Wisdom and understanding are the twin pillars which elevate mankind above the station of other earthly creatures.
“God’s greatest gift to man is that of intellect, or understanding,” we glean from a book of Baha’i Holy Writings entitled The Reality of Man. “Understanding is the power by which man acquires his knowledge of the several kingdoms of creation and of various stages of existence, as well as of much which is invisible. Possessing this gift, he is in himself the sum of earlier creations…
“All creation preceding man is bound by the stern law of nature….Man alone has freedom, and by his understanding or intellect, has been able to gain control of and adapt some of these Natural Laws to his own needs.”
This power was given to man “that it might be used for the advancement of civilization, for the good of humanity, to increase love and concord and peace. But man prefers to use this gift to destroy instead of to build, for injustice and oppression, for hatred and discord and devastation, for
In the Baha’i writings much emphasis is placed upon moderation in all things–not to be confused with mediocracy, but developing instead all virtues to the fullest capacity and allowing them to moderate each other.
A few years ago, the local Baha’i community had the distinct pleasure of presenting the Kingfisher Theatre Company of Nazareth, PA in the stage production of “Dragons of Rizvania” a wise and profound story applicable to all ages on conquering the dragons of anger, fear, shame, illness, pain and separation, and finally the most challenging of all–the dragons of doubt, crippling memories and defeat.
The drama was presented in living color and costume to some 100 3rd-5th graders at Roanoke Academy Math and Science, holding the students quiet and attentive through its entirety. The central theme was that just as dragons are only figments of the imagination, so too are all of their crippling effects, only to the extent that true understanding, faith and persistent application of resistance to them will allow. Throughout time man’s quest has always been for more knowledge which he continues to steadily acquire, with little pursuit of understanding
If the purpose of anything is not understood, that thing will inevitably be misused and in all probability abused–our lives are no exception. With no understanding of the purpose of life, our lives will lack focus and motivation, become apathetic and eventually arrive at a state near spiritual and psychological death.
Only through our understanding of God’s purpose for man will our lives become animated and fruitful. Through an understanding of God’s purpose for our individual lives we will have a clearer sense of destiny and greater power to transform our own lives and consequently the world.
