Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => General Discussion => : Aron June 27, 2018, 04:09:44 PM
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For some reason I was raised bahai and after many years I found the seven valley's, which this work has been called by Shoghi Effendi Bahá'u'lláh's "greatest mystical composition." I can see some of the mystic in the writing, however, since I am on medication and cannot attain any fruit at the moment and it has been a long time since, I was wondering if anyone could verify if this is the same as or similar to jhana/samadhi - particularly the later valleys, such as The Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness.
The Valley of Search
The valley of search is described as the first step that a seeker must take in his path. Bahá'u'lláh states that the seeker must cleanse his heart, and not follow the paths of his forefathers. It is explained that ardour and patience are required to traverse this valley.
The Valley of Love
The next valley is the "Valley of Love". Bahá'u'lláh describes how love burns away reason, causing pain, madness and single minded endeavour. He writes that the fire of love burns away the material self, revealing instead the world of the spirit.
The Valley of Knowledge
The knowledge referred to in this valley is the knowledge of God, and not one based on learning; it is explained that pride in one's knowledge and accomplishments often disallows one to reach true understanding, which is the knowledge of God. It is explained that the seeker, when in this valley, begins to understand the mysteries contained within God's revelation, and finds wisdom in all things including when faced with pain and hardship, which he understands to be God's mercy and blessing. This valley is called the last limited valley.
The Valley of Unity
The next stage is the valley of unity, and it is explained that the seeker now sees creation not by its limitations, but sees the attributes of God in all created things. The seeker, it is written, is detached from earthly things, is not concerned with his own self and has no ego; instead he praises God for all of creation.
The Valley of Contentment
The next valley for the seeker is the valley of contentment, where it is explained, that the seeker becomes independent from all things, and even though he may look poor or is subjected to suffering, he will be endowed with wealth and power from the spiritual worlds and will inwardly be happy. Happiness is explained to be the attribute of the true believer, and it cannot be achieved by obtaining material things, since material things are transitory.
The Valley of Wonderment
In the valley of wonderment the seeker, it is written, is struck dumb (mute) by the beauty of God; the seeker becomes conscious of the vastness and glory of creation, and discovers the inner mysteries of God's revelation. Being led from one mystery of creation to the next, it is explained that the seeker continues to be astonished by the works of God.
The Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness
The final valley is the valley of true poverty and absolute nothingness, and it is the furthermost state that the mystic can reach. The seeker, it is explained is poor of all material things, and is rich in spiritual attributes. It is explained that it is the state of annihilation of self in God, but not an existential union: the essences of God's self and the mystic's self remain distinct, in contrast to what appears to be a complete union in other traditions.
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Thanks, Aron. This list suggests that Bahá'u'lláh may very well have been a genuine mystic. However, I would want to see more detailed description of mystical experiences.
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I agree. I will have to add it to the reading list and come back to this post later.
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Further research has made me wonder if he just copied Rumi's and Attar of Nishapur's work.
The book follows the path of the soul on a spiritual journey passing through different stages, from this world to other realms which are closer to God, as first described by the 12th Century Sufi poet Farid al-Din Attar in his Conference of the Birds.
Conference of the Birds has similar content:
1. Valley of the Quest, where the Wayfarer begins by casting aside all dogma, belief, and unbelief.
2. Valley of Love, where reason is abandoned for the sake of love.
3. Valley of Knowledge, where worldly knowledge becomes utterly useless.
4. Valley of Detachment, where all desires and attachments to the world are given up. Here, what is assumed to be “reality” vanishes.
5. Valley of Unity, where the Wayfarer realizes that everything is connected and that the Beloved is beyond everything, including harmony, multiplicity, and eternity.
6. Valley of Wonderment, where, entranced by the beauty of the Beloved, the Wayfarer becomes perplexed and, steeped in awe, finds that he or she has never known or understood anything.
7. Valley of Poverty and Annihilation, where the self disappears into the universe and the Wayfarer becomes timeless, existing in both the past and the future.
Farid al-Din Attar influenced Rumi:
`Attar is one of the most famous mystic poets of Iran. His works were the inspiration of Rumi and many other mystic poets. `Attar, along with Sanai were two of the greatest influences on Rumi in his Sufi views. Rumi has mentioned both of them with the highest esteem several times in his poetry.
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This is getting to be a very interesting discussion. For Shoghi Effendi Bahá'u'lláh to recognize the significance of the work of Jellaludin Rumi and Farid al-Din Attar suggests to me that he had enough attainment to recognize their significance. Another interesting thing about Iranian religions is their characteristic of synchronicity. Meaning that Iranian religions tend to be a blend of seemingly disparate religions, such as Persian Christianity is a blend of Buddhism and Christianity. For instance the Conference of Birds was clearly influenced by the earlier Jataka tails.
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Yes, it is interesting. Have you come across Bahá'u'lláh in the immaterial domains? I think he is either really lucky to have found it or he actually had some attainment; whether he was enlightened or not, I cannot say. But i really a few paragraphs from one of his books - it read as gibberish.
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No, I have had no contact with Bahá'u'lláh. His work did not interest me; however, I found the work of Rumi, and other mystics exceptional.