The Baha'i Studies Listserv
Here's a short tablet by 'Abdu'l-Baha copied from:
http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=abdulbaha_lawh_tanazu_baqa
Warm regards,
Larry
***********************************
Tablet on the Struggle for Survival
by Abdu'l-Bahá
Translated by Keven Brown.
Edited by Mehdi Wolf.
Published in Khitabát pages 711-3
Hofheim, Germany: Baha'i Verlag, 1984
Originally written as "Lawh-i-Tanázu'-i Baqá".
O honored society [for the advancement] of humanity! [1] [2] [3] [4]
All mankind should be grateful on account of your noble purpose and lofty
intentions. All should be thankful and well-pleased that you are selflessly
engaged in such a high endeavor, which is the cause of universal peace amongst
mankind, inasmuch as the peace and tranquility of the entire creation depends
upon improving the character of man; and the greatest means for training man to
possess praiseworthy characteristics is noble aspirations and the expansion of
the mind. Humanity must be invited to partake of this mighty gift. Observe that
the primary principle adhered to by every individual of the human species is to
attract benefit to himself and to avoid injury. His aim is to secure his own
tranquility and happiness. This is his sole desire in life, and he strives to
distinguish himself from all others through the ease, wealth, and fame he has
obtained. This is the goal of every individual of the human species. But, in
truth, this is a base, dangerous, and inferior notion. If man advances a little
in his thinking and his aspirations become nobler, he will realize that he
should strive to benefit his whole family and to protect it from harm, for he
perceives that by bringing comfort and affluence to the whole family, his own
felicity and prosperity will increase. Should his thinking expand even more and
his aspirations grow in depth, he will realize that he should endeavor to bring
blessings to the children of his country and nation and to guard them from
injury. Although this aspiration and thought are for his own sake and that of
his family, all the children of the nation will benefit therefrom. But this
aspiration will become the cause of injury to other nations, for he then exerts
the utmost effort to bring all the advantages of the human world to his own
nation and the blessings of the earth to his own family, singling them out for
the universal felicity of humankind. He imagines that the more other nations
and neighboring countries decline, the more his own country and nation will
advance, until by this means it surpasses and dominates the other nations in
power, wealth, and influence.
However, a divine human being and a heavenly individual is sanctified
from these limitations, and the expansion of his mind and the loftiness of his
aspirations are in the utmost degree of perfection. The compass of his thinking
is so vast that he recognizes in the gain of all mankind the basis of the
prosperity of every individual member of his species. He considers the injury
of any nation or state to be the same as injury to his own nation and state,
indeed, the same as injury to his own family and to his own self. Therefore, he
strives with heart and soul as much as possible to bring prosperity and
blessings to the entire human race and to protect all nations from harm. He
endeavors to promote the exaltation, illumination, and felicity of all peoples,
and makes no distinctions among them, for he regards humanity as a single
family and considers all nations to be the members of that family. Indeed, he
sees the entire human social body as one individual and perceives each one of
the nations to be one of the organs of that body. Man must raise his aspiration
to this degree so that he may serve the cause of establishing universal virtues
and become the cause of the glory of humankind.
At present the state of the world is the opposite of this. All the
nations are thinking of how to advance their own interests while working
against the best interests of other nations. They desire their own personal
advantage while seeking to undermine affairs in other countries. They call this
the "struggle for survival" (tanázu'-i baqá), and assert that it is innate to
human nature. But this is a grievous error; nay, there is no error greater than
this. Gracious God! Even in the animal kingdom cooperation and mutual
assistance for survival are observed among some species, especially in the case
of danger to the whole group. One day I was beside a small stream and noticed
some young grasshoppers which had not yet developed wings seeking to cross to
the other side in order to obtain food. To accomplish their goal, these
wingless grasshoppers rushed forward into the water and vied with each other to
form a bridge across the stream while the remaining grasshoppers crossed over
on top of them. The grasshoppers were able to pass from one side of the stream
to the other, but those insects which had formed the bridge in the water
perished. Reflect how this incident illustrates co-operation for survival, not
struggle for survival. Insofar as animals display such noble sentiments, how
much more should man, who is the noblest of creatures; and how much more
fitting it is in particular that, in view of the divine teachings and heavenly
ordinances, man should be obliged to attain this excellence.
In the estimation of God, distinctions of race, divisions of borders,
favoring one people over another, and all individual limitations are unworthy
and rejected. All the prophets of God were sent down and all the sacred books
were revealed for the purpose of assisting man to achieve this heavenly grace
and this divine virtue. All the divine teachings can be summarized as this:
that these thoughts singling out advantages to one group may be banished from
our midst, that human character may be improved, that equality and fellowship
may be established amongst all mankind, until every individual is ready to
sacrifice himself for the sake of his fellowman. This is the divine foundation.
This is the law come down from heaven. Such a firm foundation cannot be
impregnated into human consciousness save by one universal and all-pervasive
power, for every other power is helpless except for the power of the Holy
Spirit. The outpourings of the Holy Spirit are such that they can transform
man, imbuing him with all the virtues, bestowing upon him the second birth,
baptizing him with the fire of the love of God, which is love for all created
things, and quickening him with the water of eternal life, and the Holy Spirit
itself.
The philosophers of old had the strongest resolve to improve human morals
and strove to the utmost in this regard, but at most they succeeded in refining
their own characters, not the virtues of all mankind. Refer to history and you
will find that this is clear and evident. But the power of the Holy Spirit
brings forth the universal virtues with which man is potentially endowed,
illuminates the human world, bestows true exaltation, and trains all people.
Thus, the well-wishers of the world must endeavor to attract by this attractive
power the confirmations of the Holy Spirit. My hope is that the members of this
honored society dedicated to the welfare of humanity, like a mirror, may
acquire illumination from the Sun of Reality, and become the cause of training
mankind to acquire virtues. I pray that my utmost esteem be acceptable to that
eminent organization.
Notes
[1] The text of this Tablet, the Lawh-i-Tanázu'-i Baqá of 'Abdu'l-Bahá', was
forwarded to the Tarjuman E-mail listserve (tarjuman@ eGroups.com) by Iskandar
Hai ([email protected]) on Friday, Aug 11, 2000. The Tablet was
originally posted on the Bahá'í Studies E-mail listerve
([email protected]) on Thursday, 10 Aug 2000 by the translator, Keven
Brown ([email protected]). The text was captured and formatted by Mehdi Wolf,
October 30 2000.
[2] Editor's note: The title Lawh-i-Tanázu'-i Baqá is a provisional one given
by the editor, and taken from the subject matter. However, in an E-mail message
to the editor, dated Mon, Oct 30, 2000, the translator writes: "I agree with
your naming the other Tablet by 'Abdu'l-Bahá' the Lawh-i-Tanázu'-i Baqá, since
this seems to be its main topic. I don't know of any other title for it."
[3] Translator's Note: "Khitabat was originally published in 3 volumes in
Tíhrán, but was reprinted in one volume by Bahá'í-Verlag in 1984. The volume
contains a number of Tablets at the end of part 3 in addition to talks. The
talks are ones given during 'Abdu'l-Bahá's journeys to the West and include
many of the talks currently printed in Paris Talks and Promulgation of
Universal Peace." From aforementioned E-mail message to the editor, dated
Monday, October 30, 2000.
[4] In the same E-mail, the translator writes:
"There was no date or circumstances given in Khitabat (Talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá')
on this Tablet, nor whom the honored society might be. I suspect it might be
the Hague, though there were other organizations that might fit."
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