Theme: Spiritual Birth – Part II

Since the first blog was posted, about a week ago, reader response has been awesome. Thank you for your encouraging comments. Many are looking forward to reading more posts. I have about thirty ready to go, in many different themes.

If you did not get a chance to read the first part of this article, here is the link: http://3-d-project.blogspot.ca/2012/07/theme-spiritual-birth-part-i-theme.html

Devotion

The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words "The Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. - Baha'u'llah (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 259)

Were men to discover the motivating purpose of God's Revelation, they would assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness. - Baha'u'llah (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 175)

Deeper Learning

To the early believers, Baha’u’llah said: “...ye are the first among men to be re-created by His Spirit, the first to adore and bow the knee before Him, the first to circle round His throne of glory. I swear by Him Who hath caused Me to reveal whatever hath pleased Him! Ye are better known to the inmates of the Kingdom on high than ye are known to your own selves.” (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 316)

Briefly, let’s go through some of the differences between the physical and spiritual birth. The physical birth just happens. No one asks for your permission. Parents are selected for you. The color of your skin, your religious background (or lack thereof) and, your country of origin, are all thrust upon you. Many good and bad characteristics come with this package and you have to work with what you’ve got.

But you have full control over the spiritual birth. Some of us become aware of our spiritual existence at an early age and some die as atheists. But to benefit from all that a spiritual life has to offer, we have to make a firm commitment in its progress.

On the concept of rebirth, Abdu'l-Baha gave a beautiful explanation. He said:

“The rewards of this life are the virtues and perfections which adorn the reality of man. For example, he was dark and becomes luminous, he was ignorant and becomes wise, he was neglectful and becomes vigilant, he was asleep and becomes awakened, he was dead and becomes living, he was blind and becomes a seer, he was deaf and becomes a hearer, he was earthly and becomes heavenly, he was material and becomes spiritual. Through these rewards he gains spiritual birth, and becomes a new creature. He becomes the manifestation of the verse in the Gospel where it is said of the disciples that they were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God; that is to say, they were delivered from the animal characteristics and qualities which are the characteristics of human nature, and they became qualified with the divine characteristics, which are the bounty of God; this is the meaning of the second birth. For such people there is no greater torture than being veiled from God, and no more severe punishment than sensual vices, dark qualities, lowness of nature, engrossment in carnal desires. When they are delivered through the light of faith from the darkness of these vices, and become illuminated with the radiance of the Sun of Reality, and ennobled with all the virtues, they esteem this the greatest reward, and they know it to be the true paradise.” - Abdu'l-Baha (Bahá'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 323)

To those of us who have experienced a spiritual birth, life is lifted into a higher plane of existence. But the most glorious moment of this journey is when the Holy Spirit, the highest level of all spirits in the universe, touches the soul. At this stage the soul is re-created and lives in an intimate relationship with God. Just like many are ready to help a newborn, so is the Concourse on High waiting to rush to the aid of a searching soul, if it asks. The promise of this divine connection is none other than paradise. In fact, this is the prime goal of every religion. Unfortunately, in many cases this precious wisdom has been totally lost. In the coming devotional and deepening sessions, we’ll explore how each of us can find our path to paradise.

Reflection

Have you ever been touched by the Holy Spirit? What went through your mind to assure you that a very significant divine moment was your experience?

Deeds (Path of service)

We have decreed that war shall be waged in the path of God with the armies of wisdom and utterance, and of a goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. - Baha'u'llah (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 24)

I think one of the greatest services we can render to our fellow humans is to help others in the spiritual path. It has been said that assisting a soul get one step closer to God is better than possessing the whole creation. How can we do this? There are many ways. One is to be patient with our friends, neighbors, colleagues, relatives and strangers. What do you think?