.
.
.
There
are a number of wonderful laws and teachings in the Baha'i faith for the
creation of a balanced society where there are no extremes of wealth or
poverty. many of these laws must be put into practice by Governments of
the world, but the basic solution of the economic problems of today depends
upon the individual. Baha'is
are encouraged to make every effort towards material as well as spiritual
advancement, but they should never forget these words of Baha'u'llah:
.
"
The essence of wealth is love for Me. Whoso loveth Me
is the possessor
of all things, and he that loveth Me not is, indeed , of the poor and needy.
"
.
True
wealth for a Baha'i then is the love
of God in his heart. When he possesses
this great treasure which no one can take away from him, material riches
will not be of great value in his eyes and outward poverty cannot become
the cause of his unhappiness. Baha'u'llah says :
.
"
O Son of My Handmaid !
Be
not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty
is
followed by riches, and riches are followed by
poverty..."
.
Once
our hearts are detached from the riches of this world , it becomes easy
for us to share our wealth with those who are in need, and this is what
Baha'u'llah expects His followers to do. In one of the Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha
we read:
.
"
Among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is voluntary
sharing of one's property with others
among mankind. This voluntary sharing is greater than
( legally imposed ) equality,
and consists in this , that one should not prefer oneself
to others, but rather should
sacrifice one's life and property for others. But
this should not be introduced by
coercion so that it becomes a law which man
is compelled to follow. Nay, rather,
man should voluntarily and of his own
choice sacrifice his property and life for
others,
and spend willingly for the poor, just as is done in Iran
among the Baha'is. "
.
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