Chapter 7
Baha'u'llah
and the New Era:
Chapter
Seven: Health and Healing
Turning the face towards God brings healing to the
body, the mind and the soul. -- ABDU'L-BAHA.
Body
and Soul
According
to the Bahá'í teaching the human body serves a temporary purpose in the development
of the soul, and, when that purpose has been served, is laid aside; just as the
eggshell serves a temporary purpose in the development of the chick, and, when
that purpose has been served, is broken and discarded. Abdu'l-Baha says that the
physical body is incapable of immortality, for it is a composite thing, built
up of atoms and molecules, and, like all things that are composed, must, in time,
become decomposed.
The body should be the servant of the soul, never its master, but it should be
a willing, obedient and efficient servant, and should be treated with the consideration
which a good servant deserves. If it is not properly treated, disease and disaster
result, with injurious consequences to master as well as servant.
Oneness
of All Life
The essential oneness of all the myriad forms and grades of life is one of the
fundamental teachings of Baha'u'llah. Our physical health is so linked up with
our mental, moral and spiritual health, and also with the individual and social
health of our fellowmen, nay, even with the life of the animals and plants, that
each of these is affected by the others to a far greater extent than is usually
realized. There
is no command of the Prophet, therefore, to whatever department of life it may
primarily refer, which does not concern bodily health. Certain of the teachings,
however, have a
more direct bearing on physical health than others, and these we may now proceed
to examine.
Simple
Life
Abdu'l-Baha says: -- Economy
is the foundation of human prosperity. The spendthrift is always in trouble. Prodigality
on the part of any person is an unpardonable sin. We must never live on others
like a parasitic plant. Every person must have a profession, whether it be literary
or manual, and must live a clean, manly, honest life, an example of purity to
be imitated by others. It is more kingly to be satisfied with a crust of stale
bread than to enjoy a sumptuous dinner of many courses, the money for which comes
out of the pockets of others. The mind of a contented person is always peaceful
and his heart at rest. -- Bahá'í Scriptures, p. 453.
Animal food is not forbidden, but Abdu'l-Baha says: -- "Fruits
and grains [will be the foods of the future]. The time will come when meat will
no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that
our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground." -- Ten Days in the Light
of Akka, by Julie M. Grundy.
Alcohol
and Narcotics
The use of narcotics and intoxicants of any kind, except as remedies in case of
illness, is strictly forbidden by Baha'u'llah.
Enjoyments
The Bahá'í
teaching is based on moderation, not asceticism. Enjoyment of the good and beautiful
things of life, both material and spiritual, is not only encouraged but enjoined.
Baha'u'llah says: "Deprive not yourselves of that which has been created for you."
Again He says: "It is incumbent upon
you that exultation and glad tidings be manifest in your faces."
Abdu'l-Baha says: -- All
that has been created is for man, who is at the apex of creation, and he must
be thankful for the divine bestowals. All material things are for us, so that
through our gratitude we may learn to understand life as a divine benefit. If
we are disgusted with life we are ingrates, for our material and spiritual existence
are the outward evidences of the divine mercy. Therefore we must be happy and
spend our time in praises, appreciating all things. Asked
whether the Bahá'í prohibition of gambling applies to game of every description,
Abdu'l-Baha replied: -- No,
some games are innocent, and if pursued for pastime there is no harm. But there
is danger that pastime may degenerate into waste of time. Waste of time is not
acceptable in the Cause of God. But recreation which may improve the bodily powers,
as exercise, is desirable. -- A Heavenly Vista, p. 9.
Cleanliness
Baha'u'llah says, in the Book of Aqdas: -- Be
the essence of cleanliness among mankind ... under all circumstances conform yourselves
to refined manners ... let no trace of uncleanliness appear on your clothes. ...
Immerse yourselves in pure water; a water which hath been used is not allowable.
... Verily We have desired to see in you the manifestations of Paradise on earth,
so that there may be diffused from you that whereat the hearts of the favored
ones shall rejoice. -- Kitab-i-Aqdas. Mirza
Abu'l-Fadl, in his book, Bahá'í Proofs (p. 89), points out the extreme importance
of these commands, more especially in some parts of the East, where water of the
foulest description is often used for household purposes, for bathing
and even for drinking, and horribly insanitary conditions abound, causing a vast
amount of preventable disease and misery. These conditions, often supposed to
be sanctioned by the prevailing religion, can be changed, among Orientals, only
by the commandment of one who is believed to have Divine authority. In many parts
of the Western Hemisphere, too, a wonderful transformation would result were cleanliness
accepted not only as next to godliness, but as an essential part of godliness.
Effect
of Obedience to Prophetic Commands
The bearing on health of these commands relating to the simple life, hygiene,
abstinence from alcohol and opium, etcetera, is too obvious to call for much comment,
although their vital importance is apt to be greatly underestimated. Were they
to be generally observed, most of the infectious diseases and a good many others
would soon vanish from among men. The amount of illness caused by neglect of simple
hygienic precautions and by indulgence in alcohol and opium is prodigious. Moreover,
obedience to these commands would not only affect health, but would have an enormous
effect for good on character and conduct. Alcohol and opium affect a man's conscience
long before they affect his gait or cause obvious bodily disease, so that the
moral spiritual gain from abstinence would be even greater than the physical.
With regard to cleanliness, Abdu'l-Baha says: -- "External cleanliness, although
it is but a physical thing, has great influence upon spirituality. ... The fact
of having a pure and spotless body exercises an influence upon the spirit of man."
Were the
commands of the Prophets concerning chastity in sexual relations generally observed,
another fertile cause of disease would be eliminated. The loathsome venereal diseases,
which wreck the health of so many thousands today, innocent as well as guilty,
babes as well as parents, would very soon be entirely a thing of the past. Were
the commands of the Prophets concerning justice, mutual aid, loving one's neighbor
as oneself, carried out, how could overcrowding, sweated labor and sordid poverty
on the one hand, together with self-indulgence, idleness and sordid luxury on
the other, continue to work mental, moral and physical ruin? Simple
obedience to the hygienic and moral commands of Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad
or Baha'u'llah would do more in the way of preventing disease than all the doctors
and all the public health regulations in the world have been able to accomplish.
In fact, it seems certain that were such obedience general, good health would
also become general. Instead of lives being blighted by disease of cut off in
infancy, youth or prime, as so frequently happens now, men would live to a ripe
old age, like sound fruits that mature and mellow ere they drop from the bough.
The Prophet as Physician
We live in a world, however, where from time immemorial obedience to the commands
of the Prophets has been the exception rather than the rule; where love of self
has been a more prevalent motive than love of God; where limited and party interests
have taken precedence of the interests of humanity as a whole; where material
possessions and sensual pleasures have been preferred to the social and spiritual
welfare of mankind. Hence have arisen fierce competition and conflict, oppression
and tyranny, extremes of wealth and poverty -- all those conditions which breed
disease, mental and physical. As a consequence, the whole tree of humanity is
sick, and every leaf on the tree shares in the general sickness. Even the purest
and holiest have to suffer for the sins of others. Healing is needed -- healing
of humanity as a whole, of nations and of individuals. So Baha'u'llah, like His
inspired predecessors, not only shows how health is to be maintained, but also
how it may be recovered when lost. He comes as the Great Physician, the Healer
of the world's sicknesses, both of body and of mind. Healing
by Material Means
In the Western world of today there is evident a remarkable revival of belief
in the efficacy of healing by mental and spiritual means. Indeed many, in their
revolt against the materialistic ideals about disease and its treatment which
prevailed in the nineteenth century, have gone to the opposite extreme of denying
that material remedies or hygienic methods have any value whatsoever. Baha'u'llah
recognizes the value of both material and spiritual remedies. He teaches that
the science and art of healing must be developed, encouraged and perfected, so
that all means of healing may be used to the best advantage, each in its appropriate
sphere. When members of Baha'u'llah's own family were sick, a professional physician
was called in, and this practice is recommended to His followers. He says: "Should
ye be attacked by illness or disease, consult skillful physicians." -- Kitab-i-Aqdas.
This is
quite in accordance with the Bahá'í attitude towards science and art generally.
All sciences and arts which are for the benefit of mankind, even in a material
way, are to be esteemed and promoted. Through science man becomes the master of
material things; through ignorance he remains their slave. Baha'u'llah
writes: -- Do
not neglect medical treatment when it is necessary, but leave it off when health
has been restored. Treat disease through diet, by preference, refraining from
the use of drugs; and if you find what is required in a single herb, do not resort
to a compound medicament. ... Abstain from drugs when the health is good, but
administer them when necessary. -- Tablet to a Physician In
one of His Tablets Abdu'l-Baha says: -- O
seeker after truth! There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and
spiritual means. The first way is through the use of material remedies. The second
consists in praying to God and in turning to Him. Both means should be used and
practiced. ... Moreover, they are not incompatible, and you should accept the
physical remedies as coming from the mercy and favor of God Who has revealed and
made manifest medical knowledge, so that His servants may profit by this kind
of treatment also.
He teaches that, were our natural tastes and instincts not vitiated by foolish
and unnatural modes of living, they would become reliable guides in the choice
both of appropriate diet and of medicinal fruits, herbs and other remedies, as
is the case with wild animals. In an interesting talk on healing, recorded in
Some Answered Questions (p. 298), He says in conclusion: -- It
is therefore evident that it is possible to cure by foods, aliments, and fruits;
but as to-day the science of medicine is imperfect, this fact is not yet fully
grasped. When the science of medicine reaches perfection, treatment will be given
by foods, aliments, fragrant fruits, and vegetables, and by various waters, hot
and cold in temperature. Even
when the means of healing are material, the power that heals is really Divine,
for the attributes of the herb of mineral are from the Divine Bestowals. "All
depends upon God. Medicine is merely an outward form or means by which we obtain
heavenly healing."
Healing
by Nonmaterial Means
He teaches that there are also many methods of healing without material means.
There is a "contagion of health," as well as a contagion of disease, although
the former is very slow and has a small effect, while the latter is often violent
and rapid in its action. Much
more powerful effects result from the patient's own
mental states, and "suggestion" may play an important part in determining these
states. Fear, anger, worry, et cetera, are very prejudicial to health, while hope,
love, joy, et cetera, are correspondingly beneficial. Thus
Baha'u'llah says: -- Verily
the most necessary thing is contentment under all circumstances; by this one is
preserved from morbid conditions and lassitude. Yield not to grief and sorrow:
they cause the greatest misery. Jealousy consumeth the body and anger doth burn
the liver: avoid these two as you would a lion. -- Tablet to a Physician.
And Abdu'l-Baha says: -- "Joy gives us wings. In times of joy our strength is
more vital, our intellect keener. ... But when sadness visits us our strength
leaves us." Of
another form of mental healing Abdu'l-Baha writes that it results: -- from
the entire concentration of the mind of a strong person upon a sick person, when
the latter expects with all his concentrated faith that a cure will be effected
from the spiritual power of the strong person, to such an extent that there will
be a cordial connection between the strong person and the invalid. The strong
person makes every effort to cure the sick patient, and the sick patient is then
sure of receiving a cure. From the effect of these mental impressions an excitement
of the nerves is produced, and this impression and this excitement of the nerves
will become the cause of the recovery of the sick person. -- Some Answered Questions,
p. 294.
All these methods of healing, however, are limited in their effects, and may fail
to effect a cure in severe maladies.
The Power
of the Holy Spirit
The most potent means of healing is the Power of the Holy Spirit. ... This does
not depend on contact, nor on sight, nor upon presence. ... Whether the disease
be light or severe, whether there be a contact of bodies or not, whether a personal
connection be established between the sick person and the healer or not, this
healing takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit. -- Some Answered Questions,
p. 295.
In a talk with Miss Ethel Rosenberg, in October 1904, Abdu'l-Baha said: -- The
healing that is by the power of the Holy Spirit needs no special concentration
or contact. It is through the wish or desire and the prayer of the holy person.
The one who is sick may be in the East and the healer in the West, and they may
not have been acquainted with each other, but as soon as that holy person turns
his heart to God and begins to pray, the sick one is healed. This is a gift belonging
to the Holy Manifestations and those who are in the highest station.
Of this nature, apparently, were the works of healing performed by Christ and
His apostles, and similar works of healing have been attributed to holy men in
all ages. Both Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha were gifted with this power, and similar
powers are promised to Their faithful followers.
Attitude
of the Patient
In order that the power of spiritual healing may be brought fully into operation
certain requirements are necessary on the part of the patient, of the healer,
of the patient's friends and of the community at large. On
the part of the patient the prime requisite is, turning with all the heart to
God, with implicit trust both in His Power and in His Will to do whatever is best.
To an American lady, in August 1912, Abdu'l-Baha said: -- All
of these ailments will pass away and you will receive perfect physical and spiritual
health. ... Let your heart be confident and assured that through the Bounty of
Baha'u'llah, through the Favor of Baha'u'llah, everything will become pleasant
for you. ... But you must turn your face wholly towards the Abha (All-Glorious)
Kingdom, giving perfect attention -- the same attention that Mary Magdalene gave
to His Holiness Christ -- and I assure you that you will get physical and spiritual
health. You are worthy. I give you the glad tidings that you are worthy because
your heart is pure. ... Be confident! Be happy! Be rejoiced! Be hopeful!
Although in this particular case Abdu'l-Baha guaranteed the attainment of sound
physical health, He does not do so in every case, even where there is strong faith
on the part of the individual. To a pilgrim in Akka He said: -- The
prayers which were written for the purpose of healing are both for the spiritual
and material healing. ... If healing is best for the patient, surely it will be
granted. For some who are sick, healing for them shall be the cause of other ills.
Thus it is that Wisdom does not decree the answer to some prayers. O
maid-servant of God. The Power of the Holy Spirit heals both material and spiritual
ills. -- Daily Lessons Received at Akka, p. 95. Again
He writes to one who is ill: -- Verily
the Will of God acts sometimes in a way for which mankind is unable to find out
the reason. The causes and reasons shall appear. Trust in God and confide in Him,
and resign thyself to the Will of God. Verily thy God is affectionate, compassionate
and merciful ... and will cause His Mercy to descend upon Thee.
He teaches that spiritual health is conducive to physical health, but physical
health depends upon many factors, some of which are outside the control of the
individual. Even the most exemplary spiritual attitude on the part of the individual,
therefore,
may not ensure physical health in every case. The holiest men and women sometimes
suffer illness. Nevertheless,
the beneficent influence on bodily health which results from a right spiritual
attitude is far more potent than is generally imagined, and is sufficient to banish
ill-health in a large proportion of cases. Abdu'l-Baha wrote to an English lady:
-- "You have written about the weakness of your body. I ask from the Bounties
of Baha'u'llah that your spirit may become strong, that through the strength of
your spirit your body also may be healed." Again
He says: -- God
hath bestowed upon man such wonderful powers, that he might ever look upward,
and receive, among other gifts, healing from His divine Bounty. But alas! man
is not grateful for this supreme good, but sleeps the sleep of negligence, being
careless of the great mercy which God has shown towards him, turning his face
away from the Light and going on his way in darkness.
The
Healer
The power of spiritual healing is doubtless common to all mankind in greater or
less degree, but, just as some men are endowed with exceptional talent for mathematics
or music, so others appear to be endowed with exceptional aptitude for healing.
These are the people who ought to make the healing art their lifework. Unfortunately,
so materialistic has the world become in recent centuries that the very possibility
of spiritual healing has to a large extent been lost sight of. Like all other
talents the gift of healing has to be recognized, trained and educated in order
that it may attain its highest development and power, and there are probably thousands
in the world today, richly dowered with natural aptitude for healing, in whom
this precious gift is lying dormant and inactive. When the potentialities of mental
and spiritual treatment are more fully realized, the healing art will be transformed
and ennobled and
its efficacy immeasurably increased. And when this new knowledge and power in
the healer are combined with lively faith and hope on the part of the patient,
wonderful results may be looked for. In
God must be our trust. There is no God but Him, the Healer, the Knower, the Helper.
... Nothing in earth or heaven is outside the grasp of God.
O physician! In
treating the sick, first mention the name of Thy God, the Possessor of the Day
of Judgment, and then use what God hath destined for the healing of His creatures.
By My Life! The physician who has drunk from the Wine of My Love, his visit is
healing, and his breath is mercy and hope. Cling to him for the welfare of the
constitution. He is confirmed by God in his treatment.
This knowledge (of
the healing art) is the most important of all the sciences, for it is the greatest
means from God, the Life-giver to the dust, for preserving the bodies of all people,
and He has put it in the forefront of all sciences and wisdoms. For this is the
day when you must arise for My Victory. Thy
Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to
Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing
and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the
All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. -- BAHA'U'LLAH, Tablet to a Physician. Abdu'l-Baha
writes: -- He
who is filled with love of Baha, and forgets all things, the Holy Spirit will
be heard from his lips and the spirit of life will fill his heart. ... Words will
issue from his lips in strands of pearls, and all sickness and disease will be
healed by the laying on of the hands. O
thou pure and spiritual one! Turn thou toward God with thy heart beating with
His love, devoted to His praise, gazing towards His Kingdom and seeking help from
His Holy Spirit in a state of ecstasy, rapture, love, yearning, joy and fragrance.
God will assist thee, through a spirit from His Presence, to heal sickness and
disease. Continue
in healing hearts and bodies and seek healing for sick persons by turning unto
the Supreme Kingdom and by setting the heart upon obtaining healing through the
power of the Greatest Name and by the spirit of the Love of God.
How
All Can Help
The work of healing the sick, however, is a matter that concerns not the patient
and the practitioner only, but everyone. All must help, by sympathy and service,
by right living and right thinking, and especially by prayer, for of all remedies
prayer is the most potent. "Supplication and prayer on behalf of others," says
Abdu'l-Baha, "will surely be effective." The friends of the patient have a special
responsibility, for their influence, either for good or ill, is most direct and
powerful. In how many cases of sickness the issue depends mainly on the ministrations
of parents, friends or neighbors of the helpless sufferer!
Even the members of the community at large have an influence in every case of
sickness. In individual cases that influence may not appear great, yet in the
mass the effect is potent. Everyone is affected by the social "atmosphere" in
which he lives, by the general prevalence of faith or materialism, of virtue or
vice, of cheerfulness of depression; and each individual has his share in determining
the state of that social "atmosphere." It may not be possible for everyone, in
the present state of the world, to attain to perfect health, but it is possible
for everyone to become a "willing channel" for the health-giving power of the
Holy Spirit and thus to exert a healing, helpful influence both on his own body
and on all with whom he comes in contact. Few
duties are impressed on Bahá'ís more repeatedly and emphatically than that of
healing the sick, and many beautiful
prayers for healing have been revealed by both Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha.
The
Golden Age
Baha'u'llah
gives the assurance that, through harmonious cooperation of patients, healers
and the community in general, and by appropriate use of the various means to health,
material, mental and spiritual, the Golden Age may be realized, when, by the Power
of God, "all sorrow will be turned into joy, and all disease into health." Abdu'l-Baha
says that "when the Divine Message is understood, all troubles will vanish." Again
He says: --
When the material world and the divine world are well correlated, when the hearts
become heavenly and the aspirations pure, perfect connection shall take place.
Then shall this power produce a perfect manifestation. Physical and spiritual
diseases will then receive absolute healing.
Right
Use of Health
In
concluding this chapter it will be well to recall Abdu'l-Baha's teaching as to
the right use of physical health. In one of His Tablets to the Bahá'ís of Washington
He says: -- If
the health and well-being of the body be expended in the path of the Kingdom,
this is very acceptable and praiseworthy; and if it be expended to the benefit
of the human world in general -- even though it be to their material (or bodily)
benefit -- and be a means of doing good, that is also acceptable. But if the health
and welfare of man be spent in sensual desires, in a life on the animal plane,
and in devilish pursuits -- then disease were better than such health; nay, death
itself were preferable to such a life. If thou art desirous of health, wish thou
health for serving the Kingdom. I hope that thou mayest attain perfect insight,
inflexible resolution, complete health, and spiritual and physical strength in
order that thou mayest drink from the fountain of eternal life and be assisted
by the spirit of divine confirmation.
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