Connections

I love making connections. This is one of the reasons I can never remember which quote comes from what book, because in my head, it's always connected to five other quotes from five other books, and I can never remember where I read any of those, either ...

This is why I'm not an academic. My citations are a mess.

But I made a connection recently that I found important enough to share here. The connection between purpose and duty.

In the Short Obligatory Prayer we are given, in simple and unavoidable language, the purpose of our existence:

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.
(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 313)

(Ocean did that citation for me. I love technology!)

And in the opening paragraph of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, we are given our duties as human creations of God:

The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 18)

To know God and to worship God. To recognize the Manifestation and to observe His ordinances. How are these concepts connected? Let's start by unpacking the first two.

How can one know God? In the Kitab-i-Iqan (Ha! I'm getting better at this!), we are told that God is an "Unknowable Essence." That would seem to put a damper on the purpose of life! But we are also told that in order to know God, we need only look to the Manifestation. `Abdu'l-Baha gives us the metaphor of the sun and the mirror:

Lastly the perfect man, the Prophet, is one who is transfigured, one who has the purity and clearness of a perfect mirror -- one who reflects the Sun of Truth. Of such a one -- of such a Prophet and Messenger -- we can say that the Light of Divinity with the heavenly Perfections dwells in him.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 23)

So, in order to know God, we must know the Manifestation. But how can you know someone you do not even recognize? The first purpose and the first duty are inseperably linked.

To worship God. What does it mean? What is prayer? What is worship?

the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls - a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds
(Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 69)

To pray is not to read psalms. To pray is to trust in God and to be submissive in all things to Him.
(H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 214)

work, especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according to Bahá'u'lláh a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a value in itself, because it draws us nearer to God, and enables us to better grasp His purpose for us in this world.
(Shoghi Effendi's notes on The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 192)

So if prayer and worship are not limited by the words of our mouths or even the meditations of our hearts, but are expanded to encompass all actions done in service and submission, what does this say about worship? I don't think that it is any kind of stretch to say that to worship God means to follow the ordinances of the Manifestation of God for this day. Another link snaps into place.

Is there a difference between duty and purpose? The purpose of a cup is to hold water. If it is not used for holding water, it is useless as a cup. If it is no longer able to hold water, it ceases to be a cup. But the one thing the cup cannot do is refuse to hold water when it is able. Thus, the cup does not have a duty that can be carried out.

We are human beings, not cups. We can choose not to recognize God's Manifestation. We can choose not to follow His Laws. But, if our duty is connected to our purpose, if our purpose is essentially to fulfill our duties, what does it mean for our existence when we choose this as a path? When a cup breaks and no longer holds water, it is no longer a cup, but scattered pieces of ceramic. Perhaps when we choose to avoid our duties, we cease to be fully human. Maybe this is the origin of so much of the world's despair.

I keep working on getting my pieces back together, gluing the connections that make me something worthwhile, a cup with the ability to hold. I like making connections.

After all, it's what I was created for.