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THE RAINBOW OF LIGHT
January 4, 2009
I stand right where She planted me;
She made me I've a right to be.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
As innocent as love's first kiss,
I blossom forth expecting bliss.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
Nourished in the bounty She bestows,
I am amply supplied in Her meadows.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
Serene as a lake on a quiet day,
I accept my breath and then send it away.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
The consciousness is all around;
I hear it and join in the sound.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
I see with perfect clarity,
And radiate my own beauty.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
Where Spirit leads me I will go;
When Ocean answers I will flow.
Let the rainbow of light flow through me;
Let the rainbow of light flow through me.
The above was written to be sung to a gentle, repetitive melody like a mantra. Each of the seven verses focuses on a specific chakra, or nerve center, along the spine and head, each of which has a particular vibration which could be metaphorically compared to one of the seven colors that make up the rainbow, or even one of the seven tones that make up the diatonic scale. Mystical knowledge is different from factual knowledge in that there has never been any proof advanced for the qualities of the chakras, but there seems to be a general consensus among the spiritually enlightened that they do exist and do have specific qualities. I was once part of a Bible-believing group that never spoke of the chakras, and yet they seemed to sense that there were spiritual centers on the head, neck and along the spine. Recognizing seven of them is not necessarily universal. In some discussions there are eight or six. I suppose one could also divide the rainbow into more or fewer colors than the usual seven. The word, "chakra" has come to the English language from Sanskrit, the language of ancient India.
I stand right where She planted me;
She made me I've a right to be.
This verse is referring to the root chakra which is concerned with one's territory. A hit may come to make one feel uprooted or ungrounded. This affirmation asserts the reality of groundedness and belonging to the territory where one has arrived by the grace of God.
The earth is constantly changing. Civilizations come and civilizations go. They leave their traces for awhile, but no doubt there are even more ancient civilizations of which no trace remains, like sand castles built on the beach yesterday. About 12,000 years ago, glaciers in many places melted. There were earthquakes, volcano eruptions, rock slides, mud slides, avalanches, tsunamis and floods. Land bridges burst and valleys were filled with water. Vedic tradition tells of Manu who was warned of a great flood to come. (In the Bible he is called Noah.) He built a large ship and stored seeds and brought in animals and other people prior to the flood. After the flood, humankind had been reduced to a small remnant. Technology had been swept away. A highly advanced human culture was decimated and forced to start again from primitive beginnings. What few survivors there may have been scattered along the high areas of the planet who had been linked through the worldwide culture that preexisted the flood where separated from each other by the great destruction that took place. Gradually speech became localized, different dialects and then different languages evolved over time. Prolonged isolation in various climates over time produced pronounced racial characteristics. As time went on each region developed its own mythology based on the Vedic pantheon and it's own rituals and hymns based on the Vedic. (Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence by Stephen Knapp. This book debunks the theory, advanced by the British, that the Aryans settled in India in c.1500 BC and supports the claim that they had been there for millions of years.)
Modern archaeology has revealed that human beings have been on the earth for at least a million years, possibly even a hundred million. The enigmas of pyramids in Egypt and Central America, and other ancient relics of an advanced civilization that seem incongruous with technical development since the flood tend to confirm legends of flying machines and other trappings of a sophisticated culture prior to it. The fact that the Egyptian pyramids were used as burial chambers for Egyptian kings of more recent dynasties does not preclude their existence far into the past predating the flood. A rumor concerning the third secret of Fatima, which was given to a 10-year-old girl in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal, during a vision of the Virgin Mary, is that it predicts sudden floods along the coastal areas of the earth killing millions of people instantly. The secret was to be released in 1960, but was not. Later, a version was released, but was it the truth? The seer died in 2005 after having been ordered by the Vatican to silence. People are very uncomfortable with the idea that massive destruction has happened before and can happen again. But a right understanding is that this outer world is not really the real world, nor is this outer body the real body.
The root of our ancient past affirms the root of our present. The spiritual person need not discount science in order to advance spirituality, in fact scientific principles affirm spirituality. However dogma, entrenched in either the scientific camp or in religion, must be recognized and debunked. We are beings with two legs. Both the metaphorical leg of science and factual knowledge, as well as the one of mystical awareness and intuition, are needed for a firm stance and sure locomotion.
As innocent as love's first kiss,
I blossom forth expecting bliss.
This verse relates to the second chakra. Guilt and shame tend to hit at the second chakra, so this verse affirms the singer's innocence. The second chakra is about spontaneity, freedom and choice. Grooming is largely a function of the second chakra. Bondage, or a loss of liberty, is felt at the second chakra. The verse affirms blooming in liberty.
Krishna appeared in the Indus Valley of ancient Pakistan approximately 5000 years ago, sometime prior to the height of the Harappan civilization. We get the flavor of his character from the stories, sculptures and paintings of Krishna and his life. Charismatic and deeply spiritual, wrapped in colorful clothing, he plays the flute with one hip higher than the other as if shimmying to the rhythm of the music flowing through him. Krishna consciousness is an uninhibited joy.
The epic known as the Bhagavad-Gita, of Krishna's conversation with Arjuna during a lull before a battle, is set in around 3200 BC, but was actually written down much later, during the writing explosion of the 7th century BC when much of the Old Testament and other ancient works were penned. The teachings of Krishna had a long oral tradition that survived time and political change. One of the things taught by Krishna in the Gita is that knowing God is more important than scripture. The idea of two natures, one eternal and one temporal, is a concept that seems to turn up in various forms in all the great religions. Detachment from the temporary aspects of life is taught, along with steadfast concentration on the eternal, although invisible, aspects of this life. The divine self is a potential. There is always a choice. There is a seat in the heart that can be filled by Krishna himself, but we must invite him. The second chakra houses the will to make that choice in a rudimentary way, although a deeper commitment is affirmed in the higher spiritual centers.
The science of yoga was taught by Krishna. The diet recommended by most yogis is vegetarian whole foods. The health benefits of the vegetarian diet are two-fold. First, the body benefits by eating foods that do not putrefy and are rich in the healing properties of plants, and secondly, the karmic consequences of plundering the life of another being for food are replaced by the peace of living nonviolently. The law of Karma is one of the teachings of Yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions. Killing humans or animals, or causing suffering to another creature creates a debt that will be paid. This is a supernatural law that eliminates the need for personal revenge when wronged.
An attempt is made by some Hindu theologians to tie in the concept of Karma to the doctrine of Reincarnation. Krishna taught that after this life is over we will be born into another life. This is a figure of speech meaning that there will be another plane of existence after this one. The body, the dust, is recycled on earth over and over. The body, including the denser aspects of the mind, is reused. Spiritually, each new life is a fresh breath of the Spirit. Individual consciousness will remain in the next world, and this is explained in more detail during each successive religious dispensation.
Some people, although they are pious to a certain extent, keep their lower centers, particularly the second chakra which contains the sexual impulses, numbed up and inhibited. Some have allowed the Holy Spirit to penetrate their higher centers to a certain extent, but the blessing has not reached their lower centers. The Holy Spirit descends, but the Kundalini (a Sanskrit word for a more feminine type of divine energy) ascends. True enlightenment requires both.
Goddesses are worshipped in religious such as Hinduism and Wiccan. Wiccan is an ancient religion of European origin that acknowledges spiritual forces behind things and events, and venerates the feminine aspect of God and creation. Some Christians venerate Mary, the mother of Jesus. Hinduism allows the worshipper to choose an image of God most pleasing to him or her. Ramakrishna (1835-1886), his followers, and many other Hindus choose to venerate the goddess Kali. Those who worship the goddess seem to accept the self and creation as being basically noble and good. The religious view that describes an imperfect, base and ignoble creation, including one's self and one's body, pervades certain sects. There is a fear that acknowledging the goddess within and opening the lower chakras may result in a lack of mindfulness; however, this would only happen if the higher centers were numbed in some way. A common way of numbing the higher centers is to deaden them with drugs including alcohol. This is very foolish because all the spiritual centers should be open and functioning for true bliss.
Nourished in the bounty She bestows,
I am amply supplied in Her meadows.
This verse relates to the third chakra. Nourishment, both physical and spiritual, is the preoccupation of this part of the soul, along with detoxification when necessary.
Just as there are poisonous things to eat, there are poisonous people. Sometimes people poison you psychically (or even physically) by the things they do or say. We might want to hit back, but the poison metaphor reveals that two wrongs don't make a right. Someone I know is poisonous because she was poisoned. If I poison her back, I will poison myself too, because the poison has to come through me first. If I poison her more, she will become even more toxic. I need to find a way to detox and help her detox, not try to get her back for poisoning me.
In 536 BC, the Jews returned to Palestine from Babylon. The Persians had freed them from a generation of Babylonian captivity. From there the religions of Judaism and Zoroastrianism became intertwined by each taking on some of the teachings of the other.
Moses (15th century BC) is generally credited with having founded Judaism, although Abraham (20th century BC), and others also contributed. The main thrust of Judaism is it's one God theology. Zoroastrianism, although nominally mono-theistic, focused on the duality of good and evil.
Zoroastrianism arose in Persia (what is now Iran) and flourished in the time of Cyrus the Great. No one knows for sure when Zoroaster (or Zarathushtra) actually lived. He may have been more ancient than Abraham. Zoroaster taught about the judgment of God. The Old Persian used in the Gathas is a dialect of Sanskrit, and the Zoroastrian hymns, the Gathas, bear many resemblances to the more ancient of the Vedas (the ancient hymns of the Hindus) indicating that Zoroastrianism broke away from Hinduism a very long time ago.
The Hindu's have a huge pantheon of gods and goddesses. This came about by worshipping everyone and everything associated with divinity. Whenever there was a new prophet or divine teacher, his or her name would be added to the pantheon of gods and goddesses. Every divine gift such as fire, water and the sun was ascribed a personality and worshipped as a god. While Hinduism leans more toward Pantheism (the belief that God is in everything), Zoroaster taught the distinct difference between good and evil.
Zoroaster's teachings on health and agriculture inspired the development of the magnificent orchards and gardens of ancient Persia. Some of the concepts that began with Zoroastrianism were later borrowed by other religions, such as Judaism, and later Christianity. The Christian ideas of heaven and hell and the final resurrection were inherited from Zoroastrianism. At the present time, Zoroastrianism is a minority religion in Iran and parts of India.
The Hebrew language (the language of the Old Testament of Judaism) has links to Sanskrit and Sumerian which also has links to Sanskrit. The version of creation in Genesis can be found in greater detail in both the Vedas and the Sumerian legends. Vedic scholars believe that Sanskrit was the mother to all languages on earth, and that this was the common language in use in the global culture that predated the great flood. Mathematics and astronomy were highly developed. Eclipses of the sun and moon were accurately predicted and great buildings were built in India, Egypt and Central America. But as time went on Vedic civilization declined. Diverse languages developed. Wars and climate change scattered the inhabitants of the Indus Valley and isolated the various centers of civilization. (Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence by Stephen Knapp.)
Abraham appeared in Sumer (in what is now Iraq near what is now Baghdad) near to but before the time of the writing of the Code of Hammarabi, which is an early code of laws on which even the modern legal system is based (c.1764 BC). The Bible tells us that he had come from the east. Abraham traveled around Mesopotamia and Palestine, always in abeyance to the divine directive. The legends about his life were written about a thousand years later. He is revered as a man of faith by the followers of at least 3 religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). The Biblical book of Genesis narrates the history of Abraham's life and traces the genealogy of the Israelis through Abraham's son, Isaac. Arab Muslims trace their genealogy through Abraham's son, Ishmael. Abraham revealed one God to his descendents and followers. Abraham had placed a shrine to the One True God in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia, and the black rock he placed there is still a reminder to millions who go there for pilgrimage, of the absolute sovereignty of the God of Abraham.
Isaac's descendents migrated to Egypt and eventually became very oppressed there. They were there during the time of what is called the 'New Kingdom' by Egypt historians. The dates of the New Kingdom are from 1539 to 1075 BC. Egypt was a powerful nation, exerting both a cultural and military influence over the surrounding area. The religion was polytheistic with the pharaoh being venerated as a god. The date of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is set by historians approximately somewhere between 1504 and 1254 BC.
Moses led the Israelites to freedom after performing miracles to secure their release. They successfully crossed the Red Sea on foot, and escaped an army set out to bring them back. They wandered in the desert for 40 years while being taught the laws of and dependence on God. The history of this wandering, and of the laws revealed by Moses, were written down about 700 years later in the Biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They became a powerful nation and a fortress of righteousness. The Old Testament of the Bible tells of their wavering in and out of the will of God as a nation and of the prophecies and teachings to keep them in or bring them back to righteousness.
In Egypt and elsewhere, religion had become ritualistic and superstitious. Moses had an encounter with God in a burning bush. Moses brought stone tablets inscribed with the 10 commandments down from the mountain. Moses led a generation of Egyptian slaves for a 40-year meander in the desert while they were sustained by supernatural means. When those born in the wilderness had become mature and the older ones had died, this people, who had learned the Torah (law) from the Divine Manifestation while encamped in the wilderness, entered Canaan and became a powerful nation.
Moses taught the law of God. For every action there is a consequence. We are in constant contact with the forces of life in the visible and invisible universe. If we contact these powers consciously we will enjoy perfect health, happiness and harmony in body, mind and spirit.
The method of contacting these forces was engraved on the first two stone tablets Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai but destroyed when he found the masses of his people were not ready for the teaching. But to the few who were ready he taught the communions with the angels, which have been preserved through the ages in the Essene communities during the five centuries preceding the Christian era.. (Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, From Enoch to the Dead Sea Scrolls http://www.thenazareneway.com/from_enoch_to_the_dead_sea_scrolls.htm)
The Mosaic books of the Bible contain dietary laws, but these were watered down in order to be acceptable to the masses. The real laws, as practiced by the Essene communities, do not entail the slaughter or oppression of animals (or other humans). They involve daily affirmations of positive forces. They involve the knowledge, skill and labor of cultivating food-bearing trees and plants, simple meals in silence, and periodic fasting. Life-spans of 120 useful years were commonplace in the Essene communities.
Writing developed in China, Egypt and Mesopotamia from about 4 thousand to 3 thousand years ago. Most of the early writings were drawings. An early phonetic system was developed in Phoenicia (Lebanon) during the first millennium BC. Soon the method was adopted and further developed by Hebrew scribes to record the history, mythology and laws of their nation. Other cultures, also, produced inspired writings dealing with religious and spiritual themes. It has been demonstrated that illiterate cultures have an amazing capacity to memorize the spoken word. Much of this ability seems to be lost in literate cultures. During the revolution of the written word, the oral traditions of centuries, perhaps even millenniums, were committed to writing.
The bulk of the Old Testament, Deuteronomy to Kings, was committed to writing during about the 6th century BC. The technology of writing had progressed to the point where this was possible with a phonetic alphabet in place along with scroll making techniques and a means of making permanent, legible markings. The Jewish nation had returned from Babylonian captivity and were experiencing a renaissance of their religion and culture. The Persians, too, who had freed the Jews when they had conquered Babylon, were experiencing their own renaissance. The Zend Avesta and other Zoroastrian traditions were committed to writing during this time. In India, the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayama were committed to writing during the same period. The Ramayama tells of the life of Rama in approximately 15,000 BC. The legends that became the basis for the Ramayana in its written form were part a rich oral tradition. Rama's father, Rama's brother, and eventually Rama himself were kings of a province called Ayuoda in northern India. Prior to the great flood, navigation and aircraft were highly developed. The Ramayama speaks of a Vimina and describes it much as a flying saucer is described. The Buddha was teaching the 4 noble truths and the 8-fold path. These also would be annotated and expounded during the following centuries using the written word. The teachings of Lao Zu and Confucius, being expounded in China during this revolution of the written word, would also benefit from the new medium.
Serene as a lake on a quiet day,
I accept my breath and then send it away.
Breathing is an automatic function, it requires no mindfulness. However, a deliberate focus on the breath can be a very calming meditation. The 4th chakra, also known as the 'heart chakra' circulates the prana (bio-energy) around the body in a circular motion up the back and down the front pumping it with the conscious breath.
Siddhartha Gautama known as the Buddha (an honorific title meaning "the Enlightened One") was born in 560 B.C. at the foot of Mount Palpa in the Himalayan foothills in what is now Nepal. He was the son of a king ruling over a small state. In his early manhood he went through a deeply disturbing encounter with the sufferings of life, and, as a result lost all interest in the pleasures and privileges of rulership. In his 29th year, he entered the forest to live as an ascetic, resolving to find a way of deliverance from suffering. He experimented with different systems of meditation and subjected himself to severe austerities, but found that these practices did not bring him any closer to his goal. Finally, in his thirty-fifth year, while sitting in deep meditation beneath a Bo tree at Gaya, he attained Supreme Enlightenment. Thereafter, for forty-five years, he traveled throughout northern India, proclaiming the truths he had discovered and founded an order of monks and nuns to carry on his message. In 480 B.C at the age of 80, he passed away peacefully in the small town of Kusinara, surrounded by a large number of his disciples.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
Craving is the cause of stress. The end of craving is the end of stress, and the path leading to the end of stress includes: right knowledge (know that all things change), right resolve (determine to live in the eternal moment now), right speech (be truthful and charitable), right behavior (do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, be chaste, avoid alcohol and drugs), right livelihood (pursue occupations that promote peace), right effort (remain centered in the oneness of the infinite), right mindfulness (remain attentive), right concentration (make a practice of meditation). (The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom, Translated by F. Max Muller
http://www.thenazareneway.com/index_dhammapada.htm)
The practice of yoga taught by Buddha and his lineage of gurus seems to emphasize the quiet meditation on the breath. There are trance states that one can get into, but the trance state is secondary to the primary purpose of reaching a quiet state of serenity. One simply stands, sits, kneels or reclines, inhales deeply, and exhales while toning or thinking, "Ah-h-h." More elaborate mantas can be used, but the sound of "ah" is generally predominant in the syllables repeated. Exercises for focusing the gaze, the hearing and the mind are taught in yoga, and sometimes body positions and slow movements. The point of practice is to develop the ability to remain serene in all situations. The practice does not end when we leave the mat.
.
The consciousness is all around;
I hear it and join in the sound.
Culture, tradition, worship, and music are themes that pertain to the 5th (throat) chakra.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)
In the western calendar, the years are counted from the birth of Christ. However, some scholars believe that Jesus was actually born a few years before 0 AD, the date hadn't been pinpointed exactly when the calendar came into use.
Scrolls discovered in the past century and a half reveal that the Bible does not contain all of the writings revered by early Christians. New discoveries reveal more about the life and personality of Jesus Christ than was formerly known. Some of the more recently discovered documents include The Gospel of the Nazarenes, The Essene Gospels of Peace and the Gospel of Thomas, available online at http://www.thenazareneway.com, http://www.essene.com/, and http://www.gnosis.org/.
The Gospel of the Nazarenes was discovered in a Tibetan monastery in 1870 and translated by Rev. Gideon Jasper Richard Ouseley M.A. It contains many of the same stories of and sayings of Jesus contained in the Biblical Gospels. In addition it tells stories about his concern for animals that are not in the other gospels. The Essene Gospesl of Peace were discovered in a vault within the Roman Vatican, translated and published by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely during the first half of the 20th century, revealing a vegetarian, holistic Jesus. The Gospel of Thomas was discovered in Egypt in 1945, along with other writings, carefully hidden in clay jars by a persecuted sect of Christians. Scholars call this sect Gnostics, or Knowers, because they believed that direct knowledge of God is more important than scripture. The Essene Gospel of Peace Volume 1 speaks of the earthly mother and her angels. It also speaks of the heavenly father and his angels. The Gospel of Thomas affirms the fundamental equality of male and female and reveals that Mary Magdalene was one of the disciples of Jesus and greatly loved by him.
A substantial but persecuted minority were not represented in the Nicean Counsel who chose the books of the Bible. The Biblical gospels, chosen for inclusion in the Bible by a group of clerics during the 4th century serving under the Roman emperor Constantine, describe Jesus overturning tables of merchants and bankers in the Temple and releasing animals. The implication seems to be that Jesus was against the gross commercialism that was taking place within the holy temple. The more recently discovered ancient texts reveal that in addition to his indignation over the commercialism, he was deeply moved by the plight of the captive animals. Jesus and his family were part of a vegetarian, Jewish sect that deplored the temple butchery. The Essenes did not believe in killing or exploiting animals. Lamb was not served at Jesus' last Passover supper. The Constantine regime was the first Roman government to accept a form of Christianity. However, the scriptures were "corrected" to allow meat-eating, to deify Christ in the tradition of the sun and wine gods Bacchus, Dionysus, and so forth, and to suppress the divine feminine.
Horus, Attis, Dionysus, Mithra, Adonis and Tammuz are some of the gods whose stories have many of the following elements: born December 25 of a virgin, accompanied by a star in the east, adored by three wise men, healed the sick, raised the dead, restored sight to the blind, walked on water, changed water into wine, had 12 disciples, were crucified, dead for three days then resurrected, and their deaths were sacrifices for the salvation of the believer. Both Easter and Christmas were celebrated for ages prior to Christ with basically the same customs as are observed today in the context of contemporary Christianity, as was the Eucharist. Apparently early proponents in the spread of Christianity thought it necessary to adapt the story of Christ to include elements of the prevailing myths and customs in order to obtain converts. How much of the Bible and Christian tradition is a result of this adaption?
Maybe Christianity is the same old tired myths recycled once again, but Jesus Christ gave them new life! After 2,000 years those particular myths haven't been used again for someone else. He made a difference. Blood sacrifice eventually did cease as a religious ritual. However, it still goes on in the name of meat.
Jesus Christ preached love, kindness, and goodness. His radical teaching about offering his body and blood for his followers to eat and drink turned many away. Few understood the spiritual significance of his words. When Jesus turned over the tables of the money-changers and freed the animals, he challenged the religious organization that had taken over the Jewish Faith. The result was his crucifixion. After Jesus' death, his brother James became the leader of the Christian community. Almost 30 years later he also was martyred, a few years prior to the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.
At the time of Christ there were scrolls of the laws and prophets of the Jewish Faith in the temples. Jesus, himself, read from such scrolls. However, the sayings and life of Jesus Christ were not recorded by the written word until nearly a century after his death. If Jesus was literate, as apparently he was, why didn't he write his words for us to read directly? Was the cost of paper and ink too high for a simple renunciate? Or were his writings lost or destroyed? Even those books sanctified by the Church were withheld from the believers until well into the protestant reformation 12 centuries later. Gospels, both approved and banned (and other writings), were cast into the flames, plunging Europe into the dark ages.
I see with perfect clarity,
And radiate my own beauty.
Art, science, philosophy, and beauty are aspects of life that pertain to the 6th (3rd eye) chakra.
The aggressive purging of the Roman empire of any real religious freedom while holding to a form of Christianity plunged Europe into the dark ages. There was a strict hierarchy known as the feudal system and individual liberties were lost along with knowledge that only flowers concurrently with freedom. However, in the Islamic world there was freedom, knowledge and a flowering of the arts and sciences during that same time period. A millennium later came the renaissance; the torch of knowledge was again ignited in Europe.
Muhammad managed trade caravans and traveled many times between Arabia, Syria and other nearby countries. Syria, at the time (6th century), had a substantial Christian population. Islam regards Jesus as a prophet but rejects the assertion by orthodox Christianity that he is equal to God. The Gnostic branch of Christianity (now nearly extinct) also rejected the view of Christ being equal to God. Islam and Gnosticism had a lot in common and quite possibly were merged during the early centuries of the Islamic revelation.
In recent centuries, we have seen a sharp curtailment of individual liberties, particularly for women, within Islamic countries. However, in the early development of the Faith, the opposite was true. Individuals, including women, had more freedom within the context of Islam than they did in the Roman Empire.
Abraham had placed a shrine to the One True God in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia, and the black rock he placed there is still a reminder to millions who go there for pilgrimage, of the absolute sovereignty of the God of Abraham. In the two and a half thousand years that intervened between Abraham and Muhammad, images of other gods and goddesses were placed near Abraham's black stone and were worshipped also until Muhammad and his followers returned from Medina in 630 AD with the strength to cleanse the shrine of all worship but that of Allah.
When Mohammad came, the Arabs had statues of Jesus on their altars along with other deities. Mohammad made it very clear that Allah (God) alone was to be worshipped, and that Mohammad was not Allah, nor did any of the idols have any validity other than the black stone which symbolizes Allah, originally placed by Abraham at the temple in Mecca.
Islam teaches submission to God, daily prayer, alms-giving to the poor, a month of partial fasting once a year, chastity, and abstinence from drugs or alcohol.
Muhammad described Allah as being without a helper or partner. The religious doctrine of trinity is solidly rejected in Islam. Muhammad never permitted himself to be deified or revered as many leaders are by rising in his presence or bowing before him, unless it was the same deference and respect also given to everyone else. The priesthood has no place in an Islam true to the Koran.
Moses did not offer himself to be worshipped, nor did Muhammad. They introduced Yahway and Allah. And yet, you cannot know Yahway without the teachings of Moses nor Allah without the teachings of Muhammad.
Where Muhammad pointed to Allah and Moses pointed to Yahweh as the source of all blessings, Jesus pointed to himself. In this respect the message of Jesus is similar to that of Krishna, who also presented himself as the object of worship and the source of blessings. It is paradoxically both true that the founder of religion manifests God and is a separate entity from God. "Come to me..." is a recurrent theme in Christianity. The founder or religion renews the pure teachings of God with an emphasis appropriate for the time that he comes and the place where he teaches. When Jesus came, the Jews were attempting to keep the details of the Law of Moses while neglecting their relationship with God, so Jesus symbolizes God to his followers. Jesus Christ offered himself as the object of prayer and worship saying, "No man comes to the Father but by me."
Arabia is desert. There is little there in the way of agriculture. Muhammad lived for many years during the early persecution of the new religion, Islam, on dates and goat milk. Of the 5 children he and his wife Kadisha had, only one daughter, Fatima, survived to adulthood.
Muhammad received visitations from an angel, known as Gabriel, who, over a 27 year period, gave him the Koran, a section at a time, which Muhammad memorized, and transmitted orally to his followers. The Koran was not committed to writing until shortly after the Prophet's death.
The Koran in its entirety is what was transmitted to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. Stories of the life of Muhammad and sayings attributed to him exist as an oral tradition called Hadith among Muslims.
After the death of Muhammad, Islam was fraught with schisms. Muhammad had been both a religious and political leader, and competition for succession was keen. The rightful successor, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, at first bowed out of the struggle in order to help preserve the unity of the Faith. The first leader after Muhammad was Abu Bakr. Later, Ali, was Caliph for a short time before being martyred. Muhammad's daughter, Fatima, who was Ali's wife, died a year after her father, due, some say, to injuries she had received during an attack by fellow Muslims. Ali was assassinated by fellow Muslims, and one of his and Fatima's sons, Hussein, was tragically martyred at Kabala after he and a handful of companions had spent the day sparring with members of an overwhelming army of Sunni Muslims and being killed one by one. This tragedy is still enacted by Shia Muslims.
In spite of these serious schisms, an ever-widening circle of enlightenment was centered at Mecca, Damascus, and Baghdad.
From about the 10th century A.D., Islamic Sufi poetry flowered in Persia. Sufi devotional poetry typically uses such metaphors as wine drinking or human love to describe the ecstasy of knowing God.
Rocking and rolling, what have you been drinking?
Please let me know, let me know!
You must be drunk going house to house,
Wandering from street to street.
Who have you been with?
Who have you kissed?
Whose face have you been fondling?
You are my soul, you are my life,
I swear my life and love are yours!
So tell me the truth,
Where is that fountainhead,
The one you've been drinking from?
Don't hide the secret,
Lead me to the source!
Fill my jug over and over again!
Last night, I finally caught your attention in the crowd.
It was your image filling my dream,
Telling me to stop this wandering.
Stop this search for good and evil.
I said, "My dear prophet, give me some of that you've drunk for ecstasy of life!"
"If I let you drink," you said, "Any of this burning flame,
It will scorch your mouth and throat!
Your portion has been given already by heaven;
Ask for more at your peril!"
I lamented and begged,
"I desire much more, much, much more!
Please show me the source!
I have no fear to burn my mouth and throat.
I'm ready to drink every flame and more!
I'm ready to drink every flame and more!"
Jelalu'd-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.) translated by Nader Khalili, from the recording, Rumi, Fountain of Fire.
Where Spirit leads me I will go;
When Ocean answers I will flow.
Wealth characterized by an abundance of material goods brought about by an advanced technology has come about for a growing segment of humanity within the last century or two. The 7th (crown) chakra is really about spiritual wealth, but the abundance of it's physical counterpart in this age is an indicator that the real thing is also available. Humanity is on the verge of rooting out the cause of discord (greed) and embarking on the most great peace that the world has seen.
Baha'is celebrate the declaration of the Bab every year the evening before May 23 in honor of 'Ali-Muhammad Shirazi's having declared himself the promised one of Shia Islam on that date in 1844 in Iran. In the century and a half since the Bab's humble declaration to Mulla Husein who had set out in search of the promised one for his Faith, Baha'is of all backgrounds have come to recognize the Bab and Baha'u'llah as having fulfilled the promises of all religions regarding one who was to come.
The Bab's inspired speaking and writing attracted a large following, but aroused the anger of many of those entrenched in the religious system. Vicious persecutions followed. Many followers were killed, and the Bab himself was martyred by a government firing squad. Mirza Husayn-'Ali Nuri, a Persian nobleman, had joined the movement and suffered imprisonment for it. The Bab had foretold the coming of another after him, and in 1863 Baha'u'llah announced that he was the one expected. He had been exiled to Baghdad, and from there was exiled several times again, and spent the last decades of his life in Palestine near Mount Carmel, at first in prison, and later in house arrest. He passed away in 1892 naming his son, 'Abdul-Baha, as his successor.
In The Seven Valleys, Baha'u'llah, describes 7 levels a person goes through in their search for and fellowship with the Friend. At first the seeker sees the Friend as something separate from him or herself, but before long attains the Valley of Oneness, and realizes there is really no separation. To quote the 13th century Persian Sufi poet, Jalalu-d-Din Rumi:
The Beloved you've lost,
The one you've been seeking outside,
Can only be found inside.
One global culture with a tolerance for diversity is one of the ideals of the Baha'i Faith. The prophet Isaiah foretold the day when all the nations would live harmoniously together and knowledge would cover the earth as water covers the sea (Isaiah 11:9). Baha'u'llah predicted that "these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come," in an interview with Professor Edward G. Browne in 1890 (http://www.upliftingwords.org/browne.htm). Historically up to the present, religious factions war against one another believing their own sect to be the only one that is correct. Protestants against Catholics, Christians against Jews, Christians and Jews against Muslims, Sunni against Shiite, Muslims against Hindus, Taoists against Buddhists, Muslims against Baha'is, paternalistic religions against nature religions, and the list goes on and on. The oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of humanity are tenets of the Baha'i Faith. All religions teach the same things: worship God, be kind to the poor, do not steal or kill.
Baha'u'llah taught that the next world is as different from this present life as this life is different from life in the womb. (Gleanings From the Writings of Baha'u'llah http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-81.html) A fetus is growing legs, arms, eyes and ears that are not much use in the womb. Upon birth and subsequent development the use becomes apparent. In the same way, certain spiritual attributes, like compassion, may not seem to be of much use in this world, but having developed them will be essential in the next world.
The most recently founded religion, the Baha'i Faith, is similar to Judaism in that it is the laws of the faith as recorded in its holy books that are the path to God. There are many holy books of the Baha'i Faith penned by its three founders: The Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdul-Baha. It is similar to Hinduism in that the founders of all religions are honored. It is similar to Christianity in that the manifestation of God, in this case Baha'u'llah, is the personal representation of God.
In the book of Revelation of the Bible, Jesus says he is coming again with a new name. 1800 years after the ascension Christ, and well over a millennium after the ascension of Mohammad, Mirsa Husain Ali, now known as Baha'u'llah, was born in what is now Iran. To take the scriptures literally and expect a man to descend from the clouds is ignorant and superstitious. In spiritual terms this is what happened, but not in physical terms.
O SON OF DUST!
Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty;
stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning,
that thou mayest partake of My knowledge;
and sanctify thyself from riches,
that thou mayest obtain a lasting share
from the ocean of My eternal wealth.
Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty;
stop thine ears to all save My word;
empty thyself of all learning save the knowledge of Me;
that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an attentive ear
thou mayest enter the court of My holiness.
From the Hidden Words by Baha'u'llah, translated from the original Persian by Shoghi Efendi (Baha'u'llah's great-grandson) http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/HW/hw-84.html.
None of the world religions were accepted readily at first, but after several hundred years the influence of the godly persons became evident to all. The Baha'i Faith is governed by elected assemblies. In order to become elected to such an assembly, one must first become a member of the Baha'i Faith. Membership is obtained by filling out a declaration card which simply asks for the aspirant's name, address and signature that he or she accepts the teachings of the Baha'i Faith, and submitting it to the Local Spiritual Assembly, which is normally listed in directories under "Baha'i Faith" Only members can contribute to Baha'i funds which help bring the reality of unity and peace to the world. Baha'is have temples and shrines in various locations, for instance Wilmette, Illinois and Haifa, Israel.
The Baha'i teachings about health are phrased delicately, leaving it up to the individual whether he or she wants to follow them or not, but it is clear enough what they are.
Baha'u'llah writes: "Do not neglect medical treatment when it is necessary, but leave it off when health has been restored. Treat disease through diet, by preference, refraining from the use of drugs; and if you find what is required in a single herb, do not resort to a compound medicament... Abstain from drugs when the health is good, but administer them when necessary." (Tablet to a Physician http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/o/BNE/bne-88.html )
'Abdul-Baha, in a discussion about healing in 1904 said, "The science of medicine is still in a condition of infancy, it has not reached maturity, but when it has reached this point, cures will be performed by things which are not repulsive to the smell and taste of man--that is to say, by aliments, fruits and vegetables which are agreeable to the taste and have an agreeable smell. ...All the elements that are combined in man exist also in vegetables; therefore, if one of the constituents which compose the body of man diminishes, and he partakes of foods in which there is much of that diminished constituent, then the equilibrium will be established, and a cure will be obtained.... The majority of the diseases which overtake man also overtake the animal, but the animal is not cured by drugs. In the mountains, as in the wilderness, the animal's physician is the power of taste and smell. ... for nature urges and guides him; its smell and taste please him, and he eats it. ... It is, therefore, evident that it is possible to cure by foods, aliments and fruits; but as today the science of medicine is imperfect, this fact is not yet fully grasped. When the science of medicine reaches perfection, treatment will be given by foods, aliments, fragrant fruits and vegetables, and by various waters, hot and cold in temperature." (Some Answered Questions by 'Abdul-Baha, page 257
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/saq-74.html#pg257)
'Abdul-Baha further writes: "...If humankind were free from the defilements of sin and waywardness, and lived according to a natural, inborn equilibrium, without following wherever their passions led, it is undeniable that diseases would no longer take the ascendant, nor diversify with such intensity.
But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites, and he would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for himself food that was compounded of many ingredients, of substances differing one from the other. With this, and with the perpetrating of vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse... The Bab hath said that the people of Baha must develop the science of medicine to such a high degree that they will heal illnesses by means of foods. .... Observe how an animal will graze in a field where there are a hundred thousand kinds of herbs and grasses, and how, with its sense of smell, it snuffeth up the odours of the plants, and tasteth them with its sense of taste; then it consumeth whatever herb is pleasurable to these senses, and benefiteth therefrom. Were it not for this power of selectivity, the animals would all be dead in a single day; for there are a great many poisonous plants, and animals know nothing of the pharmacopoeia. And yet, observe what a reliable set of scales they have, by means of which to differentiate the good from the injurious. Whatever constituent of their body hath decreased, they can rehabilitate by seeking out and consuming some plant that hath an abundant store of that diminished element; and thus the equilibrium of their bodily components is re-established, and they are rid of their disease. ...At whatever time highly-skilled physicians shall have developed the healing of illnesses by means of foods, and shall make provision for simple foods, and shall prohibit humankind from living as slaves to their lustful appetites, it is certain that the incidence of chronic and diversified illnesses will abate, and the general health of all mankind will be much improved." (Selections From the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, Pages: 152-156
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAB/sab-135.html.iso8859-1 )
And again: "Regarding the eating of animal flesh and abstinence therefrom, know thou of a certainty that, in the beginning of creation, God determined the food of every living being, and to eat contrary to that determination is not approved. For instance, beasts of prey, such as the wolf, lion and leopard, are endowed with ferocious, tearing instruments, such as hooked talons and claws. From this it is evident that the food of such beasts is meat ... But now coming to man, we see he hath neither hooked teeth nor sharp nails or claws, nor teeth like iron sickles. From this it becometh evident and manifest that the food of man is cereal and fruit. Some of the teeth of man are like millstones to grind the grain, and some are sharp to cut the fruit. Therefore he is not in need of meat, nor is he obliged to eat it. Even without eating meat he would live with the utmost vigour and energy ... Truly, the killing of animals and the eating of their meat is somewhat contrary to pity and compassion, and if one can content oneself with cereals, fruit, oil and nuts, such as pistachios, almonds and so on, it would undoubtedly be better and more pleasing." (From a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Baha to an individual believer, Selections from the Baha'i Writings on Some Aspects of Health and Healing, a compilation of the Universal House of Justice, Baha'i Publishing Trust, New Delhi, 1974, pp. 7-8.)