Inspired
by the
Baha’i Faith
The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith. The official website of the Baha'i Faith is: Bahai.org. The official website of the Baha'is of the United States can be found here: Bahai.us.
GOT IT
The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
How do I become Baha’i?
Religion

Religion and That Mystic Feeling

Christopher Buck | Jul 24, 2014

PART 3 IN SERIES 50 Baha'i Principles of Unity

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

Interested in Other Topics?

We’ve got something for everyone.
Christopher Buck | Jul 24, 2014

PART 3 IN SERIES 50 Baha'i Principles of Unity

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

Unity begins with “that mystic feeling”:

For the core of religious faith is that mystic feeling which unites Man with God. – Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 86.

Like the beginning of the “yellow brick road” in “The Wizard of Oz,” the path to God starts here. The road to happiness also begins here. The course of action to a better life — which means making this world a better place — likewise starts here. How best to progress along this path?

First, this mystic feeling is cultivated primarily in meditation and prayer:

This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer. – Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 86.

This is true, not only for the Baha’i Faith, but for all world religions:

The Baha’i Faith, like all other Divine Religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character. – Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 86.

Here, unity is not sameness. The expression, “unites Man with God” does not mean “Man is God.” This definition for “unite” applies:

“2.a. To make one in feeling or thought; to cause to agree; to combine or join (persons) together in action or interest, or for some special purpose.” – Oxford English Dictionary.

Woman prayingFor a Baha’i, this definition could intensify to read: “To make one in feeling and thought” and “to combine or join (persons) together in action and interest, and for some special purpose.”

So “that mystic feeling” can arise when you are one in feeling and thought with God. “That mystic feeling” can also be experienced when you join together, with God, in action and interest, and for some special purpose.

How is this possible? As Abdu’l-Baha said in Pleasanton, California, on October 15, 1912, “How can the finite utter praise of the Infinite?”

Like a euphoric hormone, “that mystic feeling” courses throughout one’s being in the contemplation of God’s creation, as in Baha’u’llah’s prayer:

I am well aware, O my Lord, that I have been so carried away by the clear tokens of Thy loving-kindness, and so completely inebriated with the wine of Thine utterance, that whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.

I swear by Thy might, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all mankind, and the destinies of the nations! I am so inflamed by my love for Thee, and so inebriated with the wine of Thy oneness, that I can hear from the whisper of the winds the sound of Thy glorification and praise, and can recognize in the murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth Thy virtues and Thine attributes, and can apprehend from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries that have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy realm. – Prayers and Meditations, pp. 271–272.

Here, Baha’u’llah contemplates nature. He gazes at earth and sky, at ocean and mountains, and listens to the “whisper of the winds,” to the “murmur of the waters,” and to the “rustling of the leaves.” Here, Baha’u’llah can “hear” God. Not by divine audition; not by geomancy; but by “that mystic feeling.”

So can you and I. Just give it a try,

You can get “that mystic feeling” through prayer; by doing good for others; or even by hearing the “voice of God” speaking through Baha’u’llah, as in this passage:

O SON OF DUST! Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness. – The Hidden Words, p. 25.

Okay, I think you get the idea. “That mystic feeling” magically happens when you pray, meditate, and act — if possible, at each and every moment — in accordance with the love and the will of God. Easier said than done, of course–but easier to do than you might think.

I get “that mystic feeling” almost every day. But it’s easy to lose. It can vanish with the slightest intrusion of selfishness, of meanness, of doing wrong, of being immoral.

So my “50 Baha’i Principles of Unity” begin with “that mystic feeling which unites Man with God.” Finding that feeling will make your life “fundamentally mystic in character.” This divine elixir constitutes the secret formula for true happiness.

“Mystic in character” does not mean retreating to a monastery to lead a cloistered existence. It means to be active in society, to render service, and to do your part in advancing civilization. “That mystic feeling” can be experienced every day, in fact. It’s a positive addiction. “That mystic feeling” makes the ordinary extraordinary. It fills each waking moment with a sense of fulfillment, of purpose, of growth.

You May Also Like

The Twelfth Day of Ridvan: Baha’u’llah’s Exile Continues
Religion

The Twelfth Day of Ridvan: Baha’u’llah’s Exile Continues

Can Hardship Become Kindness?
Religion

Can Hardship Become Kindness?

Baha’u’llah and the Return of Krishna
Religion

Baha’u’llah and the Return of Krishna


Comments

characters remaining
  • Sean TheWayfarer
    Jun 7, 2016
    -
    Beautiful article. Thank you.
    Reminds me once again of these words of Abdu'l-Baha:
    Man must live in a state of prayer. The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and supplication. Prayer is conversation with God. The greatest attainment or the sweetest state is none other than convention with God. It creates spirituality, creates mindfulness and celestial feelings, begets new attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the susceptibilities of the higher intelligence. (Words of Abdu'l-Baha from the Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, March 15, 1914; included in ‘Divine Art of Living: A Compilation by Mary M. Thybb’; Star of ...the West, vol. 8, no. 4, May 17, 1917
    Read more...
  • Mar 6, 2015
    -
    This is a brilliant article, Chris.
    Yesterday during a restorative justice circle with three young men I asked them who is their best friend(s). Responding they looked and pointed at one another. I asked them who among their friends is their best friend. The shrugged. That question was followed another one -- who was with you when you were sick, feeling lonely, dejected by others of your age. Who accepts you "warts" and all. Each chap turned to and pointed at their parents. I chided them a bit saying did you just tell me your "boys" were your best ...friends? They said yes but parents are will us all the time. I asked them how and what did the feel about their parents. Each responded saying it was an inexplicable feeling or connection. They admitted they never said as much to themselves, their parents or others of their friends. I turned to the parents and ask each to describe what they felt about their sons. Parents said they birthed their sons and it was an experience that exceed all the physical, emotional trauma. It was like a mystical experience. I closed the session with a comment: both parents and sons had a mystical experience with the Creator. Noting that each of them were agents of that experience. The were urged to nourish that connection.
    Read more...
  • Jul 25, 2014
    -
    I love this so much! I have talked about this "mystic feeling" with many addicts and told them that they don't need drugs, alcohol, food, or any other false substance that produces false experiences! I think these quotes could be used in rehab situations. Thank you very much!!
x
x
Connect with Baha’is in your area
Welcome!
What's your name?
Thanks my friend ! We want to connect you with a Baha’i in your area, where would that be?
Thank you so much! How can they best reach you?
To put you in touch with a Baha’i in your area who can answer your questions, we would like to kindly ask for a few details about yourself.
Connect with Baha’is in your area
Connect with Baha’is in your area
Get in touch with the Baha’is in your community.