Baha’i
Writings
2. Human / Mental
2.2
Learning Environment (Home, School & Community)
2.2.1
Learning Environment – Parents and religion
The parents must exert every effort to rear their offspring to be
religious, for should the children not attain this greatest of adornments,
they will not obey their parents, which in a certain sense means that they
will not obey God. Indeed, such
children will show no consideration to
anyone, and will do exactly as they please.
(Baha'u'llah:
Baha'i Education
Pages 248-251)
2.2.2
Learning Environment – The duty of parents
It is the bounden duty of parents to rear their children to be staunch
in faith, the reason being that a child who removeth himself from the
religion of God will not act in such a way as to win the good pleasure of
his parents and his Lord. For every
praiseworthy deed is born out of the
light of religion, and lacking this supreme bestowal the child will not turn
away from any evil, nor will he draw nigh unto any good.
(Baha'u'llah:
Baha'i Education
Pages 248-249)
2.2.3
Learning Environment - Music
We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may
be lifted up unto the realm on high; make it not, therefore, as wings to self
and passion.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 38)
2.2.4
Learning Environment – Music and divine words
In this dispensation, music is one of the arts that is highly approved and is
considered to be the cause of the exaltation of sad and desponding hearts.
Therefore ... set to music the verses and the divine words so that they may be
sung with soul-stirring melody in the Assemblies and gatherings, and that the
hearts of the listeners may become tumultuous and rise towards the Kingdom of
Abha in supplication and prayer.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 378)
2.2.5
Learning Environment – Arts of civilization
Observe carefully how education and the arts of civilization bring honor,
prosperity, independence and freedom to a government and its people.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 111)
2.2.6
Learning Environment – Thoughts
and deeds
Some men and women glory in their exalted thoughts, but if these thoughts
never reach the plane of action they remain useless:
the power of thought is dependent on its manifestation in deeds.
A philosopher's thought may, however, in the world of progress and
evolution, translate itself into the actions of other people, even when they
themselves are unable or unwilling to show forth their grand ideals in their own
lives. To this class the majority
of philosophers belong, their teachings being high above their actions.
This is the difference between philosophers who are Spiritual Teachers,
and those who are mere philosophers:
the Spiritual Teacher is the first to follow His own teaching; He brings
down into the world of action His spiritual conceptions and ideals.
His Divine thoughts are made manifest to the world.
His thought is Himself, from which He is
inseparable.
`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks*
Page 18
2.2.7
Learning Environment - MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL EDUCATION
The republic of wise men believes that the difference in minds and opinions is
due to the difference of education and the acquisition of ethics. That is, that
minds are equal in origin, but education and the acquisition of ethics cause
minds to differ and comprehensions to be at variance; that this difference is
not in entity but in education and teaching; that there is no individual
distinction for any soul. Hence, the members of the human race all possess the
capacity of attaining to the highest station, and the proof they adduce
therefore is this: "The inhabitants of a country like Africa are all as
wandering savages and wild animals; they lack intelligence and knowledge; all
are uncivilized; not one civilized and wise man is to be found among them. On
the contrary, consider the civilized countries, the inhabitants of which are
living in the highest state of culture and ethics, solidarity and
inter-dependence; possessing, with few exceptions, acute power of comprehension
and sound mind. Therefore, it is made clear and evident that the superiority and
inferiority of minds and comprehensions arises from education and cultivation,
or from their lack and absence. A bent branch is straightened by training and
the wild fruit of the jungle is made the product of the orchard. An ignorant man
by learning becomes knowing, and the world of savagery, through the bounty of a
wise educator, is changed into a civilized kingdom. The sick is healed by
medication, and the poor man, by learning the arts of commerce, is made rich.
The follower, by attaining the virtues of the leader, becomes great, and the
lowly man, by the education of the teacher, rises from the nadir of oblivion to
the zenith of celebrity." These are the proofs of the wise men.
The prophets also acknowledge this opinion, towit: That education hath a great
effect upon the human race, but they declare that minds and comprehensions are
originally different. And this matter is self-evident; it cannot be refuted. We
see that certain children of the same age, nativity and race, nay, from the same
household, under the tutorship of one teacher, differ in their minds and
comprehensions. One advanceth rapidly, another is slow in catching the rays of
culture, still another remaineth in the lowest degree of stupidity.
No matter how much the shell is educated, it can never become the radiant pearl.
The black stone will not become the world illuming gem. The calocynth and the
thorny cactus can never by training and development become the blessed tree.
That is to say, training doth not change the human gem, but it produceth a
marvelous effect. By this effective power all that is registered latent of
virtues and capacities in the human reality will be revealed.
Cultivation by the farmer maketh of the grain the harvest, and the effort of the
gardener maketh of the seed a noble tree. The gentle teacher promoteth the
children of the school to the lofty altitude and the bestowal of the trainer
placeth the little child upon the throne of ether. Therefore, it is demonstrated
and proven that minds are different in the original entity or nature, and that
education commandeth a decided and great influence. Were there no educator, all
souls would remain savage, and were it not for the teacher, the children would
be ignorant creatures.
It is for this reason that, in this New Cycle, education and training are
recorded in the Book of God as obligatory and not voluntary. That is, it is
enjoined upon the father and mother, as a duty, to strive with all effort to
train the daughter and the son, to nurse them from the breast of knowledge and
to rear them in the bosom of sciences and arts. Should they neglect this matter,
they shall be held responsible and worthy of reproach in the presence of the
stern Lord.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 398)
2.2.8
Learning Environment – The Teachers of the human race
The purpose of this is to show that the holy Manifestations of
God, the divine Prophets, are the first Teachers of the human race.
They are universal Educators, and the fundamental principles they
have laid down are the causes and factors of the advancement of
nations.
`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of
Universal Peace* Page 86
2.2.9
Learning Environment – Spiritual education
My hope is that your parents may educate you spiritually and give you
thorough moral training. May you
develop so that each one of you shall become imbued with all the virtues of the
human world. May you advance in all
material and spiritual degrees. May
you become learned in sciences, acquire the arts and crafts, prove to be useful
members of human society and assist the progress of human civilization.
May you be a cause of the manifestation of divine bestowals - each one of
you a shining star
radiating the light of the oneness of humanity toward the horizons
of the East and West. May you be
devoted to the love and unity of
mankind, and through your efforts may the reality deposited in the
human heart find its divine expression.
I pray for you, asking the
assistance and confirmation of God in your behalf.
(`Abdu'l-Baha:
Promulgation of Universal Peace*
Page 92)
2.2.10
Learning Environment – The advancement of women
Work ye
for the guidance of the women in that land, teach the young girls and the
children, so that the mothers may educate their little ones from their earliest
days, thoroughly train them, rear them to have a goodly character and good
morals, guide them to all the virtues of humankind, prevent the development of
any behaviour that would be worthy of blame, and foster them in the embrace of
Bahá'í education. Thus shall these tender infants be nurtured at the breast of
the knowledge of God and His love. Thus shall they grow and flourish, and be
taught righteousness and the dignity of humankind, resolution and the will to
strive and to endure. Thus shall they learn perseverance in all things, the will
to advance, high mindedness and high resolve, chastity and purity of life. Thus
shall they be enabled to carry to a successful conclusion whatsoever they
undertake.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 124)
2.2.11
Learning Environment – Motherhood and children
Let the mothers consider that whatever concerneth the education of children is
of the first importance. Let them put forth every effort in this regard, for
when the bough is green and tender it will grow in whatever way ye train it.
Therefore is it incumbent upon the mothers to rear their little ones even as a
gardener tendeth his young plants. Let them strive by day and by night to
establish within their children faith and certitude, the fear of God, the love
of the Beloved of the worlds, and all good qualities and traits. Whensoever a
mother seeth that her child hath done well, let her praise and applaud him and
cheer his heart; and if the slightest undesirable trait should manifest itself,
let her counsel the child and punish him, and use means based on reason, even a
slight verbal chastisement should this be necessary. It is not, however,
permissible to strike a child, or vilify him, for the child's character will be
totally perverted if he be subjected to blows or verbal abuse.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 125)
2.2.12
Learning Environment – Divine education
…from the very beginning, the children must receive divine education and must
continually be reminded to remember their God. Let the love of God pervade their
inmost being, commingled with their mother's milk.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 127)
2.2.13
Learning Environment –
Bahá'í
education
My wish is
that these children should receive a Bahá'í education, so that they may progress
both here and in the Kingdom, and rejoice thy heart.
In a time
to come, morals will degenerate to an extreme degree. It is essential that
children be reared in the Bahá'í way, that they may find happiness both in this
world and the next. If not, they shall be beset by sorrows and troubles, for
human happiness is founded upon spiritual behaviour.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 127)