Spirituality

(Spiritual feelings may be subject to external conditions, but the Temple does have a positive atmosphere)

"P.S. He feels your experience at the Temple should be regarded as in part an emotional reaction produced by disappointment and the fact you were still exalted by your happy days at the Moral Re-Armament camp. No doubt, if you visit the Temple under different circumstances, you will feel there an entirely different atmosphere -- the one you expected to find, and which does exist."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Messages to Canada, p. 122)

From Lights of Guidance (to categorize)

Man is at The Beginning of Spirituality

"Man is the highest degree of materiality, and at the beginning of spirituality—that is to say, he is the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. He is at the last degree of darkness, and at the beginning of light; that is why it has been said that the condition of man is the end of the night and the beginning of day, meaning that he is the sum of all the degrees of imperfection, and that he possesses the degrees of perfection. He has the animal side as well as the angelic side, and the aim of an educator is to so train human souls that their angelic aspect may overcome their animal side. Then if the divine power in man, which is his essential perfection, overcomes the satanic powers, which is absolute imperfection, he becomes the most excellent among creatures; but if the satanic power overcomes the divine power, he becomes the lowest of the creatures. That is why he is the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. Not in any other of the species in the world of existence is their such a difference, contrast, contradiction and opposition as in the species of man. Thus the reflection of the Divine Light was in man, as in Christ, and see how loved and honoured He is!…"

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, pp. 235-236, Wilmette, 1984 ed., in Lights of Guidance, no. 1834)

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:

1. The recital each day of one of the Obligatory Prayers with pure-hearted devotion.

2. The regular reading of the Sacred Scriptures, specifically at least each morning and evening, with reverence, attention and thought.

3. Prayerful meditation on the teachings, so that we may understand them more deeply, fulfil them more faithfully, and convey them more accurately to others.

4. Striving every day to bring our behaviour more into accordance with the high standards that are set forth in the Teachings.

5. Teaching the Cause of God.

6. Selfless service in the work of the Cause and in the carrying on of our trade or profession."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, September 1, 1983, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1835)

Points Towards The Attainment of True Spirituality—Spiritual Exercises of Prayer and Meditation

"These points, expressed in other words, have already been conveyed to the friends… 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.

"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-Adhkár 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!' "

(Ibid., in Lights of Guidance, no. 1836)

For Private Meditation, Believer May Desire to Use the Greatest Name

"It would seem that there are… 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, Alláh-u-Abhá, ninety-five times a day which, although not yet applied in the West, is among the Laws, Ordinances and Exhortations of the Kitáb-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… 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."

(Ibid.)
*(Please refer to the letter from the Universal House of Justice dated 28 December 1999 regarding application of all "the laws which pertain to obligatory prayer, fasting and recitation of the Greatest Name ninety-five times a day", in Lights of Guidance, no. 1838)

Cleanliness Contributes to Spirituality

"…in every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition and further the development of man's inner reality. Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to spirituality, as the Holy Writings clearly state. And although bodily cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the spirit…."

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 146-147, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1839)

The Obligatory Prayers and Reading Sacred Scriptures Every Morning and Evening Nourish Growth of Spirituality

"The law of the Obligatory Prayers is, of course, binding on the friends in Europe, and regular, whole-hearted obedience to this law will in itself nourish the growth of spirituality. Nor should the friends neglect Bahá’u’lláh's exhortation to read the Sacred Scriptures every morning and evening."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, March 31, 1983, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1840)

The Foundation of Spirituality is Steadfastness in the Covenant

"The thing the… believers must do is to deepen themselves in the Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mere intellectual understanding of the Teachings is not enough. Deep spirituality is essential, and the foundation of true spirituality is steadfastness in the Covenant."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 31, 1949, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1841)

People are so Markedly Lacking in Spirituality These Days

"People are so markedly lacking in spirituality these days that the Bahá’ís should consciously guard themselves against being caught in what one might call the undertow of materialism and atheism, sweeping the world these days. Skepticism, cynicism, disbelief, immorality and hard-heartedness are rife, and as the friends are those who stand for the antithesis of all these things they should beware lest the atmosphere of the present world affects them without their being conscious of it."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 19, 1945, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1842)

There is a Need for a True Spiritual Awareness

"The need is very great, everywhere in the world, in and outside the Faith, for a true spiritual awareness to pervade and motivate peoples' lives. No amount of administrative procedure or adherence to rules can take the place of this soul-characteristic, this spirituality which is the essence of Man. He is very glad to see you are stressing this and aiding the friends to realize its supreme importance."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 25, 1945, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1843)

Prayer Absolutely Indispensable—To Attain Spirituality

"… How to attain spirituality is indeed a question to which every young man and woman must sooner or later try to find a satisfactory answer. It is precisely because no such satisfactory answer has been given or found, that the modern youth finds itself bewildered, and is being consequently carried away by the materialistic forces that are so powerfully undermining the foundations of man's moral and spiritual life… It is this condition, so sadly morbid, into which society has fallen, that religion seeks to improve and transform.

"For the core of religious faith is that mystic feeling which unites man with God. This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer. And this is the reason why Bahá’u’lláh has so much stressed the importance of worship.

"It is not sufficient for a believer merely to accept and observe the teachings. He should, in addition, cultivate the sense of spirituality which he can acquire chiefly by means of prayer…

"The believers, particularly the young ones, should therefore fully realize the necessity of praying. For prayer is absolutely indispensable to their inner spiritual development, and this, as already stated, is the very foundation and purpose of the religion of God."

(From a letter of the Guardian to an individual believer, December 8, 1935: Bahá’í Youth, p. 10, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1845)