Sai Sandesh (May 1998)

Sai Sandesh (May 1998)

During the study circle on April 19, 1998, the Centre was fortunate to have an exposition of the Baha'i faith from Enayat Rawhani and five other members of his team.   What we found  the most inspiring was the striking similarity of Baha'i faith to Swami's teachings.  They both emphasize the oneness of all mankind (irrespective of gender, colour, caste or nationality), importance of service, significance of human values before the academic education, and our ultimate goal to reach the higher soul (Param Atma).  Music is the ladder to reach the higher soul.
Baha'i faith was founded by Baha' Ullah in Persia (Iran) about 146 years ago. There are about 6,000,000 Baha'i members who are spread throughout the world, with a major concentration in India.  Canada has more than 400 Baha'i communities.
Baha' Ullah  was born in  a noble family in Persia.  His father was a Minister in a King's Court.   After his father's death, the King offered him a ministerial position, which Baha' Ullah declined.  The King was quite astonished.  Baha' Ullah was not interested in politics. He was known as the father of the people and his wife as the mother of consolation.  His fame evoked jealousy and his revolutionary teachings (especially that men and women are equal) became a threat to the King's administration. The King tried to arouse opposing sentiments and killed about 25,000 of his followers in a brutal manner.  Baha' Ullah met the same fate as other great teachers.  He was put in prison for forty years, and subsequently exiled to other countries.
The central article of faith for the Baha'i sect is that God is absolutely unknowable but does reveal himself through appointed messengers like Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, and, most recently, Baha' Ullah.  According to the faith, one's purpose in life is to worship God and to advance civilization. The final goal is the unification of all people in one religion that will promote harmony, knowledge, justice, progress, and peace. The practice of religion is intended to promote family unity, equal rights and opportunities for all persons, compulsory education, and the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty.
Here are some of the important teachings of Baha' Ullah that were explained by Enayat Rawhani in a most loving manner.

• Parents should view themselves as the chosen trustees of their children, and not their owners. They should make themselves worthy of the trust that God has placed in them and raise the children in the best possible way.   The mother is the first educator since she gives birth to the child and feeds the child.  The father is the second educator and is responsible to provide the means for children. The Baha'i  assembly would provide the necessary assistance where the father is unable to provide the necessary means.
  
• Divine education should come before the academic education.  However, significant emphasis is given to the academic education as well.   It is preferable to have a child who is well-behaved, and well-versed in morals and spiritual teachings than a child who becomes supreme scientist without any manners.  The mother has the foremost responsibility in the education of the future generation.
  
• The human birth is a gift from God.   Once this body has done its job, it drops away and the soul continues. Every moral and spiritual activity that we undertake prepares us  for this detachment of the body from the soul. That soul is sanctified and blessed which is detached from the material things of the world and is attached to the higher soul.  Each soul would continue its path until it reaches perfection and at that time presented before God.
  
• Blessed are those who are in the service of humanity and who are ambassadors for peace.
  

~ Dev Taneja