Faith & Spirituality - Baha’i Perspectives

Highlighted from Rúhí 10, Unit 2 – Consultation
From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice:
“Consultation has been ordained by Bahá’u’lláh as the means by which agreement is to be reached and a collective course of action defined”
Bahá’u’lláh’s exhortation: 
“The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding.”
'Abdu’l-Bahá directs us, he stats,  “Settle all things, both great and small, by consultation. Without prior consultation, take no important step in your own personal affairs. Concern yourselves with one another. Help along one another’s projects and plans.” He further exclaims, “…consultation is acceptable in the presence of the Almighty, and hath been conjoined upon the believers, so that they may confer upon ordinary and personal matters, as well as on affairs which are general in nature and universal. For instance, when a man hath a project to accomplish, should he consult with some of his brethren, that which is agreeable will of course be investigated and unveiled to his eyes, and the truth will be disclosed. In short, consultation is desirable and acceptable in all things and on all issues.” He emphasizes, “In this Cause consultation is of vital importance, but spiritual conference and not the mere voicing of personal views is intended.”
'Abdu’l-Bahá furthermore expounds, “When any souls grow to be true believers, they will attain a spiritual relationship with one another, and show forth a tenderness which is not of this world.” He warns, “They must, when coming together, turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden.”
Consultation in committee:
“The first duty of the members is to effect their own unity and harmony, in order to obtain good results. If there be no unity, or the Committee becomes the cause of inharmony, undoubtedly, it is better that it does not exist…
“Therefore, when the unity of the members of the Committee is established, their second duty is to read the verses and communes, to be in a state of commemoration and mindfulness, that they may see each other as if in the presence of God.”
“The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members… Every meeting which is organized for the purpose of unity and concord will be conducive to changing strangers into friends, enemies into associates, and 'Abdu’l-Bahá will be present in his heart and soul with that meeting.”
“Beware, beware lest the foul odor of the parties and peoples of foreign lands in the West, and their pernicious methods, such as intrigues, party politics and propaganda—practices which are abhorrent even in name—should ever reach the Bahá’í community, exert and influence whatsoever upon the friends, and thus bring all spirituality to naught.”
Decorum in the Bahá’í consultation:
“The process of Bahá’í consultation is designed to ensure that every believer’s voice can be heard, and his or her views considered.”
The House of Justice reminds us that learning process in which the Bahá’í community is engaged should follow the pattern of action, reflection on action, study, and consultation.
Highlights of Summary (recap)
Bahá’u’lláh exhorts, “The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding.”
“Consultation bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth conjecture into certitude. It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leadeth the way and guideth. For everything there is and will continue to be a station of perfection and maturity. The maturity of the gift of understanding is made manifest through consultation.”
Bahá’u’lláh ordained consultation as the means for attaining collective agreement and action that transmutes conjecture into certitude.
'Abdu’l-Bahá states: “Settle all things, both great and small, by consultation. The question of consultation is of the utmost importance, and is one of the most potent instruments conducive to the tranquility and felicity of the people. The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them. In this Cause consultation is of vital importance, but spiritual conference and not the mere voicing of personal views is intended.”
'Abdu’l-Bahá in reference to Bahá’í consultation furthermore advises, “They must, when coming together, turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. …it is no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, …and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority.”
O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all besides thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this Spiritual Assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind.
O Son of Spirit! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.

Conclusion
We should consult every matter through love for each other in utmost sincerity and reverence. When we express our views in a purely consultative gathering, we must wait for others to respond before moving onto the next topic. This is essential in Bahá’í consultations. It leads the path to finding the truth, reaching to amicable decision and arriving at collective action. Once a participant offers a suggestion through his or her candidly expressed view, the expressed idea is no longer his or hers. It will be up to the gathering members to consult upon, collectively decide its merits, and arrive at solution that best addresses the topic of concern. So insisting to persuade others opinions to conform will only result in argument and estrangements. And be respectful of everyone by not striking down their ideas by saying “I disagree” which is mild ways stating “your idea is stupid” it will not work. Bahá’í consultation is a collective decision-making process aimed at discovering the truth and arriving at actionable solution unanimously or by the majority present at the gathering, which is unlike to delivering sermon or partisan politics or merely expressing disparate views that confuse or intend to influence through coercion. Consultation is not a Debate.

"Love seizeth not upon a living soul,
The falcon preyeth not on a dead mouse. "

Bahá'u'lláh
The Seven Valleys (p.9)

Merriam-Webster defines “debate: a contention by words or arguments”
That is not in line with consultation

Conquer the hearts through friendship and coexistence

"Bahá'u'lláh addressed humanity. He says, "Ye are all the leaves of one tree." He does not say, "Ye are the leaves of two trees: one divine, the other satanic." He has declared that each individual member of the human family is a leaf or branch upon the Adamic tree; that all are sheltered beneath the protecting mercy and providence of God; that all are the children of God, fruit upon the one tree of His love. God is equally compassionate and kind to all the leaves, branches and fruit of this tree. Therefore, there is no satanic tree whatever -- Satan being a product of human minds and of instinctive human tendencies toward error. "

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

"No one on earth, O my Lord, can withstand Thy power, and none in all the kingdom of Thy names is able to frustrate Thy purpose."

Bahá'u'lláh
Prayers and Meditations (p.16)

“O Son of Being!
My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.”

And just like the separated leaf may look green for a little while, we too may look okay awhile when separated from God. But just like that leaf eventually perishing, we too cannot survive. God is the source of life for us as the tree is for that leaf. So, it is very important that we connect our hearts to Him so that He fills our soul with the spirit of life and helps us to be life-givers in this world.

Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

O Children of Men!
Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the
other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from
one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat
with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and
actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My
counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness
from the tree of wondrous glory.

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Bahá’u’lláh’s exhortation:
“The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding.”

"Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it."

Bahá'u'lláh
Gleanings from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh (p.176)

People who have been disenfranchised in their societies because of prejudicial treatments due to misconstrued doctrines that are based on beliefs, color of skin, creed, ethnicity, origin or race have been looked upon as lesser humans and thus have been discriminated against and were not given equal opportunities to attain and enjoy all the amenities which their societies possessed, hence their poverty deprived them from acquiring education, basic necessary healthcare and proper nutrition which has led to their higher mortality rates compared to favored ones in their societies. All humans are created from the same substance and God has given them Soul to animate them, and since the human rational soul or the spirit is not of this world – it has no color nor is differentiated by creed and it is given by and possesses a reflection of the God, then in reality every human has a share in the Unity of Mankind.

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