Theme: Philanthropic Deeds – Part II

If you ever wondered what deeds are acceptable in the sight of God, Baha’u’llah has given us a list of such actions to serve as a guideline.

If you did not get a chance to read part I of Philanthropic Deeds, the link is: http://3-d-project.blogspot.ca/2013/05/theme-philanthropic-deeds-part-i.html

Devotion

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)

Yet it behoveth the people of truth that the signs of humility should shine upon their faces, that the light of sanctity should radiate from their countenances, that they should walk upon the earth as though they were in the presence of God and distinguish themselves in their deeds from all the dwellers of the earth. (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 59)

Deeper Learning

If you ever wondered what deeds are acceptable in the sight of God, Baha’u’llah has given us a list of such actions to serve as a guideline. This list is long and may seem too overwhelming to achieve in one lifetime. As a standard of deeds, it is advisable to read this passage many times. It is beautifully written and is as follows:

“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.” (Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 93)

I have read this passage many times throughout my life. At different times, different parts resonate with me. How about you?

Now let’s examine the next part: philanthropy. This action—an impulse generated from a deep concern for the welfare and advancement of humanity—is usually manifested by donation of money and property. To many philanthropists, it means devoting their time in activities to help the needy, poor and sick. They listen to the cry of suffering whether in places as close as home or remote corners of the world. In their heart, they find ways to respond. 

Since the dawn of Baha’u’llah’s revelation, acts of good deeds have flourished around the world beyond one’s wildest imagination. I don’t mean in the Baha’i world only, rather, there is a massive movement, as huge as the ocean, in which participants from all parts of the globe are forging forward to help their fellow humans.   

It is so overwhelming I don’t know where to start. Let us look at the top and go down. One such philanthropy is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I knew Bill in the early 80’s, not personally, but rather as a programmer who had used some of his very first software tools he developed. Over the next ten years, his company, Microsoft, grew from a start up to a mega multinational. The software that came from this company not only changed the computing world but transformed business and society alike. I am not so much impressed by Bill Gate’s technological ingenuity, as he never invented anything new, but for his business creativity in making his products so successful globally. As the CEO and founder of Microsoft, he was ranked as the wealthiest man from 1995 till 2011, except in 2008 when he was third. His worth has reached around 40 billion dollars. In 2008, Bill Gates announced that he was working full-time for the foundation, started by him and his wife. What has this foundation achieved? As of 2007, this organization, which is known for its transparency in how money is spent, gave about $28 billion in charity. It deployed funds in global problems that have been ignored by governments. What did they specifically do with this large sum of money? This list is long. Some of them are fighting polio around the world, improving health through nutritious crops, educating about the benefits of breast-feeding, and eradicating malaria. The projects are always global in scope.

What is clearly emerging is that more and more billionaires are joining the charity club. Warren Buffet, a friend of Bill Gates and a well-admired investor in the business world, had given about $20 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. When asked about enlisting others to this noble cause, Buffet said, “In most cases we had reason to believe that the people already had an interest in philanthropy. It was a very soft sell but 40 have signed up.” In this campaign, he was asking the US billionaires to give at least half of their wealth. Giving among the rich has become part of a trendy lifestyle these days.

Many politicians, after retiring from running for government offices, have used their experience, knowledge and connection to help the needy. One of them is Bill Clinton, former president of USA, who formed the Clinton Global Initiative. This organization is a community of leaders dedicated to building a sustainable world. According to its mission statement, “CGI is to inspire, connect, and empower a community of global leaders to forge solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.” In terms of real action, its members have made nearly 2,000 commitments in the fields of education, health and economy, to improve lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. If all is successful, the cost will exceed $63 billion.

Another politician turned philanthropist is Tony Blair, former prime minister of England. His organization, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, aims at promoting respect and understanding between major religions. He uses faith to unite diverse groups and remove extreme poverty in over 100 countries. 

In 1982, Jimmy Carter, shortly after leaving the president’s office of the United States, founded a not-for-profit organization named the Carter Center. His aim has always been, as a politician and a philanthropist, to promote human rights and reduce suffering. He has clearly heard the groaning of war over many decades in the Middle East, and thusly has taken many trips to that region to bring about peace, for which he has been awarded the Nobel Prize. Jimmy Carter is also known for improving health around the world. He is a key figure in Habitat For Humanity, a worldwide organization to bring about affordable homes.

Reflection

What do you think of Baha’u’llah’s list of deeds mentioned earlier? After reading about good deeds of many rich and famous, does this change your perception of humanity?

Deeds (path of service)

This morning before rushing out of the door to work, my wife wanted to this:

One righteous act is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished....(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 286)

When I read this pronouncement from a Messenger of God, I felt the urge to share it with the audience of this blog. It shows that we don’t have the slightest clue as to what our action has on the entire creation. There is more to this passage to be shared in the next blog.