Dear Bahá'í Friends,
On several occasions there has been correspondence between your
Assembly and the Universal House of Justice on meditation and kindred
subjects. The House of Justice is aware that such matters have been a
cause of differences of opinion among the ... Bahá'ís. It has now
come to the attention of the House of Justice that there was a session of
group meditation of a particular kind at your summer school under the aegis
of the National Teaching Committee. We have, therefore, been instructed to
send you the following comments which, it is hoped, will help to resolve
this long-standing problem.
SPIRITUALIZATION OF THE BAHA'I COMMUNITY
In its message to the Dublin Conference the Universal House of
Justice called upon the Continental Board of Counsellors and the National
Spiritual Assemblies of Europe to launch together "such a campaign of
spiritualization of the Bahá'í community, allied with intensified
personal teaching, as has never been witnessed in your continent." It
realizes that the session at your Summer School referred to above may well
have been intended as an aspect of this campaign, and it feels that it
would be helpful to explain more fully what it intended by
"spiritualization of the Bahá'í community".
Europe has suffered so appallingly in past centuries from
persecutions and conflicts inspired by religious differences and fanaticism
that there has been a revulsion against religion. Many Europeans have
become sceptical, scornful of religious practices, and reluctant either to
discuss religious subjects or to give credence to the power of faith. This
turning away from religion has been powerfully reinforced by the growth of
materialism, and has produced a combination of physical well-being and
spiritual aridity that is having catastrophic results, socially and
psychologically, on the population.
This intellectual and emotional atmosphere creates problems for the
Bahá'í community in two ways. Its effect upon a large proportion of the
non-Bahá'í population makes it difficult for Bahá'ís to convey the Message
to others. Its effect upon the Bahá'ís is more subtle, but no less
harmful; if not consciously combatted it can lead the believers to neglect
those spiritual exercises which are the very fountainhead of their spiritual
strength and the nourishment of their souls.
ESSENTIAL REQUISITES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Bahá'u'lláh has stated quite clearly in His Writings the essential
requisites for our spiritual growth, and these are stressed again and again
by Abdu'l-Bahá in His talks and Tablets. One can summarise them briefly in
this way:
- The recital each day of one of the Obligatory Prayers with
pure-hearted devotion.
- The regular reading of the Sacred Scriptures, specifically at least
each morning and evening, with reverence, attention and thought.
- Prayerful meditation on the Teachings, so that we may understand them
more deeply, fulfil them more faithfully, and convey them more accurately
to others.
- Striving every day to bring our behaviour more into accordance with
the high standards that are set forth in the Teachings.
- Teaching the Cause of God.
- Selfless service in the work of the Cause and in the carrying on of
our trade or profession.
These points, expressed in other words, have already been conveyed to
the friends in Europe by the Counsellors, but the House of Justice wishes
to stress them, because they represent the path towards the attainment of
true spirituality that has been laid down by the Manifestation of God for
this age.
PRAYER AND MEDITATION-PERSONAL EXERCISES
It is striking how private and personal the most fundamental
spiritual exercises of prayer and meditation are in the Faith. Bahá'ís do,
of course, have meetings for devotions, as in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar or at
Nineteen Day Feasts, but the daily obligatory prayers are ordained to
be said in the privacy of one's chamber, and meditation on the Teachings
is, likewise, a private individual activity, not a form of group therapy.
In His talks Abdu'l-Bahá describes prayer as "conversation with God", and
concerning meditation He says that "while you meditate you are speaking
with your own spirit. In that state of mind you put certain questions to
your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the reality
is revealed."
There are, of course, other things that one can do to increase one's
spirituality. For example, Bahá'u'lláh has specified no procedures to be
followed in meditation, and individual believers are free to do as they
wish in this area, provided that they remain in harmony with the
Teachings, but such activities are purely personal and should under no
circumstances be confused with those actions which Bahá'u'lláh Himself
considered to be of fundamental importance for our spiritual growth.
Some believers may find that it is beneficial to them to follow a
particular method of meditation, and they may certainly do so, but such
methods should not be taught at Bahá'í Summer Schools or be carried out
during a session of the School because, while they may appeal to some
people, they may repel others. They have nothing to do with the Faith and
should be kept quite separate so that enquirers will not be confused.
It would seem that there are in Norway many believers who draw
particular benefit from meditation. The House of Justice suggests that for
their private meditations they may wish to use the repetition of the
Greatest Name, Allah-u-Abha, ninety-five times a day which, although not
yet applied in the West, is among the Laws, Ordinances and Exhortations of
the "Kitab-i-Aqdas". (See p. 46 of the "Synopsis and Codification of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas".)
The House of Justice is confident that if the believers throughout
Europe will conscientiously strive to increase their spirituality in the
six ways outlined above, and become aware in their inmost beings that in
all their services they are but vehicles for the confirming power of God,
they will attract the hearts of their fellow citizens and penetrate the
miasma of materialism that veils the sight of so many of their countrymen.
Effort, activity, unity and constant reliance on the power of
Bahá'u'lláh will assuredly overcome all obstacles.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
For Department of the Secretariat
cc: The International Teaching Centre Board of Counsellors in Europe