings.

“The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine wisdom surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the world cannot contain its inner significance …”.

Justice is the one power than can translate the dawning consciousness of humankind’s oneness into a collective will through which the necessary structures of global community life can be confidently erected.  Justice should therefore become the ruling principle of social organisation.  It is the indispensable compass in collective decision making, because it is the only means by which unity of thought and action can be achieved.  To the extent that justice becomes a guiding concern of human interaction, a consultative climate is encouraged that permits options to be examined dispassionately and appropriate courses of action selected.  Concern for justice also protects the task of defining progress from the temptation to sacrifice the well-being of the generality of humankind to the advantages which technological breakthroughs can make available to privileged minorities.

The Bahá’í vision of a united world

Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh has given the framework for united, peaceful, prosperous and just society that can operate at all levels – locally, nationally and globally.  Its distinctive characteristic is that it provides not only the vision of such a society but also the structures that enable such a society to be built and maintained over a long period.

The achievement of a future united world commonwealth will occur in two major stages, described by Bahá’u’lláh as the “Lesser Peace” and the “Most Great Peace”. 

The Lesser Peace is essentially a political peace entered into by world leaders, a limited political unity arrived at by decision of national governments as a result of the universal recognition of the oneness and wholeness of the body of humankind.  Bahá’ís believe that the foundations of this Lesser Peace were laid in the twentieth century, but the process is far from complete.

As has been discussed already, the process of humanity’s maturation requires a wholesale and organic change in every social institution and in the very structure of society itself; in this respect, the Lesser Peace will require the creation of the machinery that can effectively manage a unified world.  The detail of this is beyond the scope of this presentation, but it is clear that for this system to work nations will have willingly ceded a measure of their sovereignty to some form of global governing authority.  Further, this system of governance will have the endorsement of the peoples of the world, that is it will be established from the bottom up and not imposed from the top down.  It will have to be a robust system, capable of dealing effectively with the enormous changes that will occur as the world transforms itself into a united community.

The Bahá’í Writings envisage that the Lesser Peace will mature and take shape and will ultimately transform into the Most Great Peace, a lasting peace that will inevitably follow as the practical consequence of the spiritualisation of the world and the unification of its peoples.  This is the goal towards which Bahá’ís are working. 

Bahá’ís predict that the transformation of human society from its present condition through the Lesser Peace to the Most Great Peace, the hallmark of which will be a fully functioning world commonwealth, will be long and gradual.  During this process there will be many pitfalls and challenges and it is expected that there will be reverses along the way.  It is accepted that the early stages will not be conflict-free, hence the need for a system of collective security in which the right to use force to defend a nation state from attack by another nation state can only be exercised by an international authority.  Yet as world society traverses this path, its members need to remain focused on their spiritual development as well as their social advancement.  Society itself needs to remain spiritualised throughout this long journey; Bahá’ís believe that this will be ensured as the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh come to exert a more direct influence and role on the development of the world.

The Bahá’í writings paint this picture of the world civilisation envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh:

The Bahá’í Writings state that: “Material civilisation is like the body.  No matter how infinitely graceful, elegant and beautiful it may be, it is dead.  Divine civilisation is like the spirit, and the body gets its life from the spirit ...” [SWAB 317]

The body of humanity’s material civilisation calls aloud, yearns more desperately with each passing day, for its soul.  As with every great civilisation in history, until it is so animated, and its spiritual faculties awakened, it will find neither peace, nor justice, nor a unity that rises above the level of negotiation and compromise.

It is not, therefore, in providing support, nor encouragement, nor even example that the work of the Bahá’í Faith chiefly lies.  The Bahá’í community will go on contributing in every way possible to efforts toward global unification and social betterment, but such contributions are secondary to its purpose.  Its purpose is to assist the peoples of the world to open their minds and hearts to the one Power that can fulfil their ultimate longing. 

TOWARDS AN EVER-ADVANCING CIVILISATION: TRANSLATING VISION INTO REALITY

Central to Bahá’u’lláh’s mission has been the creation of a global community that would reflect the oneness of humankind – His mission is not limited to the building of the Bahá’í community.  The Revelation of God has come for the whole of humanity.

In the words of Bahá’u’lláh:  “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilisation.”  [GWB 215] 

Bahá’í community life provides us with an indispensable laboratory, where one can translate into living and constructive action the revolutionary principles brought by Bahá’u’lláh for the betterment of the world.  So the Bahá’ís are committed to building with others spiritual community in which these teachings can be given full and lasting effect.

How, then, do Bahá’ís go about doing this?  What are the principles that shape their actions?  What methodology do they adopt?  How do they work?  We will only attempt to share some initial thoughts at this stage.

The starting point is a consideration of the role of Revelation in creating a new social reality.  The Manifestations of God have an innate grasp of reality.  The change in social reality affected by the Revelation occurs in a different way than the change designed by some segment of society.  Rather than merely attempting to reform the social order from the outer layers of custom and common practice, the Word of God provides statements of truth that, once accepted by individuals, overturn old conceptions and form new agreements at the deepest layers of fundamental belief.  Each Revelation is a representation of the knowledge of reality tailored by the Manifestation for a specific audience to enable them to achieve an intended purpose.  Unity of thought on principle greatly reinforces the movement towards changes in behaviour, social relations, and institutional arrangements.  If, for example, we agree that humanity is one, then we must work out the far-reaching patterns of life and institutional arrangements that will manifest it.  So, Revelation has a formative impact on social structure.

Within the Revelation is a prescription for what individuals should do to enable humanity to move toward the Manifestations’ intended aim.  The Revelation contains principles, methods, values, insights, and a description of forces that shape an unfolding organic process of individual and collective growth and development.

We are co-creators of reality.  It is not enough just to study the Revelation and be a passive observer of reality.  Exploration of the Writings requires more than reading and understanding.  Study of the Word of God must be complemented by the effort to put the teachings into effect through a simultaneous process of action and reflection. 

The shaping of social reality is not, however, an individual but a collective act.  Understanding reality and transforming social reality in accordance with the will of God requires unity of thought and action.  This unity of thought and action is not a uniformity that delimits or homogenises the full range of human diversity.  It respects the inherent differences of thought and opinion.  As Bahá’u’lláh stated:  “It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action.”  [TB 166]

Bahá’í practice is concerned with translating the teachings into action within the framework of authoritative guidance.  We will consider the latter in a later presentation.

The practice of the Faith within the framework of the Bahá’í teachings by the individual believer includes elements such as spiritual disciplines, deepening in the Writings, contributing to the progress of the Cause, and living the Bahá’í life.  The latter involves the twofold purpose of individual and social transformation.  As part of their effort to contribute to an ever-advancing civilisation, individual Bahá’ís will participate in activities designed to expand the Faith and build Bahá’í communities; to educate children and youth; to contribute through their work and professions to the generation and application of knowledge in various disciplines; by participating in the diverse fields of human endeavour, they help to contribute to the generation and application of knowledge essential for the gradual advance of civilisation.  They contribute to the social and economic development of their communities by applying the teachings and principles of their Faith to improve some aspect of the material conditions of their immediate surroundings.  And they also participate in humanity’s collective discourse, seeking solutions to problems and encouraging action according to insights provided by Bahá’í teachings.  In these and other ways, the individual grows in personal knowledge and assists, through deeds, in transforming the self and the world. 

At a collective level, Bahá’ís collectively contribute to the building of a new civilisation in a number of ways.  This process begins with the community itself as it grows and develops and gains capacity to administer its own affairs; it gradually extends to service to the wider society. 

Bahá’í communities attempt to reach out to others at local, regional, national, and international levels and collaborate in identifying problems, consulting on possible solutions, engaging in practical activities for social well-being, building consensus as to the most appropriate ways to deal with the pressing issues of the day.

Bahá’ís are learning how to focus and organise their activities in order to be more effective and are translating their understanding into practical patterns of action for community building.  For over a decade, the worldwide Bahá’í community has been endeavouring to effect a transformation among individuals and communities around the world – to inspire and build the capacity for service.  In thousands of communities, Bahá’ís have set into motion neighbourhood-level processes that seek to empower individuals of all ages to recognise and develop their spiritual capacities and to channel their collective energies towards the betterment of their communities.  These educational and training activities, open to all sections of the community, seek to create capacity in the local population to become active protagonists of their own material and spiritual development in their own environments.

Aware of the aspirations of the children of the world and their need for spiritual education, they have started children’s classes that focus on laying the foundations of a noble and upright character.  For youth aged 11-14, they have created a learning environment which helps to form their moral identity at this critical time in their life and to develop skills which empower them to channel their constructive and creative energies toward the betterment of their communities.  All are invited to take part in small groups of participatory learning around core concepts and themes, drawn from the Bahá’í Writings, which encourage individuals to become agents of change in their communities within a dynamic of learning and an orientation towards service.  The spiritual insights the Bahá’í community offers in these courses prove indispensable to a development process that seeks coherence between the spiritual and material, and the attitudes and skills of service it helps develop enhance the ability of its participants to become engaged in sustained social action.

The significance of this development should not be underestimated.  Throughout history, the mass of humanity has been, at best, spectators at the advance of civilisation.  Their role has been to serve the designs of whatever elite had temporarily assumed control of the process.  Even the successive Revelations of the Divine, whose objective was the liberation of the human spirit, were, in time, taken captive by the “insistent self”, were frozen into man-made dogma, ritual, clerical privilege and sectarian quarrels, and reached their end with their ultimate purpose frustrated.

Bahá’u’lláh has come to free humanity from this long bondage, and the recent years have been devoted by the community of His followers to creative experimentation with the means by which His objective can be realised.   This entails no less than the involvement of the entire body of humankind in the work of its own spiritual, social and intellectual development.

Whether in the life of the individual believer or at the level of the Bahá’í community, it is an attitude of learning -- over the course of our lives and over the course of time –that is the means by which we find the way forward toward Bahá’u’lláh’s intended purpose for humanity. 

The process of learning involves the elements of careful and systematic study of the Writings, sound consultation, action, and reflection on action in the light of divine guidance.  What individuals find is that personal study influences action, and action in turn influences the approach to study and understanding of the Writings themselves. 

Learning involves study to understand the appropriate texts and action to see how the guidance can be translated into effective action. 

In recent years, the Universal House of Justice has particularly focused attention on consciously cultivating a capacity for learning in the Bahá’í world.  This culture of learning is characterised by dialogue rather than debate, by constructive experience at the grassroots rather than elaborate planning from the top, by systematisation rather than freneticism, by reflective refinement than derogatory criticism.

The search for a simplistic formula for success is ended but so too is the justification that anything goes, that any effort is as equally effective as any other.  Once we find an effective solution to a challenge, energies then shift to unified action, focus, perseverance, and intensive efforts to significantly multiply the proven course of action.

When a Bahá’í community is able to consciously establish an effective pattern of action and understand why it works, it is able to sustain the activities over an extended period of time, constantly adjusting to evolving circumstances while developing ever more complex and effective methods and structures.

The learning that generates new knowledge must be subsequently incorporated into educational efforts.  Education and training, therefore, continually evolve as practice evolves.  While education conveys what is known, its aim is not indoctrination, but raising up individuals capable of playing a role in the continual generation and application of knowledge – equal participants contributing to the progress of the Faith and contributing to the building of a new civilisation.  To do this effectively, educational programmes cannot merely present concepts from the Writings; they must be linked with the experience gained from practice.  The whole idea is that individuals become active participants in their own learning.

Applying knowledge for constructive change in the Bahá’í community involves doing what is right, not becoming self-righteous.  It sometimes requires suffering and involves absorbing the pain and anger of others and returning love and compassion in an effort to build unity.  It involves demonstrating patience when understanding is lacking or capacity is undeveloped.  It involves exercising power to shape and release human capacity for the advancement of the Faith and the well-being of humanity.  It requires intellectual capacity to generate new knowledge, but wisdom to convey that knowledge in a manner appropriate to context.  It involves proceeding with humility and flexibility to continue to grow and learn and to foster learning in others.

So, Bahá’ís are learning how to engage in a process of understanding and practice that translates the teachings of the Faith into reality.  They are learning how to collaborate with all peoples in the construction of a world that reflects Bahá’u’lláh’s highest aims – the Most Great Peace and a global civilisation that embodies the oneness of humankind.  All are invited to join this community and contribute to its mission.  With all those that choose to follow a different path, Bahá’ís consort with friendliness and fellowship, and collaborate in working for the betterment of the world.

Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings are intended for all humanity, but that each person must be free to accept them or not. If people hold to their own beliefs, we are to treat them no differently than a member of the Bahá’í community. To teach the Faith, according to the principles in the Bahá’í Writings is not to impose views because we believe they are correct and others are wrong. Teaching is sharing what one knows about Bahá’u’lláh with others who do not know and are interested to hear. It is necessary for the teachers to respond to questions and help overcome barriers, but only if the person desires it – a “seeker” in the true sense.

Bahá’ís certainly make an effort to exert an influence, either by teaching the Faith and giving people an opportunity to accept it, or by sharing Bahá’í  principles, methods or concepts in the hope of shaping thought and action.  However, the Bahá’í standard is not imposed.  Influence, therefore, is consciously sought, but power is not imposed.