![]() In this sense, the equivalent of wu wei in the Baha’i worldview represents the act of surrendering one’s actions and allowing God to dictate the outcome.īut we must also remember that just as in Taoism, Baha’i life has two aspects: the passive and the active. They share them in a friendly way and let go of attachment to the outcome. Here we see that when Baha’is teach others their Faith, they never force their beliefs on others. – Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. If anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and goodwill. 337.īaha’u’llah advised us to use this principle of receptivity and detachment when sharing truth with others:Ĭonsort with all men, O people of Baha, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. – Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. It behoveth thee to consecrate thyself to the Will of God. ![]() The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above, every other station. The equivalent of wu wei in the Baha’i worldview represents the act of surrendering one’s actions and allowing God to dictate the outcome: In this sense, wu wei means “the path of least resistance.” It might seem lazy, but wu wei essentially allows your surroundings to accomplish your own aims. – The Book of Chuang Tzu, translated by M. Thus, I miss the great sinews and even more so, the great bones. I practice with my mind, not with my eyes … I see the natural lines and my knife slides through the great hollows … using that which is already there to my advantage. When asked what the secret was, he explained: 64.Ī later Taoist, Chuang Tzu, known for his humor and obscure sense of reasoning, told the story of a cook acknowledged for his excellent skill in butchering meat. Because water excels in benefiting the myriad creatures without contending with them and settles where none would like to be, it comes close to the way. In one sense this can be taken to mean “going with the flow.” In the Tao Te Ching, the seminal work of Taoism, Lao-Tzu repeatedly made reference to the humble nature of water, encouraging us to be just as fluid in the way we live: Interestingly, not only did Baha’u’llah and the Taoist sages explain the same concept they also employed the same type of logic: paradoxical logic, namely that yin and yang are distinct yet one, a truth that the human intellect finds difficult to grasp.Īnother key concept of Taoism, wu wei, literally “non-action,” refers to living in accord with the true nature of reality instead of against it. These two are the same, yet they are different. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. One of the most well-known Taoist conceptions is the notion of yin and yang, the interaction and balance between the passive (yin) and active (yang) forces of existence.īaha’u’llah wrote that these two very forces provided the means for the birth of creation itself: Taoism-the philosophy of life that originated in China two and a half thousand years ago-has some interesting similarities to the Baha’i view of life.
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