Turning the face towards God brings healing to the body, the mind and the
soul.--'ABDU'L-BAHA.
Body and Soul
According to the Baha'i teaching the human body serves a temporary purpose
in the development of the soul, and, when that purpose has been served, is
laid aside; just as the eggshell serves a temporary purpose in the
development of the chick, and, when that purpose has been served, is
broken and discarded. 'Abdu'l-Baha says that the physical body is
incapable of immortality, for it is a composite thing, built up of atoms
and molecules, and, like all things that are composed, must, in time,
become decomposed.
The body should be the servant of the soul, never its master, but it
should be a willing, obedient and efficient servant, and should be treated
with the consideration which a good servant deserves. If it is not
properly treated, disease and disaster result, with injurious consequences
to master as well as servant.
Oneness of All Life
The essential oneness of all the myriad forms and grades of life is one of
the fundamental teachings of Baha'u'llah. Our physical health is so linked
up with our mental, moral and spiritual health, and also with the
individual and social health of our fellowmen, nay, even with the life of
the animals and plants, that each of these is affected by the others to a
far greater extent than is usually realized.
There is no command of the Prophet, therefore, to whatever department of
life it may primarily refer, which does not concern bodily health. Certain
of the teachings, however, have a more direct bearing on physical health
than others, and these we may now proceed to examine.
Simple Life
'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
Economy is the foundation of human prosperity. The spendthrift is
always in trouble. Prodigality on the part of any person is an
unpardonable sin. We must never live on others like a parasitic
plant. Every person must have a profession, whether it be literary
or manual, and must live a clean, manly, honest life, an example
of purity to be imitated by others. It is more kingly to be
satisfied with a crust of stale bread than to enjoy a sumptuous
dinner of many courses, the money for which comes out of the
pockets of others. The mind of a contented person is always
peaceful and his heart at rest.--Baha'i Scriptures, p. 453.
Animal food is not forbidden, but 'Abdu'l-Baha says:--"Fruits and grains
[will be the foods of the future]. The time will come when meat will no
longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown
that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground."--Ten Days in
the Light of Akka, by Julie M. Grundy.
Alcohol and Narcotics
The use of narcotics and intoxicants of any kind, except as remedies in
case of illness, is strictly forbidden by Baha'u'llah.
Enjoyments
The Baha'i teaching is based on moderation, not as asceticism. Enjoyment
of the good and beautiful things of life, both material and spiritual, is
not only encouraged but enjoined. Baha'u'llah says: "Deprive not
yourselves of that which has been created for you." Again He says: "It is
incumbent upon you that exultation and glad tidings be manifest in your
faces."
'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
All that has been created is for man, who is at the apex of
creation, and he must be thankful for the divine bestowals. All
material things are for us, so that through our gratitude we may
learn to understand life as a divine benefit. If we are disgusted
with life we are ingrates, for our material and spiritual
existence are the outward evidences of the divine mercy. Therefore
we must be happy and spend our time in praises, appreciating all
things.
Asked whether the Baha'i prohibition of gambling applies to game of every
description, 'Abdu'l-Baha replied:--
No, some games are innocent, and if pursued for pastime there is
no harm. But there is danger that pastime may degenerate into
waste of time. Waste of time is not acceptable in the Cause of
God. But recreation which may improve the bodily powers, as
exercise, is desirable.--A Heavenly Vista, p. 9.
Cleanliness
Baha'u'llah says, in the Book of Aqdas:--
Be the essence of cleanliness among mankind ... under all
circumstances conform yourselves to refined manners ... let no
trace of uncleanliness appear on your clothes.... Immerse
yourselves in pure water; a water which hath been used is not
allowable.... Verily We have desired to see in you the
manifestations of Paradise on earth, so that there may be diffused
from you that whereat the hearts of the favored ones shall
rejoice.--Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, in his book, Baha'i Proofs (p. 89), points out the
extreme importance of these commands, more especially in some parts of the
East, where water of the foulest description is often used for household
purposes, for bathing and even for drinking, and horribly insanitary
conditions abound, causing a vast amount of preventable disease and
misery. These conditions, often supposed to be sanctioned by the
prevailing religion, can be changed, among Orientals, only by the
commandment of one who is believed to have Divine authority. In many parts
of the Western Hemisphere, too, a wonderful transformation would result
were cleanliness accepted not only as next to godliness, but as an
essential part of godliness.
Effect of Obedience to Prophetic Commands
The bearing on health of these commands relating to the simple life,
hygiene, abstinence from alcohol and opium, etcetera, is too obvious to
call for much comment, although their vital importance is apt to be
greatly underestimated. Were they to be generally observed, most of the
infectious diseases and a good many others would soon vanish from among
men. The amount of illness caused by neglect of simple hygienic
precautions and by indulgence in alcohol and opium is prodigious.
Moreover, obedience to these commands would not only affect health, but
would have an enormous effect for good on character and conduct. Alcohol
and opium affect a man's conscience long before they affect his gait or
cause obvious bodily disease, so that the moral spiritual gain from
abstinence would be even greater than the physical. With regard to
cleanliness, 'Abdu'l-Baha says:--"External cleanliness, although it is but
a physical thing, has great influence upon spirituality.... The fact of
having a pure and spotless body exercises an influence upon the spirit of
man."
Were the commands of the Prophets concerning chastity in sexual relations
generally observed, another fertile cause of disease would be eliminated.
The loathsome venereal diseases, which wreck the health of so many
thousands today, innocent as well as guilty, babes as well as parents,
would very soon be entirely a thing of the past.
Were the commands of the Prophets concerning justice, mutual aid, loving
one's neighbor as oneself, carried out, how could overcrowding, sweated
labor and sordid poverty on the one hand, together with self-indulgence,
idleness and sordid luxury on the other, continue to work mental, moral
and physical ruin?
Simple obedience to the hygienic and moral commands of Moses, Buddha,
Christ, Muhammad or Baha'u'llah would do more in the way of preventing
disease than all the doctors and all the public health regulations in the
world have been able to accomplish. In fact, it seems certain that were
such obedience general, good health would also become general. Instead of
lives being blighted by disease of cut off in infancy, youth or prime, as
so frequently happens now, men would live to a ripe old age, like sound
fruits that mature and mellow ere they drop from the bough.
The Prophet as Physician
We live in a world, however, where from time immemorial obedience to the
commands of the Prophets has been the exception rather than the rule;
where love of self has been a more prevalent motive than love of God;
where limited and party interests have taken precedence of the interests
of humanity as a whole; where material possessions and sensual pleasures
have been preferred to the social and spiritual welfare of mankind. Hence
have arisen fierce competition and conflict, oppression and tyranny,
extremes of wealth and poverty--all those conditions which breed disease,
mental and physical. As a consequence, the whole tree of humanity is sick,
and every leaf on the tree shares in the general sickness. Even the purest
and holiest have to suffer for the sins of others. Healing is
needed--healing of humanity as a whole, of nations and of individuals. So
Baha'u'llah, like His inspired predecessors, not only shows how health is
to be maintained, but also how it may be recovered when lost. He comes as
the Great Physician, the Healer of the world's sicknesses, both of body
and of mind. Healing by Material Means
In the Western world of today there is evident a remarkable revival of
belief in the efficacy of healing by mental and spiritual means. Indeed
many, in their revolt against the materialistic ideals about disease and
its treatment which prevailed in the nineteenth century, have gone to the
opposite extreme of denying that material remedies or hygienic methods
have any value whatsoever. Baha'u'llah recognizes the value of both
material and spiritual remedies. He teaches that the science and art of
healing must be developed, encouraged and perfected, so that all means of
healing may be used to the best advantage, each in its appropriate sphere.
When members of Baha'u'llah's own family were sick, a professional
physician was called in, and this practice is recommended to His
followers. He says: "Should ye be attacked by illness or disease, consult
skillful physicians."--Kitab-i-Aqdas.
This is quite in accordance with the Baha'i attitude towards science and
art generally. All sciences and arts which are for the benefit of mankind,
even in a material way, are to be esteemed and promoted. Through science
man becomes the master of material things; through ignorance he remains
their slave.
Baha'u'llah writes:--
Do not neglect medical treatment when it is necessary, but leave
it off when health has been restored. Treat disease through diet,
by preference, refraining from the use of drugs; and if you find
what is required in a single herb, do not resort to a compound
medicament.... Abstain from drugs when the health is good, but
administer them when necessary.--Tablet to a Physician
In one of His Tablets 'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
O seeker after truth! There are two ways of healing sickness,
material means and spiritual means. The first way is through the
use of material remedies. The second consists in praying to God
and in turning to Him. Both means should be used and practiced....
Moreover, they are not incompatible, and you should accept the
physical remedies as coming from the mercy and favor of God Who
has revealed and made manifest medical knowledge, so that His
servants may profit by this kind of treatment also.
He teaches that, were our natural tastes and instincts not vitiated by
foolish and unnatural modes of living, they would become reliable guides
in the choice both of appropriate diet and of medicinal fruits, herbs and
other remedies, as is the case with wild animals. In an interesting talk
on healing, recorded in Some Answered Questions (p. 298), He says in
conclusion:--
It is therefore evident that it is possible to cure by foods,
aliments, and fruits; but as to-day the science of medicine is
imperfect, this fact is not yet fully grasped. When the science of
medicine reaches perfection, treatment will be given by foods,
aliments, fragrant fruits, and vegetables, and by various waters,
hot and cold in temperature.
Even when the means of healing are material, the power that heals is
really Divine, for the attributes of the herb of mineral are from the
Divine Bestowals. "All depends upon God. Medicine is merely an outward
form or means by which we obtain heavenly healing."
Healing by Nonmaterial Means
He teaches that there are also many methods of healing without material
means. There is a "contagion of health," as well as a contagion of
disease, although the former is very slow and has a small effect, while
the latter is often violent and rapid in its action.
Much more powerful effects result from the patient's own mental states,
and "suggestion" may play an important part in determining these states.
Fear, anger, worry, et cetera, are very prejudicial to health, while hope,
love, joy, et cetera, are correspondingly beneficial.
Thus Baha'u'llah says:--
Verily the most necessary thing is contentment under all
circumstances; by this one is preserved from morbid conditions and
lassitude. Yield not to grief and sorrow: they cause the greatest
misery. Jealousy consumeth the body and anger doth burn the liver:
avoid these two as you would a lion.--Tablet to a Physician.
And 'Abdu'l-Baha says:--"Joy gives us wings. In times of joy our strength
is more vital, our intellect keener.... But when sadness visits us our
strength leaves us."
Of another form of mental healing 'Abdu'l-Baha writes that it results:--
from the entire concentration of the mind of a strong person upon
a sick person, when the latter expects with all his concentrated
faith that a cure will be effected from the spiritual power of the
strong person, to such an extent that there will be a cordial
connection between the strong person and the invalid. The strong
person makes every effort to cure the sick patient, and the sick
patient is then sure of receiving a cure. From the effect of these
mental impressions an excitement of the nerves is produced, and
this impression and this excitement of the nerves will become the
cause of the recovery of the sick person.--Some Answered Questions,
p. 294.
All these methods of healing, however, are limited in their effects, and
may fail to effect a cure in severe maladies.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
The most potent means of healing is the Power of the Holy Spirit.
... This does not depend on contact, nor on sight, nor upon
presence.... Whether the disease be light or severe, whether there
be a contact of bodies or not, whether a personal connection be
established between the sick person and the healer or not, this
healing takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit.--Some
Answered Questions, p. 295.
In a talk with Miss Ethel Rosenberg, in October 1904, 'Abdu'l-Baha said:--
The healing that is by the power of the Holy Spirit needs no
special concentration or contact. It is through the wish or desire
and the prayer of the holy person. The one who is sick may be in
the East and the healer in the West, and they may not have been
acquainted with each other, but as soon as that holy person turns
his heart to God and begins to pray, the sick one is healed. This
is a gift belonging to the Holy Manifestations and those who are
in the highest station.
Of this nature, apparently, were the works of healing performed by Christ
and His apostles, and similar works of healing have been attributed to
holy men in all ages. Both Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha were gifted with
this power, and similar powers are promised to Their faithful followers.
Attitude of the Patient
In order that the power of spiritual healing may be brought fully into
operation certain requirements are necessary on the part of the patient,
of the healer, of the patient's friends and of the community at large.
On the part of the patient the prime requisite is, turning with all the
heart to God, with implicit trust both in His Power and in His Will to do
whatever is best. To an American lady, in August 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha said:--
All of these ailments will pass away and you will receive perfect
physical and spiritual health.... Let your heart be confident and
assured that through the Bounty of Baha'u'llah, through the Favor
of Baha'u'llah, everything will become pleasant for you.... But
you must turn your face wholly towards the Abha (All-Glorious)
Kingdom, giving perfect attention--the same attention that Mary
Magdalene gave to His Holiness Christ--and I assure you that you
will get physical and spiritual health. You are worthy. I give you
the glad tidings that you are worthy because your heart is
pure.... Be confident! Be happy! Be rejoiced! Be hopeful!
Although in this particular case 'Abdu'l-Baha guaranteed the attainment of
sound physical health, He does not do so in every case, even where there
is strong faith on the part of the individual. To a pilgrim in Akka He
said:--
The prayers which were written for the purpose of healing are both
for the spiritual and material healing.... If healing is best for
the patient, surely it will be granted. For some who are sick,
healing for them shall be the cause of other ills. Thus it is that
Wisdom does not decree the answer to some prayers.
O maid-servant of God. The Power of the Holy Spirit heals both
material and spiritual ills.--Daily Lessons Received at Akka, p.
95.
Again He writes to one who is ill:--
Verily the Will of God acts sometimes in a way for which mankind
is unable to find out the reason. The causes and reasons shall
appear. Trust in God and confide in Him, and resign thyself to the
Will of God. Verily thy God is affectionate, compassionate and
merciful ... and will cause His Mercy to descend upon Thee.
He teaches that spiritual health is conducive to physical health, but
physical health depends upon many factors, some of which are outside the
control of the individual. Even the most exemplary spiritual attitude on
the part of the individual, therefore, may not ensure physical health in
every case. The holiest men and women sometimes suffer illness.
Nevertheless, the beneficent influence on bodily health which results from
a right spiritual attitude is far more potent than is generally imagined,
and is sufficient to banish ill-health in a large proportion of cases.
'Abdu'l-Baha wrote to an English lady:--"You have written about the
weakness of your body. I ask from the Bounties of Baha'u'llah that your
spirit may become strong, that through the strength of your spirit your
body also may be healed."
Again He says:--
God hath bestowed upon man such wonderful powers, that he might
ever look upward, and receive, among other gifts, healing from His
divine Bounty. But alas! man is not grateful for this supreme
good, but sleeps the sleep of negligence, being careless of the
great mercy which God has shown towards him, turning his face away
from the Light and going on his way in darkness.
The Healer
The power of spiritual healing is doubtless common to all mankind in
greater or less degree, but, just as some men are endowed with exceptional
talent for mathematics or music, so others appear to be endowed with
exceptional aptitude for healing. These are the people who ought to make
the healing art their lifework. Unfortunately, so materialistic has the
world become in recent centuries that the very possibility of spiritual
healing has to a large extent been lost sight of. Like all other talents
the gift of healing has to be recognized, trained and educated in order
that it may attain its highest development and power, and there are
probably thousands in the world today, richly dowered with natural
aptitude for healing, in whom this precious gift is lying dormant and
inactive. When the potentialities of mental and spiritual treatment are
more fully realized, the healing art will be transformed and ennobled and
its efficacy immeasurably increased. And when this new knowledge and power
in the healer are combined with lively faith and hope on the part of the
patient, wonderful results may be looked for.
In God must be our trust. There is no God but Him, the Healer, the
Knower, the Helper.... Nothing in earth or heaven is outside the
grasp of God.
O physician! In treating the sick, first mention the name of Thy
God, the Possessor of the Day of Judgment, and then use what God
hath destined for the healing of His creatures. By My Life! The
physician who has drunk from the Wine of My Love, his visit is
healing, and his breath is mercy and hope. Cling to him for the
welfare of the constitution. He is confirmed by God in his
treatment.
This knowledge (of the healing art) is the most important of all
the sciences, for it is the greatest means from God, the
Life-giver to the dust, for preserving the bodies of all people,
and He has put it in the forefront of all sciences and wisdoms.
For this is the day when you must arise for My Victory.
Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my
remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my
companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both
this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the
All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.--BAHA'U'LLAH, Tablet
to a Physician.
'Abdu'l-Baha writes:--
He who is filled with love of Baha, and forgets all things, the
Holy Spirit will be heard from his lips and the spirit of life
will fill his heart.... Words will issue from his lips in strands
of pearls, and all sickness and disease will be healed by the
laying on of the hands.
O thou pure and spiritual one! Turn thou toward God with thy heart
beating with His love, devoted to His praise, gazing towards His
Kingdom and seeking help from His Holy Spirit in a state of
ecstasy, rapture, love, yearning, joy and fragrance. God will
assist thee, through a spirit from His Presence, to heal sickness
and disease.
Continue in healing hearts and bodies and seek healing for sick
persons by turning unto the Supreme Kingdom and by setting the
heart upon obtaining healing through the power of the Greatest
Name and by the spirit of the Love of God.
How All Can Help
The work of healing the sick, however, is a matter that concerns not the
patient and the practitioner only, but everyone. All must help, by
sympathy and service, by right living and right thinking, and especially
by prayer, for of all remedies prayer is the most potent. "Supplication
and prayer on behalf of others," says 'Abdu'l-Baha, "will surely be
effective." The friends of the patient have a special responsibility, for
their influence, either for good or ill, is most direct and powerful. In
how many cases of sickness the issue depends mainly on the ministrations
of parents, friends or neighbors of the helpless sufferer!
Even the members of the community at large have an influence in every case
of sickness. In individual cases that influence may not appear great, yet
in the mass the effect is potent. Everyone is affected by the social
"atmosphere" in which he lives, by the general prevalence of faith or
materialism, of virtue or vice, of cheerfulness of depression; and each
individual has his share in determining the state of that social
"atmosphere." It may not be possible for everyone, in the present state of
the world, to attain to perfect health, but it is possible for everyone to
become a "willing channel" for the health-giving power of the Holy Spirit
and thus to exert a healing, helpful influence both on his own body and on
all with whom he comes in contact.
Few duties are impressed on Baha'is more repeatedly and emphatically than
that of healing the sick, and many beautiful prayers for healing have been
revealed by both Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha.
The Golden Age
Baha'u'llah gives the assurance that, through harmonious cooperation of
patients, healers and the community in general, and by appropriate use of
the various means to health, material, mental and spiritual, the Golden
Age may be realized, when, by the Power of God, "all sorrow will be turned
into joy, and all disease into health." 'Abdu'l-Baha says that "when the
Divine Message is understood, all troubles will vanish." Again He says:--
When the material world and the divine world are well correlated,
when the hearts become heavenly and the aspirations pure, perfect
connection shall take place. Then shall this power produce a
perfect manifestation. Physical and spiritual diseases will then
receive absolute healing.
Right Use of Health
In concluding this chapter it will be well to recall 'Abdu'l-Baha's
teaching as to the right use of physical health. In one of His Tablets to
the Baha'is of Washington He says:--
If the health and well-being of the body be expended in the path
of the Kingdom, this is very acceptable and praiseworthy; and if
it be expended to the benefit of the human world in general--even
though it be to their material (or bodily) benefit--and be a means
of doing good, that is also acceptable. But if the health and
welfare of man be spent in sensual desires, in a life on the
animal plane, and in devilish pursuits--then disease were better
than such health; nay, death itself were preferable to such a
life. If thou art desirous of health, wish thou health for serving
the Kingdom. I hope that thou mayest attain perfect insight,
inflexible resolution, complete health, and spiritual and physical
strength in order that thou mayest drink from the fountain of
eternal life and be assisted by the spirit of divine confirmation.