We had a lively discussion on the Bahá’í faith at our Sunday class that I think warrants some further clarification and comment. I am grateful that one of the students provided a link to the internet and thus enabled me to learn more about this not so well known major world religion. It also appears to me that both of the students expressing their opinions were correct, when you really investigate the facts, as is often the case. We only need to dig deeper in trying to understand each other that we realize the limitations of words and the importance of understanding context and meaning.
It is true that Bahá’í grew out of a branch of the Muslim faith, but it is also grew out of the influence of other religions like Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism that also existed in Iran (Persia) at the time. It is also true that it is a separate religion, and it is not a form of Islam. Religion in that part of the world is very complicated and too often the source of much suffering as people cling to their ideas and beliefs and want to destroy others for theirs. The photo of the shrine of the early founders of the religion shown above is considered the holiest of their holy places in the world today.
We can learn much from that. Buddhism doesn’t have the history of major wars, but we still have the problems of sectarianism. At one time the Gelukpa sect in Tibet tried to eliminate the Jonang sect. The current Dalai Lama, a member of the Gelukpas, has admitted their error and that it was for political, not theological, reasons that the Jonang sect was banned and, as I understand it, their monks forced to convert or be killed and their books burned. Their justification that was based on different teachings on emptiness is worthy of study and again, as I understand it, our Buddha Master has said they both are correct, only they present the truth in different ways. Sort of like, “Is the glass half empty or half full?” Even in our own group we have had to be careful of this tendency to think “my guru is better than your guru.” Our Buddha Master has warned us against that and partly, I think, because we still have our leader living with us, the forming of cliques and separate sects has been kept under control, but it still arises from time to time and the Buddha Master chastises us for such behavior. We must not succumb to such errors. It may be that one guru is better for a given student and another is better for another student, but that does not negate the value of either.
My reaction to this discussion was to share my personal experience with people whom I have known who followed the Bahá’í faith. My late sister-in-law was from Mexico City and several of her relatives were very devout Bahá’í followers. They and the other followers whom I met (and it is a quite small sample) were wonderful human beings. I have not had the same experience with any other group of followers of any other religion. We can learn from that, too. We are known by our actions. It is how we treat each other and our actions in this world that will make others want to follow the Buddha. I cannot vouch for the article listed below, but the BBC is usually pretty thorough in its research. I believe that the article contains a typo about the Bahá’í faith being second only to Christianity in followers worldwide as that article claims. Other articles that appear to be based on the same statistics states that Baha’i is second only to Christianity in its geographic distribution of its followers. In rereading the article, I guess that is what it says. I simply read it too fast. The second article listed below provides current statistics on the numbers of adherents to different world religions for your information.
I always remember the Buddha Master’s words when He told me to remember that not all Bodhisattvas are Buddhist. I do believe that other religions have holy people who are saints and who do good by teaching us how to cultivate ourselves and that is good and we should respect that. I also believe that only the Buddha has the means to enable us to become holy beings ourselves who can stop the cycle of reincarnation through the other piece of the mystery and that is the dharma to realize the dharmakaya. We must follow the Buddha.
CLICK for article from BBC for more on the Bahá’í religion.
CLICK for article on the size of Major World Religions.
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