If you did not have a chance to read part I of Knowledge of
God the link is http://3-d-project.blogspot.ca/2013/02/theme-knowledge-of-god-part-i.html
Devotion
The Divine Messengers have been sent down, and their Books were revealed, for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men. But now behold, how they have made the Law of God a cause and pretext for perversity and hatred. How pitiful, how regrettable, that most men are cleaving fast to, and have busied themselves with, the things they possess, and are unaware of, and shut out as by a veil from, the things God possesseth! (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 12) |
These words have streamed from the pen of this Wronged One in one of His Tablets: "The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man -- they Who are the Dawning-Places of His Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 13) |
Deepening
In addition to capacities,
relationships are another foundation of life. Our first relationships are with
our mother, father and siblings. Later we get to know friends, neighbors,
teachers, co-workers, a spouse, children and grandchildren. Life becomes an
expansion of human experience. Some we choose, some are thrust upon us, and
others we discard. Our interactions with others provide opportunities to gain a
better understanding of qualities such as love, trust, patience, kindness and
forgiveness. When a conscious effort is made to turn our attention towards
divine attributes, rather than seeking vices, the self transforms itself from
potential to reality. Step by step, it gets closer to the Divine Self. According the Abdu'l-Baha:
“…With the human soul…Its only
movement is towards perfection...Divine perfection is infinite, therefore the
progress of the soul is also infinite.” (Abdu'l-Baha,
Paris Talks, p. 89)
What are the processes of perfection? Let's consider a mirror. When it is turned
towards the sun, it reflects light. If it is kept in the darkness, it will
reflect nothing. Also, if the mirror is dirty, although turned towards the sun,
it will reflect only some of the light. Similar to a mirror, when the soul turns
towards God’s help and His attributes, it will reflect many facets of goodness.
The cleaner the soul, through the development of virtues, the more it will see
in it the reflection of God’s beauty.
The second way to gain knowledge
of God is through His Manifestations. According
to recorded history some of them are Adam, Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha,
Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. They are direct links
between God and us. Though they come in human forms, these Beings are different from us in many ways. Here
are four important points to remember:
1. Unlike
humans, they are perfect Beings, who reflect all the attributes of God. They
are perfect mirrors. According to Baha’u’llah,
“The knowledge of these
sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self.” They don’t need to grow spiritually.
2. Each brings a divine message for
the age in which they appear. Unfortunately, with passage of time the pure
heavenly water they shower over mankind is muddied through misunderstand,
corruptions and dogmas. Each time a Manifestation appears on Earth, He first
refreshes the spiritual teachings by adding, changing or removing laws and
practices of previous religions, according the capacity and needs of the
people. Divine Revelation helps souls move closer to their Creator, promotes
unity and concord, and allows civilization to advance materially and
spiritually. Religious rituals and traditions, when they lose the light of
truth and are reduced to outer forms, can become barriers, limiting people from
recognizing God’s Manifestations. The essence of all religions, their spiritual
teachings, is the same. For example, kindness, generosity and compassion are
not only for Christians: they are part of the core beliefs of all religions.
3. These Manifestations bring
social laws based on the needs of the time, so that civilization can flourish
and humans can live in harmony. Every time these Educators appear,
through their examples and words, we reach a higher plane of understanding of
God. Reading the Holy Words is essential as they are filled with inspiration
and guidance. The soul is soothed to know more about why and how it is created
and that knowledge can only come from the Creator through His Manifestations.
All the scriptures mention and
glorify the names of God repeatedly. For example, in Qur’an there over one
hundred unique attributes mentioned. It declares God as merciful,
compassionate, mighty, wise, knowing, and clement. In the Bible it is said: “God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” King James Bible, 1 John
In the Writings of Baha’u’llah,
the Bab, and Abdu'l-Baha, the attributes of God are frequently mentioned. Many of
their prayers start with God’s glorification and end with mention of His names.
Some of these names from Baha’u’llah’s writings include: the All-Perceiving, the
Exalted, the All-Merciful, the Knower of things unseen, the Most Holy, the All-Praised,
the Great Giver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Powerful, and the Most
Compassionate.
We are familiar with these
attributes though we may not be part of a religion, as we have had to deal with
them in our daily lives. For example, as a victim, we have had to deal with
whether to forgive or avenge the wrongdoings of others. When suffering, it
makes us to think long and hard. Can we be ever-forgiving, as God is? In other
words, do we have the capacity to pardon the action of anyone, regardless of
its atrocities? In fact, the sole survivor of a rampage in which her husband
and four children died not only forgave the killer but also prayed for him. What
Scriptures teaches us it to dig deeper and not be satisfied with a superficial
practice of any divine attribute. Love is another good example, of which we are
very familiar. It is easy to love a friend or a family member. But would you
love someone who has harmed you? Would you love an enemy? Would love someone
who has brutally murdered a loved one of yours? According to the Holy Books,
God’s love encompasses every person of His creation and, for an ever-forgiving
God, foregoing any wrong, regardless of the severity, is not out of the
question. From a spiritual perspective, there is merit in choosing the higher
road and, in doing so, we align ourselves
with God’s knowledge. All religions are springs of fresh wisdom that take
yearning souls closer to their Beloved and help detach them from the transitory
things of this world.
Reflection
Bonus virtue: The qualities that you always had. You did not have to
struggle for them. They come so naturally to you. For me, it is compassion.
Since childhood, my heart leaps out whenever I find someone needs help. If I
had all the power of the world, there would be no suffering anywhere on earth.
Now, I also know, divine wisdom does not allow total paradise and one of the simple
reasons is that we’ll all become spiritually lazy beings.
Deeds (path of service)
Now is the
time for you to put forth your leaves, and yield your fruit. The fruits of the
tree of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character.
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 25)
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