I’ve always been fascinated by this passage from Baha’u’llah’s Hidden Words. For those who are unfamiliar, this is a volume of mystic verses written by Baha’u’llah in the 1850s after he was exiled to Iraq, written as if God is speaking directly to the reader. This particular passage is verse #49 of the Persian Hidden Words:
O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
What else can better capture the Bahai perspective on wealth and poverty? I feel there are thousands of meanings to be extracted from this short passage, but the most powerful to me is the notion that true “wealth” is in fact found in caring for our fellow human beings. It is a warning to all of us not to waste this rare moment on earth and lose our opportunity to gain that blessing.
I’m curious to hear how others find this passage and what it means to them. Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
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I have always been moved by this one. How true, and how appropriate for this time in history. We do so much worrying about our own economic situations, especially given the recession. Unfortunately we sometimes forget what the whole purpose of life is, which is to serve others and really go after that true “tree of wealth”.