ARTICLE

Towards the New Millennium

Introducing the Faith in the Context of the Millennium

If we go back two hundred years in almost any of the world's cultures, we find that society had at its core a religion. It was religion that was the cohesive force within the society and it was religion that provided the society with its morality and its vision. Reality itself was, for the people of each society, constructed on a religious basis. For people from the Christian West and the Islamic world, for example, the cosmos consisted of an earthly plane, above which was the sky and stars and beyond that was heaven, while below the earth was hell.

Religion was the source for the construction of reality and so everything in the conceptual world of the individuals in that society was seen through the lens of religion. It was not just that religion was the ideology of the society, but that no other way of looking at the world was conceivable. Thus all of the arts and literature of a society could do nothing other than to reflect this religious view of the cosmos because no other view was available.

This situation lasted until about two hundred years ago. Since then, beginning in the West but spreading to every part of the world, there has been a break-down in this traditional construction of reality. Beginning at first in the West, other ways of seeing reality arose. Scientific discoveries, at first in the realm of astronomy and later in the areas of biology and physics, arose to challenge the religious conceptualization of reality. Starting with Copernicus and Galileo, astronomical findings disproved the traditional religious cosmology. Then, in the nineteenth century, the evolutionary ideas of Darwin questioned traditional religious views of human development and the place of humanity in the cosmos. Religions have traditionally considered that they have access to a source of absolute truth. During this century, advances in physics have challenged the whole concept that there is any access for human beings to absolute truth; all the truth to which human beings have access is relative truth. As these scientific discoveries progressed, so they brought into being new ways of looking at the cosmos. Whereas religion had previously been the only way of looking at the cosmos, now it was also possible to look at the cosmos from a scientific and materialistic viewpoint.

As these new ways of looking at the cosmos became more successful and became the basis for enormous strides in scientific and technological progress, so the traditional religious viewpoint became discredited at the intellectual level and religion began to be discounted at the social level. It ceased to be relevant to society. This situation gradually spread, especially during this century, from the West to other parts of the world. While religion continues at the personal level to be a source for individual inspiration for many, it has gradually ceased to be of importance as a source from which a society can create social policy and build its social vision. Politicians and social administrators no longer think in terms of religious principles when they are formulating policy or trying to create answers to the social problems with which they are faced.

Human society, however, needs something at its centre to act as a focal point and source of social vision. There needs to be some vision upon which all the citizens of that society are agreed and which thus forms the basis for social cohesion. We can call this central focus of a society its ideology. Previously religion was the ideology of each society. During the course of the twentieth century, religion has gradually been pushed aside from this central role, as we have described above. This has led to a vacuum at heart the of society which a number of man-made ideologies have attempted to fill. Most notably, these ideologies have included nationalism, racism and communism. Each of these has held itself up to be a suitable replacement for religion at the heart of society, creating a vision around which the people can unite and a basis for political and social policy. Because of the way in which these ideologies have replaced religion at the heart of society, some have called them pseudo-religions. In many countries where these ideologies have been rigorously applied, they have indeed tried to take the place of religion even to the point of trying to make the arts and literature subservient to the ideology.

From the West, these ideologies spread to other parts of the world during the twentieth century and many have been attracted to them. In country after country as the people have moved from being a traditional society towards entering the modern world, the same process has occurred. Religion has been displaced at the heart of society and one or other of these ideologies has been adopted. Thus for example, many countries naturally adopted a nationalistic ideology after they won their independence from colonial rule. In many, after decades of nationalism produced no improvement in the situation of the ordinary people of the country, they have also tried socialism or communism for a time. During the twentieth century, as well as the rise of these ideologies, however, we have also witnessed their fall. During this century, these ideologies have been seen to have become the source of great human misery. In the West, for example, nationalism was the source of the first World War that laid waste the continent of Europe and caused the Western European powers to fall from their pre-eminent place among the nations of the world. The second World War was caused by the racist ideology of Nazi Germany and caused an even more wide-spread destruction in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. And, more recently, in the last decade, we have witnessed the fall of communism, leaving behind a devastated landscape of ruined economies and polluted environments in Europe and Asia. In many other parts of the world, also, people are wondering when these ideologies are going to produce the improvements in the social condition of ordinary people that they promised. Thus, these man-made ideologies that looked so promising and held such sway earlier in the century have become discredited.

And so at the end of the twentieth century, as we approach the Millennium, we are in a very interesting situation where we have a vacuum at the heart of many societies. Religion has been discarded decades ago and the ideologies that took its place have become discredited. But without an ideology to act as a centre and a cohesive force, society is in danger of falling apart. And so people are desperately looking about for something to fill this vacuum and act as the source of unity.

As we face the new Millennium, there appear to be three candidates that present themselves as alternative ways forward from the present situation: religious fundamentalism, freemarket capitalism, and the adoption of a new ideology.

Some have advocated that, with the failure of the modern man-made ideologies, the answer is to return to the past situation in which traditional religion was the central ideology of society. Most of the failings of modern society (corruption, lack of sexual morality, crime, drugs, etc.) would, they assert, be solved if religious standards are more rigorously applied. This call for a return to religious fundamentals is very appealing to many, particularly in those societies which had religion as their social core until recently and so many of the older members of the population can still look back with nostalgia at the certainties and securities of traditional society. Unfortunately for those who advocate this route, there are a number of problems with this pathway. First, it is not possible to turn the clock back and re-create the situation of two hundred years ago when religion was not only the ideology of a society but no other ideology was even conceivable. Then, the religious construction of reality was reality for all of the people. Once people have seen that there are alternative realities and when they are using those alternative realities for the technological improvements that they rely on for their daily life, it is impossible to re-create the situation where there are no alternative realities. Second, this programme fails to address the reason that religion was rejected in the first place: the fact that it was no longer seen to be relevant to the problems of the time nor in keeping with the world-view presented by the modern world. Third, those societies that have tried a return to a fundamentalist religious agenda, in Iran for example, have not witnessed any great improvement either in the economic fortunes of the ordinary people or even in the level of corruption in society.

The economic theory which now predominates since the fall of communism is free-market capitalism. Many countries have adopted it for their economic basis. As a theory, however, it is not really capable of forming an alternate social ideology since it is based on an individualistic philosophy that is the very antithesis of all concepts of society. The individualism that underlies free-market capitalism dictates that social restrictions should be removed in order to allow the free operation of market forces. This philosophy relies on the greed and ambition of the individual as its motivating power. Some of its most ardent advocates have even asserted that there is no such thing as society and there are only individuals in competition with each other. Naturally it is impossible to build any form of social cohesion on the basis of such a philosophy. Indeed those societies in which this type of philosophy has been most actively applied have witnessed a loss of social cohesion and a resultant rise in social disaffection and alienation as witnessed by increasing vandalism, drug addiction, and gang warfare. Human beings are social animals and need a sense of belonging to a social group. If their society adopts an ideology that is destructive of this sense of social cohesion, then those who are at the fringes of the society demonstrate their disaffection by vandalism and crime and create their own social groupings such as gangs.

The third of the three options open to people is to adopt a new way of thinking that can provide an ideology for modern society. The requirements for such an ideology would include: a need to think in global terms; a need to transcend the differences in culture, nationality, religion and social class that presently act as a divisive force in the world; and the ability to give people a vision of a future direction that is both cohesive and progressive. To fulfil such requirements, some people have advocated a renewal or reform of the traditional religion of their culture. They have proposed a re-interpretation of their religion in ways that are relevant to the modern world. They focus for example on the role of religion in ameliorating the condition of the poor and on open-mindedness and tolerance towards other religions. Unfortunately many of these reformers disagree with each other on the exact path that they should take in this process of reform. Bahá'ís of course believe that the requirements for an ideology for the modern world are fulfilled in the Bahá'í Faith. First, it is a religion and so it is capable of inspiring the individual and providing the individual with the spiritual fulfilment that religion has always provided. Second, it has as its central social principle the need for the peoples of the world to come together, to put aside their differences and to unite in order to overcome the problems that the world faces. Writing over one hundred years ago, Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that the problems that humanity faced could only be tackled at a global level. And so he called upon the governments of the world to come together to agree to maintain the peace of the world and to co-operate over the solution to the problems that humanity faces. Since the time of Bahá'u'lláh, problems such as wars, social conflicts, world poverty, and environmental pollution have multiplied and become more intractable. It is difficult to see how the problems that face the world today can be solved except along the lines that Bahá'u'lláh has advocated. Thus the Bahá'í Faith presents itself as a religion and an ideology that can both act as a religion for the individual and a progressive ideology for society. By acting as an ideology for society, it provides a focal point of unity and social cohesion. Beyond this, it addresses the problems that the world as a whole faces and proposes solutions to these problems at the global level.

As we approach the Millennium, our thoughts are naturally turned towards the future and we contemplate in what direction we would like to see humanity going. Bahá'ís advocate that this direction should be that of increasing unity, peace, and the spiritualisation of our society and our world. Towards this goal the Bahá'í teachings contain a practical programme which millions of Bahá'ís around the world are pursuing at the present time. It is the hope of the present writer that others will join the Bahá'ís in the pursuit of these goals.

Moojan Momen

Friends are encouraged to draw on this article for ideas and points in letters to editors of local press, publicity flyers, etc.

Bahá'u'lláh as a Gardener

For Bahá'ís, the garden holds a special significance. Bahá'u'lláh declared His mission in a garden, He called His religion a New Garden, (1) and all His life He loved gardens. In every place Bahá'u'lláh lived during exiles, He had a garden. And who else but a Gardener could have written "release yourselves ... from the thorns and brambles of wretchedness and misery". (2)

As a young man we hear Bahá'u'lláh described as a lover of nature. (3) His daughter remembered how, as a very little girl she used to love to play with her brother 'Abbás Effendi in the beautiful gardens of their country house, where grew many kinds of wonderful fruit and flowering trees. (4) 'Abdu'l-Bahá remembered -

"Outside Teheran we had a great park planted by the father of the Blessed Perfection, Bahá'u'lláh. As you entered the eastern gate, the western gate was visible, and similarly from the northern gate you could see the southern gate. In the centre of the garden a great throne was built, and four straight avenues branched off towards the gates, so that you could see all four gates as you sat on the throne. On both sides of these avenues poplar trees were planted to the number of ten thousand. These trees arose erect and majestic. Under the trees thousands of rose bushes were planted, the fragrance of which filled the air. Often we used to sleep at night on this throne. The moon, clear, full, silvery, shone upon us, the galaxies of stars shedding their rays, now faintly and again a lustrous twinkle over the calm and mystic scene of the garden. Long before sunrise I would open my eyes, admiring with wonder this infinite universe of God. Then all at once the nightingale in sweet melodies would break into a concert of divine music, the gentle murmur of the rills flowing in from all sides reaching to the ears and the zephyrs would pass through the leaves making the noise of a soft sweeping hand-clap and applause.

"In the early morning the Blessed Beauty would arise and prepare tea for all of us, and while the sun was dawning from the eastern horizon we would gather around Him drinking tea and enjoying the heavenly scene around us." (5)

When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled from the highlands of Iran to the steamy lowlands of Baghdad, He created a garden there - a beautiful place beside the river for meditation and inviting friends. Mirza Asdu'llah Kashani told Lady Blomfield how Bahá'u'lláh bought land for a small garden on the river bank, about an hour's walk from the city. His brother Musa employed workers to cultivate and plant it. A little shelter was made there, covered with branches of flowering trees; and when sprinkled with water it was cool and fragrant.

Bahá'u'lláh went often to this garden, where he would be joined in the evening by the friends, who came one by one, to avoid attracting the attention of their unscrupulous and bitter enemies. In this garden there were many blessed meetings in His Presence.

One day when Bahá'u'lláh was walking in the garden He was heard to say - "No leaf, no flower, no fruit, no bark. All wonder why the gardener cultivates me this tree". This was a verse of one of His poems. (6)

The governor of Baghdad, Najeeb Pasha must have known about Bahá'u'lláh's love of gardens, when he offered Him his garden to camp in while his household was being packed up for the journey to Istanbul. This garden, known to Bahá'u'lláh as the Garden of Ridván, was walled with four gates facing north, south, east and west. Four roads led from these gates to the centre. At the intersection of these roads Bahá'u'lláh pitched His tent and proclaimed Himself. The roads were lined on either side with cypress trees and between these trees, all spaces were filled with the famous fragrant roses. (7)

Every day before dawn the gardeners would pick the roses from the bushes that lined the four avenues of the garden and pile them in the centre of Bahá'u'lláh's tent. The heap was so tall that the companions who gathered to have morning tea ... would be unable to see each other across the flowers. Every day from morning to evening a ceaseless stream of visitors would arrive. Bahá'u'lláh would take roses from the heap and send them to his Arab and Persian friends in the city. At night, the garden thrilled to the sweet singing of nightingales. Some nights Bahá'u'lláh would come out of his tent and pace up and down the moonlit, flower-bordered avenues of the garden. The sound of the birdsong was so loud that it was difficult to hear His voice distinctly. (8)

From the Garden of Ridván, Bahá'u'lláh's party set off for Istanbul (Constantinople). It was September by the time they arrived. 'Abdu'l-Bahá remembered the single rosebush in the garden of the house where they stayed. The believers had never seen roses at this season and were so overjoyed that they gathered round the rosebush until late at night. (9)

After only four months Bahá'u'lláh and His family were moved on to Edirne (Adrianople). Here they stayed nearly five years but never more than one year in any one house. Bahá'u'lláh, however, had a garden. Martha Root met an old man who recalled that Bahá'u'lláh's garden was like a vineyard on a hill overlooking the beautiful mosques of Adrianople. There was an arbour in the centre. Bahá'u'lláh went there very often, sometimes alone to spend the day, sometimes with friends and they walked up and down. Bahá'u'lláh grew delicious grapes in the garden and He gave generous presents of the grapes to His neighbours. (10)

Being deprived of a garden was one of the hardest things for Bahá'u'lláh to bear during his time in 'Akká. Even after release from the prison fortress, He suffered acutely from the close confinement in one room for nine long years. He loved gardens, flowers, stretches of country, riding, walking, picnics under the trees, and all open-air pleasures. (11) He often remarked - "The city is the world of bodies, the country is the world of spirits!" (12)

So 'Abdu'l-Bahá created another Garden of Ridván as a surprise for Bahá'u'lláh to see when He would be free. The small garden, close to Bahji (the name means 'delight'), was unique in setting and style, set on an almond-shaped islet around which the Belus river flows. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, with many other disciples, carried the foundation earth from neighbouring places to this spot. Pilgrims carried plants with them on long, dangerous journeys on foot from Persia. Through all the fatigue, they carried, as the greatest treasure, some plant for their Adored One's garden. (13) Often the only water, which the devoted pilgrims needed for themselves, was given to the plant.

Lady Blomfield recalls how Túbá Khánum, daughter of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, described the scene - "Oh the joy of the day when Bahá'u'lláh went to the beautiful Ridván, which had been prepared for Him with such loving care by the Master, the friends and the pilgrims! The Master's heart was gladdened indeed to see the enjoyment of His Beloved Father, resting under the big mulberry tree, by the side of the little river rippling by, the fountain of which they had contrived splashing and gurgling in sounds refreshing indeed after the long years of confinement in the pestilential air of the penal fortress of 'Akká. Only those who were present there could realise in any degree what it meant to be surrounded by such profusion of flowers, their colours and their scents, after the dull walls and unfragrant odours of the prison city." (14)

Many beautiful blossoming trees are today flourishing in the Ridván, also innumerable flowers, and sweet-smelling herbs; making a blaze of glorious colour and wonderful beauty. (14) Gardeners who worked at the beautiful country house where Bahá'u'lláh had formerly lived in Persia, remembered that He had a liking for a particular white rose. This species with its delightful scent is also thriving in the Ridván, alongside attar roses, white and scarlet geraniums, rosemary, bergamot, mint, thyme and lemon-scented verbena. The air is luxuriant with a wealth of fragrance. (15)

Bahá'u'lláh sometimes retired to this garden and taught a chosen few. (16) For His grandchildren the greatest of their joys was to go there with Him for occasional picnics. An early pilgrim left the following description -

"At one end stands a small two-story wooden house in which Bahá'u'lláh rested. It overlooks a grove of pomegranates around a central place where a fountain, two great mulberry trees and a semi-circle of low carved wooden benches form an intimate area. Beyond this lies a long stretch of lawn, punctuated by giant Arocaria trees and bordered with paths and beds of roses, pansies and freesia. As one roams in the fragrant calm, one is grateful for the human love and labour that have created this oasis of beauty and memory, musical with the sound of flooding waters and wind-swept trees. To Bahá'ís, the Ridván is another point of pilgrimage, and in a sense, the first earthly point of liberation for the message of Bahá'u'lláh, who emerging from the grim fortress of 'Akká, lived on parole at Bahjí, but in the Ridván was freed from worldly settings and restrictions and encircled only by the verdant immortality of nature, and the inspiration of his own thoughts". (17)

Pilgrims coming from Persia knew that they could please Bahá'u'lláh by bringing Him flowers for His garden. One group of travellers set out on foot from the small devastated village of Seysan in north-west Iran. Two donkeys carried their luggage. Through the danger, suffering and exertion of their long journey they carried an earthen pot containing a narcissus in flower as a present for Bahá'u'lláh. They reached the gate of the Mansion of Bahjí, with swollen, blistered feet. At last they prostrated at the feet of the Blessed Perfection, depositing their humble floral offering as they knelt. With what showers of blessings and favours were they rewarded! Their gift was accepted. The flowers meant more in His sight than untold gold or costly presents that kings might offer, for it was the expression of love and sacrifice. (18)

When the time for their departure came, Bahá'u'lláh, asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá to fill a sack with potatoes for them to take back to their village, telling them to plant potatoes as a reserve crop for times of famine. This was both a gift and a symbolic gesture since the potato produces white flowers, like the sweet-scented narcissus which the pilgrims had brought. Today the region of Seysan is a major potato production area. Potato starch is produced and used to make glucose syrup. (19)

Bahá'u'lláh announced the appearance of "a New Garden". 'Abdu'l-Bahá described our reactions to this garden -

"At the gate of the garden some stand and look within, but do not care to enter. Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate far. Still others encircle the garden inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, and having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate. But there are always some who enter and, becoming intoxicated with the splendour of what they behold, remain for life to tend the garden." (20)

Bahá'u'lláh used gardens as places to meditate in, as sources of poetic imagery, as places to teach, as surroundings for friendship and hospitality, as sources of gifts. 'Abdu'l-Bahá learnt these things from his father, and did the same. Maybe we should do likewise.

Sally Liya

Illustration by Maureen Melville

1. See Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words (Persian, no18)
2. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, 151, pp319-203.
3. See Nabil, The Dawn Breakers
4. See Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p40
5. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West Vol 9, (16), 184 (1918)
6. Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p120-121
7. See Elizabeth Stewart, Star of the West Vol 7, p36
8. See Nabil, Quoted by Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p153
9. See 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West Vol 9 (16), 184 (1918)
10. See Bahá'í World Vol 5, 581
11. See Tuba Khanum in Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p40
12. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West Vol 8 (13), 175
13. See Irwin Beatrice, The Bahá'í World Vol 3, 349-353
14. See Tuba Khanum in Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p97-98
15. See Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p96
16. See Irwin Beatrice, The Bahá'í World Vol 13, 349-353
17. See Irwin Beatrice, The Bahá'í World Vol 13, 349-353
18. See Mrs J S Stannard, Star of the West, Vol 10 (16), p291
19. I Poostchi, (1992) Agriculture Beyond 2000, p133
20. See Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p178