A friend posed the question about the meaning of true prosperity.
In thinking about this question, I came across the passage below from the Baha'i Writings about the meaning of true wealth in the context of the mineral, vegetable, animal, and human worlds. Abdu'l-Baha mentions that the true wealth of an individual is comprised of (to name a few): intellectual perception, scientific discoveries, rectitude in all circumstances, the sacrifice of one's life for the good of all people, the education of the nations and races. What a refreshing perspective and how society tells us otherwise! The task before us is to free ourselves from the erroneous belief (which is fed to us by society) that true prosperity, both individually and collectively, is defined in merely material terms.
Here is the full passage:
TRUE WEALTH
The honor and exaltation of every existing being depends upon causes and circumstances.
The excellency, the adornment and the perfection of the earth is to be verdant and fertile through the bounty of the clouds of springtime. Plants grow; flowers and fragrant herbs spring up; fruit-bearing trees become full of blossoms and bring forth fresh and new fruit. Gardens become beautiful, and meadows adorned; mountains and plains are clad in a green robe, and gardens, fields, villages and cities are decorated. This is the prosperity of the mineral world.
The height of exaltation and the perfection of the vegetable world is that a tree should grow on the bank of a stream of fresh water, that a gentle breeze should blow on it, that the warmth of the sun should shine on it, that a gardener should attend to its cultivation, and that day by day it should develop and yield fruit. But its real prosperity is to progress into the animal and human world, and replace that which has been exhausted in the bodies of animals and men.
The exaltation of the animal world is to possess perfect members, organs and powers, and to have all its needs supplied. This is its chief glory, its honor and exaltation. So the supreme happiness of an animal is to have possession of a green and fertile meadow, perfectly pure flowing water, and a lovely, verdant forest. If these things are provided for it, no greater prosperity can be imagined. For example, if a bird builds its nest in a green and fruitful forest, 79 in a beautiful high place, upon a strong tree, and at the top of a lofty branch, and if it finds all it needs of seeds and water, this is its perfect prosperity.
But real prosperity for the animal consists in passing from the animal world to the human world, like the microscopic beings that, through the water and air, enter into man and are assimilated, and replace that which has been consumed in his body. This is the great honor and prosperity for the animal world; no greater honor can be conceived for it.
Therefore, it is evident and clear that this wealth, this comfort and this material abundance form the complete prosperity of minerals, vegetables and animals. No riches, wealth, comfort or ease of the material world is equal to the wealth of a bird; all the areas of these plains and mountains are its dwelling, and all the seeds and harvests are its food and wealth, and all the lands, villages, meadows, pastures, forests and wildernesses are its possessions. Now, which is the richer, this bird, or the most wealthy man? for no matter how many seeds it may take or bestow, its wealth does not decrease.
Then it is clear that the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perception, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's life for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the exaltation of man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honor!
These virtues do not appear from the reality of man except through the power of God and the divine teachings, for they need supernatural power for their manifestation. It may be that in the world of nature a trace of these perfections may appear, but they are unstable and ephemeral; they are like the rays of the sun upon the wall.
As the compassionate God has placed such a wonderful crown upon the head of man, man should strive that its brilliant jewels may become visible in the world.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 79)
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6 comments:
Hmm I dont entirely understand the bit about the real prosperity of animals being "in passing from the animal world to the human world...and replace that which has been consumed in his body." The first part of that statement seems to be talking about the evolution of animals into humans, which makes sense - but the last part makes it sound like their true wealth is in being eaten by humans. Is that how it is to be interpreted?
Its easier for me to understand with respect to plants, and their real prosperity being "to progress into the animal and human world, and replace that which has been exhausted in the bodies of animals and men" - all animals and humans need plants for their existence, and its not hard for me to believe that the underlying purpose of plants is to feed the higher kingdoms of existence. But is the same true for animals?
Also, the interpretation that the true prosperity of animals is in being consumed by man seems to be in contradiction with another statement of Abdu'l Baha's where he says, in response to a question, that "As humanity progresses, meat will be used less and less, for the teeth of man are not carnivorous. For example, the lion is endowed with carnivorous teeth, which are intended for meat, and if meat be not found, the lion starves. The lion cannot graze; its teeth are of different shape. The digestive system of the lion is such that it cannot receive nourishment save through meat. The eagle has a crooked beak, the lower part shorter than the upper. It cannot pick up grain; it cannot graze; therefore, it is compelled to partake of meat. The domestic animals have herbivorous teeth formed to cut grass, which is their fodder. The human teeth, the molars, are formed to grind grain. The front teeth, the incisors, are for fruits, etc. It is, therefore, quite apparent according to the implements for eating that man's food is intended to be grain and not meat. When mankind is more fully developed, the eating of meat will gradually cease." And in another writing, he says, "Truly, the killing of animals and the eating of their meat is somewhat contrary to pity and compassion, and of one can content oneself with cereals, fruit, oil and nuts, such as pistachios, almonds and so on, it would undoubtedly be better and more pleasing."
Here (and in other places) he clearly talks about how the natural diet of human beings is vegetarian, and that it would be better to not consume animal meat. So then I don't see how the real prosperity of the animal could lie in being consumed by man.
So what, do you think, is the correct interpretation? :)
Btw, the first quote was from Promulgation of Universal Peace, and the second from a tablet of his, compiled in "Selections from the Bahá’í Writings on Some Aspects of Health and Healing"
Interesting that you see this passage as being related to vegetarianism, etc. When I read the passage, the explanations about the true wealth of the mineral, vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms speak to me of transcendence.
For example, when Abdu'l-Baha mentions that the real prosperity of the vegetable world is to progress into the animal and human world, we can think of a plant which, when it becomes part of the animal world, transcends the limitations inherent in its state as a mere vegetable, and finds itself part of something with powers far beyond any it ever possessed. Similarly, when an animal becomes assimilated into the human body, it is suddenly part of a being that possesses infinitely greater powers than itself (such as consciousness, intelligence, etc). And Abdu'l-Baha uses as an example microscopic beings that, through the water and air, enter into man (rather than referring to the consumption of meat).
From these examples, then, we can infer that the greatest glory for the human being is to transcend its own realm and enter into the kingdom above itself, or the spiritual realm. Therefore, when man finds that he has begun to take on the characteristics of the spiritual realm (spiritual perception, spiritual qualities), he finds himself having access to powers far greater than he could ever imagine.
It therefore seems to me that Abdu'l-Baha draws on the examples of the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms to bring to our attention an essential truth about the meaning of the true wealth of man.
This would be one way to interpret Abdu'l-Baha's words about the real prosperity of a certain kingdom as passing into a higher kingdom.
Thanks for posting this reflection on the meaning of true wealth. I, too, was confused by that particular passage in the 'Abdu'l-Bahá quote... and I suppose I'm still mystified by its meaning, even after reading your reply.
I get the connection you're making between evolution / transcendence... I guess I'm just getting hung up on the way this is written. It definitely connotes, for me, more of the food chain logic to me... and though I'm not a biologist, I can't imagine that a plant eventually becomes an animal (other than being consumed by an animal / human), though we do know that humans probably evolved from another kind of animal...
Elsewhere (in Some Answered Questions), 'Abdu'l-Bahá tells us that humans are "at the highest degree of materiality, and at the beginning of spirituality" (a.k.a. end of imperfection/darkness and beginning of perfection/light). Despite my confusion, I suppose the more fundamental point of this passage is that: "the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches," or that, as you wrote, "the real prosperity of a certain kingdom as passing into a higher kingdom."
Hmm, I totally get what you said Leila, and I agree that the important thing here is the lesson about the spiritual word. I guess its the particular wording that got me and Casia to wonder about this. I still dont entirely understand what it means for something from the animal kingdom to "replace that which has been consumed in his body." And likewise what you said about being "assimilated" - what does that really mean? And if those microscopic beings that pass into man's body find true wealth, does that mean all animals should aspire to that too?
I wonder if all this is just an artifact of translation... :)
As long as we have gained understanding from the central idea in the passage, which Casia referred to ("...that the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality"), I think we have gained what we need to gain!
As far as the specifics of what it means for something from the animal kingdom to be assimilated in the human body, etc, I'm not sure how much of our focus this should receive as it's not a significant part of the passage. If it has a bearing on the way in which we are to lead our lives or the manner in which society should be organized, or if it affects the way in which we are to care for the environment, we can be sure it would be addressed directly in other writings.
btw, how does one edit one's own comment after it's been posted?
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