Yes, I am STILL on Unit 3. But after this posting, I can FINALLY move
on to... oh,... um... Section "4" of Unit 3... : - ) [Just in time
to start Unit 6!]
Part 2 of my reflection on Unit 3, Section 3.
We left our hero [in my best superhero cartoon voice-over]
struggling with issues of the "Day of Resurrection" and realizing she
should have paid proper attention to her "What is the purpose of
existence?" question, which is where we find her now... : - )
My reflections on this question led me to three wonderful resources:
Ocean (of course) - see compilation on "Existence" at
http://www.liveandlearnstuff.org/OCF/existence.doc ; an article by
Julio Savi (yes, I really LOVE his work!) on "The Development of
Humankind" at
http://www.liveandlearnstuff.org/OCF/human_development.doc ; and a
QUICK review of the first half of John Hatcher's book "The Purpose of
Physical Reality: The Kingdom of Names" (indicated below by "PPR").
I'll start with my summation and follow with some of my favorite
supporting quotes for each piece. [and I believe, at some point, a
diagram will be forthcoming that illustrates Savi's article and some
other stuff; as well as a few comparison tables/charts that I'd love to
have people's assistance with creating]
After reading, all the ideas began organizing themselves around three
components of "existence": (1) physical reality/creation, (2)
humankind, and (3) the soul/individual?; with various "purposes" for
each (though they all are interdependent).
(1) Physical reality
"Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I
made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in
existence and the essence of all created things." Baha'u'llah.
Therefore, it is the quintessential "learning laboratory". "Physical
reality thus functions metaphorically during our earthly lives as an
integral and inextricable part of our efforts to achieve spiritual
development by providing both the means whereby we perceive the
spiritual attributes in the first place and the tools with which we can
express and acquire attributes once they are understood." (Hatcher,
PPR, p. 84) And what's the point of all this? Baha'u'llah tells us
"...how superior must be the destiny of the true believer, whose
existence and life are to be regarded as the originating purpose of all
creation." (Gleanings, p. 140)
(2) Humankind
Calls to mind the notion of "carrying forward an ever-advancing
civilization". For this, the Manifestations show us "how to use one
world [physical reality] to understand the other [spiritual reality],
how to achieve unity and harmony in our lives and identities as human
beings." (Hatcher, PPR, p.76) A Manifestation is also "a creative
force Who puts in motion the energies and laws which will cause
spiritual reality to become actuated in the phenomenal world."
(Hatcher, PPR, p.77) [the Divine Springtime?!!] "There is an
inextricable relationship between the two aspects of reality because
physical creation is an essential part of our spiritual education, and
the spiritual enlightenment of mankind is the source of fulfillment for
creation. From such a perspective physical reality and our
participation in it are detrimental only when we fail to use the
experience correctly, when we fail to train our souls so that we have
intenral justice..." (Hatcher, PPR, p.75) Hatcher describes "justice"
as "propriety, that which is most appropriate and fulfilling of
inherent purpose." (PPR, p.71); and that justice is motion (PPR,
p.56). For me, this adds depth to the concept that "verily, justice is
My gift to thee..." So we have the privilege of building the Kingdom
on earth, manifesting complete justice in the world.
(3) Individual/Soul
In order to facilitate this, we each have to "know and love God".
It strikes me that there are two components to this: an inward
orientation (knowing God through knowing yourself) and the outward
orientation (loving God by translating your knowledge into actions in
service of humanity). This inward orientation, in particular, relies
heavily upon our primary educational tool, "the independent
investigation of truth", the ability "to see with our own eyes". The
bounty of obedience to the Covenant is the gift of sight/insight.
'Abdu'l-Baha informs us that, "The bestowals of God which are manifest
in all phenomenal life are sometimes hidden by intervening veils of
mental and mortal vision which render man spiritually blind and
incapable but when those scales are removed and the veils rent
assunder, then the great signs of God will become visible and he will
witness the eternal light filling the world." (Promulgation of
Universal Peace, p.89) Of what benefit is sight (beyond the personal
ones)? It allows us to solve problems (see the end in the begining; be
as the lesser prophets of Israel) and to translate spiritual
insights/principles into actions - our outward orientation. "Each
individual has an essential part to play in the process of fulfilling
human potential." (Hatcher, PPR, p.54) "First, we come to understand
the nature of an attribute or abstract quality by observing how it is
dramatized in physical action. Second, we decide to acquire the
attribute by resolving to dramatize it in a similar kind of action of
our own. Third, we fulfill our noble intent, not once but
consistently, repeatedly, until the repsonse becomes habitual and
instinctive." A new race of men is born - through KNOWLEDGE, VOLITION
for action, and habitual ACTION (Core Curriculum). As Savi says, life
is a school for spiritual transformation. He describes it as a process
of growth, characterized by the following elements, it's: gradual,
cyclical, relative, and infinite (Savi, The Eternal Quest for God,
Chapter 3, pg. 17). You'll have to read that page for more details,
but here are some re: its relativity. "All progress is relative; all
spiritual attainment is relative. What might be exalted spiritual
advancement for one soul might be regressive for another. ["The good
deeds of the righteous are the sins of the Near Ones." 'Abdu'l-Baha,
SAQ, p. 126] Since each of us advances in relation to a myriad
influences, opportunities, and obstacles, a true assessment of
spiritual achievement must perforce be veiled to all except an
infinitely knowledgeable being ["O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoever ye
have concealed within your hearts is to Us open and manifest as the
day; but that it is hidden is of Our grace and favor, and not of your
deserving." PHW #60]." (Hatcher, PPR, p.55) Now I can really
appreciate why "'The ways unto God are as the number of the breaths of
[His] creatures' is a mysterious truth, and 'To every [people] We have
appointed a [separate] rite' is one of the subtleties of the Qur'an."
('Abdu'l-Baha, Travelers' Narratives, p. 91). This leads me to my
favorite quote (which I have previously shared, but I like to repeat it
as often as I can): "The primary task of the soul will always be to
investigate reality, to live in accordance with the truths of which it
becomes persuaded and to accord full respect to the efforts of others
to do the same." UHJ, "Message to World's Religious Leaders", p. 5)
Again, 'nuff said! Hatcher adds a few more qualities to the process
(see Savi above), that it's: characterized by constant motion and born
of free will/choice. "...the human soul in motion has achieved it's
fundamental objective. It's long term goal is to sustain that
progress." (PPR, p. 56) and "[after explaining the value of children
being "trained" to be good] ...the important progress of the young soul
is taking place when that motion toward human perfection becomes freely
chosen, self-sustained, autonomous. ...human justice or salvation must
ultimately derive from each individual's conscious striving." (PPR, p.
57) Oh... and, it's difficult, "Very often pain is the feeling of
inadequacy a human being experiences when confronted by a situation
that he has not yet learned how to meet spiritually." (Savi, p.4)
"First, spiritual growth, especially after basic habits are formed, is
gradual, painstaking, difficult... Second, habit and discipline,
instead of being restrictive or limiting, are, when applied positively
to the early formation of attributes, agents of liberation and
advancement ["rather We have unsealed the choice wine"]." (Hatcher,
PPR, p. 85)
A closing thought, with implications for teaching and for this subject
(OCF/religion): "If a child has not been trained to persist in spite
of anxiety and discomfort, if he or she has not experienced analogous
situations where efforts have proved rewarding, the abstract assurance
of spiritual rewards will probably not prove sufficient impetus to
ensure success. Indeed, nothing is more frustrating or cruel than to
admonish a child to be good without helping him or her to comprehend
what goodness means and how it is acquired.
"Being thus aware of the initial discomfort of human growth is
particularly important when a child begins to weigh the value of moral
principles against the enticements of sensuality. If the child pursues
only that which "feels good," he or she is doomed. The same principle
holds true in the investigation of religion itself. If we search for a
set of beliefs that does not challenge us, if our sole criterion for a
religion is that it feel comfortable, we may be in danger of assuming
that our current state of development is the standard by which to judge
beliefs. Obviously the reverse should be the case -- we need to assess
our own progress by a standard which is independent of our own
condition, a standard based on spiritual truths that continually exhort
us to strive beyond our present state of accomplishment." (Hatcher,
PPR, p. 86)
All this, and I haven't even gotten to the heart of Unit 3 on modernism
and dogma -- oooh boy! do I have some thoughts!! : - )
Lee