The Ocean of Acceptance
First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #40
Bosch Bahá'í School: California, USA
May 23–26, 2002
(see list of papers from #40)
At the heart of the covenant are the acts of recognition and obedience. Bahá'u'lláh states "The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws ... Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth everyone who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other." (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, P. 19)
This verse is challenging to many Bahá'ís attempting to teach others that all religions are equal. Many Bahá'ís prefer to give equal status to not only the Manifestations, but to the followers of other religions as well. Bahá'u'lláh cautions us to never exalt ourselves above anyone. (The Kitáb-i-Iqán P. 193) How can I as a Bahá'í try to avoid personal exaltation, but at the same time embrace a teaching that implies that those who accept Bahá'u'lláh are the only ones with the potential to perform acceptable deeds? In the Kitáb-i-Iqán, while discussing the issue of acceptance, Bahá'u'lláh maintains, "These Lights have proceeded from but one Source, and these fruits are the fruits of one Tree. Thou canst discern neither difference nor distinction among them. All this is by the grace of God! On whom He will, He bestoweth His grace. Please God, that we avoid the land of denial, and advance into the ocean of acceptance, so that we may perceive, with an eye purged from all conflicting elements, the worlds of unity and diversity, of variation and oneness, of limitation and detachment, and wing. our flight unto the highest and innermost sanctuary of the inner meaning of the Word of God." (P. 160) In this verse Bahá'u'lláh elevates recognition, the ocean of acceptance, to a spiritual station that encourages one to purge their heart of all "conflicting elements" so they may find sanctuary in the "inner meanings of the Word of God." The hope of this discussion is to show that understanding a pivotal spiritual issue like recognition is impossible within a purely intellectual framework and that in the very act of recognition is the impetus to overcome division. True recognition is a spiritual process that allows an inner context with the potential to break down barriers and separation.
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