Wendi’s Wanders

How good would it be were there any possibility of a commission composed of men and women, to travel together through China . . . so that this bond of love may become strengthened, and through this going and coming they may establish the oneness of the world of humanity . . . `Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i writings

At different times in history, a series of trade routes connected Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. Along this series of routes, known as the `Silk Road’ or `Silk Route’, commodities passed. Perhaps more importantly, however, as traders, explorers, pilgrims, soldiers and travellers crossed the continents, a cultural exchange developed as news, inventions and ideas travelled with them, enriching whole communities.

Such was the pilgrim road today, as Bahá’ís from every continent made their way to the Shrine of Bahá’u'lláh in Bahjí. More than a man with good ideas, Bahá’u'lláh is the divinely appointed teacher of all humanity for this age. His teachings for enhancing one’s spiritual life through the development of qualities such as love, justice, patience and detachment are directly connected to His social blueprint for a united, just, peaceful and prosperous world, as these same spiritual qualities are to be reflected in one’s social life and in the life of the wider community at all levels.

Fascinating, then, to meet people from so many different cultures who all have this same focus. And this caused me to reflect that in the Bahá’í writings many cultures and traditions are mentioned by name or picked out for special honour - and that some of these are perhaps not considered worthy of honour by the generality of humanity. For example, the Bahá’í texts mention the `talented’ Roma, and the indigenous people of Africa whom Bahá’u'lláh compared with the pupil of the eye through which the light of spirit shines forth, and the native American peoples who `will become so enlightened as in turn to shed light to all regions’.

As well as the pilgrims, there are many people visiting the Bahá’í World Centre at the moment, not all of them Bahá’ís. I was particularly glad to meet two PhD students from China who have been sent by their university to research the Bahá’í Faith. They fit perfectly the description of Chinese students found in the Bahá’í writings: they have `fresh and receptive minds’. I might add that they are absolutely delightful!

Of all the cultures and peoples mentioned in the Bahá’í writings, the Chinese are held in extremely high esteem. Called the `great Chinese race’ and the `talented Chinese race’, they are `most simple hearted and truth seeking’, ` peace loving’, `free from any deceit and hypocrisies and are prompted with ideal motives’; their country is `the country of the future’. Talking with these students, drinking China tea, learning about them and their culture, I felt I was taking the first steps on the Silk Road between their civilization and the civilization envisioned by Bahá’u'lláh.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahá’í, Bahá’u'lláh, Bahá’í World Centre, pilgrimage, Bahjí, Silk Road, China, Native Americans, Roma, Africa

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