Know thou that Knowledge is of two kinds:
Divine and Satanic.
- Baha'u'llah -
Divine and Satanic.
- Baha'u'llah -
Dear Ones,
In a lecture delivered by the Master, Abdu'l-Baha, in London in 1911,
the following statement will be explored to the best of our ability. Its
spiritual significance is profound, and without a clear understanding,
one might easily be misled by its enigmatic yet captivating nature.
For six thousand years we have been walking on the left-hand path; let us walk on the right-hand path now. We have passed many centuries in darkness, let us advance towards the light.
The term "the left-hand path" largely signifies the ongoing turmoil
characterized by "war, strife, murder, and bloodthirstiness" that
plagues our world. This chaos often stems from "either religious, racial, political, or patriotic prejudices", which are frequently nurtured or
instigated by individuals who engage in ancient Babylonian rituals
associated with the left-hand path. These practitioners seek hidden
wisdom through means that have become all too familiar in modern times,
despite the clear admonitions found in sacred texts, such as Deuteronomy
18:10-12.
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord...
In LIGHTS OF GUIDANCE, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith,
cautioned Baha'i followers about engaging in occult practices,
though he refrained from detailing what those practices were.
The friends also should be warned not to indulge in such activities that draw their inspiration from Hindu occultist sources, as these do not only lead them away from the Cause, but can cause them considerable mental harm, and thus permanently injure their mind as well as their body.
What does that really mean, you might wonder? To me, as hinted at by a long-forgotten source, it undeniably refers to the awakening of the Kundalini and the potential effects that come with it.*...indeed, such occult practices as certain Hindus have introduced in the States, and which some superficial and superstitious individuals have adopted and are trying, by all sorts of devices, to popularize are absolutely foreign, nay positively opposed to the very spirit and letter of the Teachings, and the believers, therefore, should strictly and at all times avoid the company of such people, lest they may unconsciously and inevitably fall under their baneful influence and become gradually alienated from the Cause.
You can learn telepathy, see auras and move things mentally but be a hateful person simultaneously, what certain criminals and psychics with inflated egos precisely do in order to gain power over others. It is certainly possible to become clairaudiant or clairvoyant through certain technics aimed at raising the Kundalini, that electric center in the vertebral column, the 'serpent force'. However, once the channels of communication between the worlds opened without real spiritual preparedness, what awaits is a living hell. The sounds and sights of both the physical and psychic worlds are received without the capacity to recede from the often scary, unpleasant material that flows within. Torn in two directions, the person is helpless to control or avoid this undesirable phenomenon.We definitely wouldn't wish that upon ourselves if we allow such practices to take hold while turning a blind eye to their consequences, would we? Just because these methods have been celebrated since the 1960s as the ultimate path to tranquility, stress relief, healing, or even achieving a higher state of awareness doesn't mean they are without risks.
Tune in to additional alerts from the Guardian:
Certain esoteric practices have the potential to induce trances and feelings of euphoria, often confused with genuine mystical experiences. During these altered states, shadowy entities from the lower astral realm may penetrate one's consciousness, planting "empty and obscure thoughts" or delivering deceptive messages. The prevalence of such occurrences is alarmingly evident in the contemporary landscape of "channeling."To tamper with psychic forces while in this world interferes with the condition of the soul in the world to come. These forces are real, but are not to be active on this plane.*
There is no ambiguity about the Master's attitude towards psychic forces. He very strongly warned the believers against using them.
Through this approach, which taps into spiritual pride or innocence, the mystical, impressionable, uninformed, or infatuated mind can fall prey to external influences. These forces promote a seemingly nonjudgmental stance, but in truth, they embody moral relativism and a passive mindset. This is a frequent tactic used to manipulate the thoughts and actions of individuals who assert their spirituality while distancing themselves from traditional religion.
When we embark on our own exploration of this marketplace of neo-Gnosticism, we quickly realize that it unfolds selectively through a slow initiation process that gradually suffocate the awareness of God. This path subtly promotes an underlying pantheism—where everything is equated with God, leading to the notion that I, too, am God. In essence, this is a form of idolatry, where the personal and transcendent God revealed in sacred texts is insidiously replaced in the minds of individuals by the "bearer of light," the defiant angel of the NEW AGE.
It is important to recognize that the reach and influence of this kind of pseudo-spirituality are both extensive and perilous. The words of Baha'u'llah resonate strongly in this context.
The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit.... The tree of such teachings can yield no result except iniquity and rebellion, and beareth no fruit but hatred and envy. Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow is consuming fire.Wherefore, better let the heedless "lie in the graves of waywardness and error," and the blind "lie in the cradle of idle fancies," while we take refuge in the RIGHT HAND of God, where the footsteps are always sure, following the Covenant, opening the gate of true understanding naturally through prayer and meditation on the divine Word, especially the Exalted Names of God as revealed in the Baha'i calendar :
Splendour, Glory, Beauty, Grandeur, Light, Mercy, Words, Perfection, Names, Might, Will, Knowledge, Power, Speech, Questions, Honour, Sovereignty, Dominion, and Loftiness. Meditating upon these sublime attributes, man is enabled to gaze beyond the curve of time, wherein the swing and change of planetary movements exists, to the eternal qualities that stabilize the soul.To conclude, the TESTIMONIAL shared by this born-again Christian, who once delved deeply into the realms of the occult and New Age practices, will undoubtedly offer a richer perspective on the message we've aimed to communicate: the roses of the eternal garden exhale their perfumes for us; let us not turn away from them to pluck the thorns of this world.
- Shoghi Effendi
Be wonderfully blessed!
Loesha
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