Answer to the
Dismayed Baha'i
Sal-Om ...,
As a former Bahá'í I can understand the
frustration you might have about all the claims you may hear
from time to time. However, if you remember, when you became a
Bahá'í, you felt a certainty, a feeling of peace, and discovery.
This is the same feeling that I had when I had looked at the
Mission of Maitreya site and as I heard Maitreya speak on
Saturday mornings. Also, I looked at the answers on the site
itself given to Bahais which you may have seen. It boils down
to " He doeth whatsoever He willeth."
In the first lines in your letter you
mention " how ignorant the creators and followers of this thing
are." Sometimes I have felt that too in discussions, but we have
to remember that the Bab wrote that the person who wrote the
book to people in Iran at that time to "the ignorant" as part of
its title was in fact not wise at all. Of course anger and
frustration often color our feelings and word choices, but in
essence Bahais are usually people of loving kindness even in
disagreements which should be discussed with utmost respect and
kindness in the words of Abdu'l-Baha. So lets agree to treat each
other with dignity and love the essence of that spark of God,
the soul, within each of us.
Now the crux of your statement is that
there can be no third prophet at this time, and that we are in
error. Also, you question the seventh angel statement. You
mention that the Bible is symbolism with added truth which is
partly valid, I think. Remember, however, that God sends a
prophet" as soon as the human race is ready for him." Also
Bahaullah stated to the Babis after he declared his mission,
that " Whether too soon or too late," He was who He said he was
and it was up to us to respond or not. God doeth whatever He
willeth. Even today it is seen that the Bab did not choose
Bahaullah for his successor, but another. Bahaullah assumed the
reigns of authority on his own as he became aware of his
mission. It is obvious that the Bab knew this. And had not
Bahaullah appeared, the Bábi cause, already in disarray, would
have ended. God knew it was needed to send a second
manifestation. Some would say that the Bab was somewhat violent
in his attitude toward non believers. Whether true or not, or
whether his words were under duress or in response to certain
situations, Bahaullah immediately abrogated this law. Also, as
you know from reading the Bahá'í writings, the Bab stated that
the next prophet would come only after 1501 to 2000 years! Yet
Bahaullah was already alive and beginning to teach and write,
but not yet as a prophet, as the Bab was murdered so horribly by
his enemies. Nineteen years went between the twin declarations,
not 1501! There is a mystery here which I think lies in the
knowledge of God that people will react in certain ways, so he
sends his messengers with the chance for us to respond
immediately, and when we do not, he sends another sometimes in a
short time and so on. It is not that HE changes His mind, it is
that We do not rise to the challenge that a manifestation gives
to us. The mystery of a prophets timing and coming are usually
in scripture, BUT require careful ,detached from dogma, thought
and openness arising from our hearts.
When questioned as to why he came so quickly
after Christ, Mohammed said it was due to the fact that the
Christians had so corrupted their teachings beginning even with
disagreements between Peter and Paul and the councils and
various groups over hundreds of years which caused violence and
sectarianism. The Roman emperor, Constantine, made matters worse
by his rulings on which doctrines were to remain in the church.
The bible and the doctrines of Christianity have likewise been
somewhat obscured by the divines, that is, the leaders of these
faiths.
Bahaullah stated that he was concerned for "He
who was to be sent down after Me." I do not think that was
referring to Abdul Baha as some have said, but for the next
prophet. Notice, that He expected resistance from the Bahais
themselves. There have been many prophecies that the Sun would
rise in the West, and that the East would not always be the
rising point of Revelation. Bahaullah stated that ONLY after the
tribulations of these days would the "Divine Standard" be
raised. Shoghi Effendi even stated that Gods plan may change the
plans of the followers of his prophets, and that there would be
"another manifestation" before world unity was achieved. Yet,
even in the Bahai writings there is disagreement. The Universal
House of Justice is obviously NOT the one envisioned by Shoghi
Effendi. The idea of Bada is dangerous. First, no one can
interpret the writings with infallibility aside from THE
GUARDIAN. The Hands in using Bada were not infallible and few
Bahais questioned them. The House does NOT have the Guardian as
its head. If God employs Bada on such an important institution
as the Guardianship, than what else in the Faith is BADA?
Bahais need to investigate themselves. The
various Baha groups such as the orthodox Bahais have good
information. Even if they are in error on some things, they are,
in my opinion, correct about the guardianship. Go to the
Orthodox Bahá'í Faith site to peruse their concepts.
Unfortunately, they are seen as covenant breakers, a term with
very specific meaning by Shoghi Effendi and Abdul Baha. Now many
Bahais are leaving the organization or becoming non active due
to the feelings of oppression they sense enveloping the Faith.
It is only you who can ascertain the relative validity of all
these positions and ideas. Abdul Baha said that in times of non
growth and low energy in the Cause, it meant that the Bahais
were on the wrong tract. The growth of the Faith has been
stagnant and in decline since the early 80's. Why is that? Where
are the troops? As to the protection of the faith against
schism, why is the Orthodox Bahá'í faith growing in India,
Africa, and in the Americas?
All these questions were in my mind for years as
I studied as much of the writings that I could. There is much
beauty in the writings, but above beauty is even more truth and
higher consciousness, a more subtle level of awareness. I could
not commit myself to any of the Bahá'í groups, for I saw only
discussion of the covenant. I love the gardens in Haifa, but
could not that quarter billion dollars have been spent on
teaching, humanitarian action, temples and so on in the world?
In short, I saw more and more evidence of error in SOME of the
interpretations since Shoghi Effendi's death. I urge you to read
the sites of other Bahá'í groups and then with an open mind read
and listen to Maitreya and this mission. There is, in my
opinion, massive failure in the Cause, and so there are. I
think, five options. First, stay in the Faith as it is, Second,
become inactive, Third, join another Bahá'í group, fourth state
that the faith is totally false and rejoin one of the other
religions, fifth, realize that a new prophet is needed and
seriously study the mission of Maitreya.
Eric Stetson, a former charismatic Bahá'í, "discovered" that he was a new prophet come to save the
Bahá'í Faith under the shadow of Bahaullah. His writings were
"prophet beautiful", but he recanted stating that he made an
error. He then left the faith since he now felt that since he
could write as well as Bahaullah, he had lost some respect for
HIM. Eric, is now a born again Christian. Only he knows his own
motives and fears, but the ego of being as good as Bahaullah in
writings is obvious, yet a weakness we all have. But Eric knows
something is wrong, Joel Marengella, "the third guardian" of the
Orthodox Bahais knows something is wrong, many of those
excommunicated by the House which does not in the writings have
the power to do so, know that something is wrong, The errors of
the House in so many decisions, however well intentioned they
are, show that something is wrong. The lack of growth in the
faith show that something is wrong, the near hostility between
enforcers of the covenant in the various Boards and the anxious
Bahais show that something is wrong, the idea of Bada shows that
something is wrong, the absence of a Guardian shows that
something is wrong, the non fulfillment of some prophecies show
that something is wrong, the failure of the Bahais to be working
as hard as they can to lessen the calamities by teaching and
leading by example shows that something is wrong, even though
there are some Bahá'í initiatives in various places.
This mission shows that only with these
conditions of world wide safe access to the people of the planet
has the time come where every eye can see and hear him. The
mission of Maitreya has many answers to your questions if you
sincerely look with an open mind. In the end, IF this mission is
false, then it is a great test for the Bahais, and IF this
mission is true, then it is a great test for the Bahais as well.
The choice, of course as in all things, is yours, and that of
all the peoples of the planet.
I think of the time immediately ahead, and I
see that in the future after the bad times, communities of light
will arise, and the religion of Bahaullah Shall be glorified by Maitreya in His temples and communities and laws. The human
race will be unified and share the combined beauty of all
the revelations of God. No one will be left out. We will read
the Hidden Words, Gleanings, and other Bahá'í and Bábi writings
along with those of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, the
native faiths, and the writings of Maitreya all in one center,
all equally respected and ecstatically internalized, and we
shall have the world order commanded by Bahaullah and developed
in detail by Maitreya. There will be a true Universal House of
Justice, elders (Hands) and wise interpreters, ( Guardians). We
will know a new way of thinking and interacting with ourselves,
each other, other peoples, and even in time when, as
Mohammed states, " at a time WHEN Allah chooses", we will
interact with other beings in all the vast universes of GOD.
What we have will be what we need, and what we have will be very
good, the highest quality we can imagine. No person will
go hungry or without shelter. We will be citizens of a united
planet as Bahaullah intended.
In the meantime, I wish to give you this
link written by a Bahai who I believe has since been forced out
of the faith. In his work, he discusses in depth, in a much
better way than I can write, the entire idea of the third
prophet. Between his work, and the logical and sensible writings
of the Orthodox Bahai Guardian, and Abdul Baha, and Shoghi
Effendi, you may make your own decision in peace, dignity,
privacy, and compassion. You have, if you wish, the five
choices I suggested. I know that God forgives error, mine or
yours, if it is sincere. In any event we shall all know the
truth soon enough. Pray the remover of difficulties, chant the
greatest name and read this link and the other suggestions I
have made as in the Orthodox Bahai group writings. You are not
forbidden to read the writings. How you react to what you read
is your own affair unconditioned by no person but in the context
of a loving relationship with God, and no one else. Increasing
numbers of Bahais are, with the advent of a free world wide
Internet, beginning to question the period between 1957 and 1963
and the validity and possible violations of that time by the
Hands. Whether true or not, please read all you can about this
time from many sources to aid you in making your own unfettered
decision. Maitreya began his public mission exactly nineteen
years after the formation of what I feel is an improperly
constituted UHJ. There are many subtle clues in this Mission for
you to see, and there will be coincidences in your life to draw
you to this Mission if it is what you are open to do.
Here is the link:
http://www.maitreya.org/english/NEWS_files/Other%20Evidences/Bahai/greatest_name.htm Please read it carefully as it was written by a Bahá'í. The other
writings by Stetson, The Orthodox Bahais, and others, as well
as, of course, writings of the present Bahai institutions, read
in privacy in your own time and at your own speed.
Thank you for the chance to write to you about the
Mission of Maitreya. Once you have read the suggested links,
please also read the vast site of the Mission of Maitreya.
Meanwhile, look into the eyes of Bahaullah and Maitreya in your
meditations and ask what you will. "IN HIM LET THE TRUSTING
TRUST."
Sal-Om
Name
Here is one paragraph from the link I have given
you.
"Also, Baha'is should take into consideration the
following excerpts from Haifa Notes taken during the last year
in the life of Shoghi Effendi. "One evening the Guardian
mentioned there had been 6000 years of prophetic revelation to
announce the coming of Baha'u'llah and to prepare the world for
it - that there would be 500,000 years of revelation under His
shadow. He stated that world civilization will not be
inaugurated before another revelation or prophet appears. "
Notes of Alice Dudley, 1957"
