If you did not have a chance to read part one and two of
Knowledge of God the links are: http://3-d-project.blogspot.ca/2013/02/theme-knowledge-of-god-part-i.html
And
Deeper Learning
The third source of God’s
knowledge is the Holy Spirit. To
understand the link between God and the Holy Spirit is of vital importance. As
mentioned before, God is separate from His creation and there is no direct connection
between the absolute and contingent world except through the intervention of
the Holy Spirit. Also called the Great Spirit, it is the breath of God. Symbolically,
God is like the sun and the Holy Spirit is like the rays of the sun. We need
the sun to survive, but if we were to approach it we would be consumed in its
heat. Likewise, if the sun came down to us the earth would be burned. The rays
of the sun carry the light and the heat of the sun. God’s power is channeled
through the Holy Spirit.
The Manifestations obey the
promptings of the same Spirit. For Moses this Spirit was in the form of a
burning bush, for Jesus a dove, for Mohammad Gabriel and for Baha’u’llah the Maid
of Heaven. Manifestations are not schooled like the rest of us: they possess an
innate knowledge. The Holy Spirit instructs them, to the extent that every
moment of their lives, whatever they say or do is a consequence of their
obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Humans also feel the power of the
Holy Spirit. Abdu'l-Baha explains:
Today the light
of Truth is shining upon the world in its abundance; the breezes of the
heavenly garden are blowing throughout all regions; the call of the Kingdom is
heard in all lands, and the breath of the Holy Spirit is felt in all hearts
that are faithful. (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 19)
To receive the divine bounties
available to the faithful ones, they must be continually receptive to them. The
good news is that the outpouring of blessing is continuous and abundant. All we
have to do is turn our antenna in the right direction.
According to Abdu'l-Baha, the Holy Spirit
transforms our living conditions, regardless of our beliefs. It removes strife
and wars so that humans may unite. All the wonders of this age, manifested in
new sciences and art, in an emerging a global consciousness, a new awakening in
human rights, and the pursuit of justice, are all inspirations of the Holy
Spirit. No human development can happen without this force. Abdu'l-Baha assures
us that the future is so bright that the Most Great Peace will surely come,
powered by the mercy of God and channeled through the Holy Spirit.
To tie all these four types of
existence—Divinity, the Holy Spirit, the Manifestations of God and human
beings—into an array of cosmic connectivity, we turn to the Baha’i ring symbol.
The kingdom of God is at the top, below is the realm of the Manifestations and
the third existence is humanity. A line cutting across all these three
realities is the Holy Spirit.
The fourth way we learn about God is
through our surroundings. If we are lucky, we are greeted with loving, kind,
patient, and generous parents. If our star shines even brighter we come across loyal
friends, compassionate bosses, and live in a kinder and gentler society. The
environment is a laboratory to learn about these virtues.
Not everyone is lucky all the
time. Spiritual travel is filled with mishaps and confusion. Sometimes the path
looks extremely bleak. You don’t feel the presence of God in your life. But regardless
of your spiritual state, God is still watching you as He always does, according
Baha'u'llah’s words:
Consider,
moreover, how frequently doth man become forgetful of his own self, whilst God
remaineth, through His all-encompassing knowledge, aware of His creature, and
continueth to shed upon him the manifest radiance of His glory. It is evident,
therefore, that, in such circumstances, He is closer to him than his own self.
He will, indeed, so remain forever, for, whereas the one true God knoweth all
things, perceiveth all things, and comprehendeth all things, mortal man is
prone to err, and is ignorant of the mysteries that lie enfolded within him…
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 186)
If you feel remote from Him, who
has moved? It’s always you. In times of remoteness from the Divine Presence, it
is time to examine your spiritual account. To pick up the broken pieces, put them
back together and fly again is laudable. Again, keep in mind that we are always
under the watchful eyes of God. He only sees us through His kind, generous and
compassionate eyes, just as loving parents see their children.
When we do manage to show forth
the names and attributes of God, we have entered the phase of re-creating ourselves
into beautiful souls. When we struggle to reflect the attributes of God, when
it is hard for us to love or to forgive, we gain insight into God’s name the
All-Loving or the Ever-Forgiving. This is a type of knowledge of God. To realize
this divine process in this day is to also fulfill an ancient prophecy. During
the last few decades many have predicted the end of the world on specific days,
when the dead would literally rise from their graves and enter heaven in rapture.
Raptures that were supposed to take place in 2000 and 2011 did not come to
pass. According to Baha’u’llah awakening
is not a one-day event rather the dead are quickened by the Holy Spirit daily
and will continue to do so for centuries to come. He explains:
For he who had
believed in God and in the Manifestation of His beauty was raised from the
grave of heedlessness, gathered together in the sacred ground of the heart,
quickened to the life of faith and certitude, and admitted into the paradise of
the divine presence. What paradise can be loftier than this? (Baha'u'llah, Gems
of Divine Mysteries, p. 42)
Now let’s go back to the short Baha’i
obligatory prayer. The second part is to know God, and we know God through His
Manifestations. The third part of this prayer is to “worship Thee.” Enshrined
in this act of adoration is knowledge and love of God. In our next blog post,
we will explore love.
.
Reflection
Some of us have problem with worshiping God. Do you have any
issue? Actually, the scope of divine adoration has been widely expanded. One
does in the have to be in church, temple or synagogue to worship. It can happen
in every moment of your life while leading a productive life of learning,
working and raising a family.
Deeds (path of service)
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)
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