The Secret of Right Living

Shoghi Effendi tells us the secret of right living. Hear what some young adults in Minneapolis, at a recent Material Encounters gathering sponsored by the Office of the Treasurer in October, had to say about what that means for Americans.

Shoghi Effendi tells us, “To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by the fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good—this is the secret of right living.” This amazing statement caught the interest of young adults in a recent Material Encounters gathering sponsored by the Office of the Treasurer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, held on October 24.

Two elements from this passage sparked a rich discussion. One is the idea that we should give of our material resources despite the fear of poverty. Poverty and the fear of falling into it are, in the eyes of the participants, both major motivators and inhibitors in the lives of most Americans. These fears motivate us to spend much of our time working and sometimes deter us from sharing our resources as much as we might. But here, as in all his writings, the Guardian demonstrates a keen understanding and level of compassion by acknowledging that the fear of poverty exists. Research by economists and sociologists, for example, has found that, paradoxically, often the higher someone’s salary the more likely that person is to feel that their salary is just enough to get by. To live right, the Guardian instructs us, is to sacrifice in the face of that fear, whether real or imagined.

The second related point of discussion was the meaning of truly relying on the “Source of all wealth and all good.” For instance, should one save for retirement or give one’s all to support the Funds? One participant asked, “At what point is something considered faith and at what point does Baha'u'llah say, That was irresponsible?” Many writings of the Faith and many of the exemplary lives led in service to the Blessed Beauty speak of ultimate sacrifice. The feeling among the group was that the answer is left to each person to meditate on and pray about, but that there is infinite value in speaking about these things with our sisters and brothers in the community.

Dozens of young adults across the country have engaged in similar discussions about the intersection of the material and spiritual, and how we can help one another in our community balance the two. For materials or to inquire about hosting a Material Encounter in your area, contact the Office of the Treasurer’s Young Believers Programs by phone at 847.733.3472, or by email at Fundamentals@usbnc.org.

Comments

[John M H.]

Dear FUNDamentals Team, Thank you for your website. Concerning "The Secret of Right Living" article, I think that it includes some other words which I hope you can add to your website. These words are about being like a fountain which is continually emptying itself and being refilled from an invisible source. I found a Bible passage which I think has some similarity to this: "Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. " - Isaiah 58:10-11, The Living Bible. Thank you.

[BlessedB]

Perhaps planning for your retirement is much more than just a matter of having a bank account at your disposal when you become elderly. Many people die alone in old people's homes with nothing but their bank account to take care of them. It would be shameful to me if that were my parents, and it would be equally shameful to me if I brought my own children up to value their material goods more than my well-being in my time of need. If you sacrificed all of your life and lived responsibly and that did not allow you to accumulate a large bank account for when you became hard pressed to work a job then it is likely that among those whom you have served in your lifetime Allah would instill the grace to serve you back in your time of need. One would be proved a fool to have put more faith in their material savings than in their good deeds done in the name of Love and Baha'u'llah.

[Christina M]

Very interesting article. I wonder if anyone has any thoughts about this: can I really plan and save for my retirement (more than 30 years away) when friends and family in other countries barely have enough to eat? I have trouble reconciling the "be responsible and plan ahead" view typical here and the harsh realities abroad.