Organizational Aspect of Baha'i Faith and Comparison with Maitreya's Plan Presented at the Feast of Tabernacles 2000 On the Fifth Seal, Universalism By.

Organizational Aspect

of Baha'i Faithand Comparison with Maitreya's Plan

Presented at the Feast of Tabernacles 2000

On the Fifth Seal, Universalism

By Radah

(With the Help of God)

Introduction Maitreya's Plan:

The way to manifest the system The starting point of the process

by which the ultimate Hierarchy will be manifested on earth

The MAP The LIGHT

Some points about the Baha'i Faith An independent religion based

entirely on Baha'u'llah teachings Baha'is think that Baha'u'llah is a

descendant from Abraham, by his 3rd wife, Keturah (Gen 25:1) (?)

Baha'is consider the Bab as the Forerunner of Baha'u'llah

Baha'is do not believe in reincarnation

Some points about the Baha'i Faith Baha'is think that God continually

sent Great Messengers to the earth

But those Messengers were different entities (not only in their bodies but also in their souls)

Baha'is call the Messengers "Manifestations of God"

Some points about the Baha'i Faith Baha’u’llah is the most recent

Messenger in this line Baha’u’llah is the last Messenger

for a very long period of time (1000 years)

Baha’u’llah has brought a teaching that address the moral and spiritual challenges of the modern world

The Bab At the end of the day of May 23rd,

1844, a young man (24 years old) named Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, said that he was the Promised One

To Mulla Husayn (a believer of the coming back of Imam Mahdi, the successor of Prophet Muhammad)

The same day, the young Siyyid wrote down his revelation in the Qay-yumu'l-Asma, the base of the Faith

The Bab To the 18 first believers, the Bab

wrote letters and called those believers "Letters of the Living"

Among the 18 Letters of the Living, one woman, Tahirih, a great poet in Persia

Later, the Bab wrote a system of laws…

The Bab Baha'is say that the Bab Himself

proclaimed that the goal of His mission was to prepare the coming of a universal Manifestation of God: "The One Who will be manifested by God"

They understood that it was Baha'u'llah

The Shrine of the Báb Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel

Baha'u'llah 19 years after the Declaration of

the Bab and 13 years after His death, in 1863, Baha'u'llah declared officially His mission

And finished a document, the Kitab-I-Aqdas (The Holiest Book)

Baha'u'llah

The establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth will be done by 2 ways:

1- Establishment of laws to transform individual souls and to guide humanity collectively

2- Creation of institutions to direct the community

Baha'i Organizational Structure A Covenant:

Established by Baha'u'llah with his disciples

Dealing with social laws & institutions based on spiritual principles which are linked as well to the current affairs of humanity

Maitreya's Plan

The Plan will manifest the Hierarchy on earth, from the bottom to the top

By the creation of Communities Of Light (COL)

When established, the KOHOE will facilitate the greater progress of

humanity and will bring the Spirit (Will of God)

into all levels of human existence

Maitreya's Plan

The Levels of the Hierarchy The Eldest The 3 Guardians World Government 12 Regions 144 Subregions States or countries Counties Districts Communities of Light: ~ 2000 persons 144 persons: Second level of the COL 12 persons: Basic Unit of the COL

Baha'i Administrative Order vs. World Order The World Order is the vision of

Baha’u’llah of the future of mankind

The future World Order will be the full manifestation of the teachings of the founder of the Faith in a world government, lasting peace and united civilization

Future Baha'i World Order Universal Legislative Body World Executive Body World Judicial Court Universal literature Universal writing One system of money One system of weights and

measures

Baha'i Administrative Order For the present time, the Covenant

of Baha’u’llah with mankind is working through the system called Administrative Order

The Administrative Order, created by Baha’u’llah and built up by His successors, Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, is based on 2 themes:

Baha'i Administrative Order 1-Laws & rules (institutional

mechanisms to ensure the realization of justice in human affairs)

2-Institutions of the community where the 2 pillars are: A Universal House of Justice

(the supreme legislative body) The Guardianship

The Universal House of Justice At 3 levels: local, national (or

secondary) and international Those Houses of Justice are viewed

as instruments for ensuring human well-being

The decisions taken by the Universal House of Justice are uniquely inspired and authoritative

The Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa

The Universal House of Justice Members are elected for 5 years,

between Baha'is of the world During an international congress,

where all national Spiritual Assemblies are represented

Delegates have previously been elected in their local communities

Their number depends of the number of Baha'is in a region

The first election took place in 1963

The Universal House of Justice Election by secret ballot All adults believers are equally

eligible Each voter writes down 9 names on

a ballot The 9 persons with the highest

number of votes are elected Electioneering is forbidden Minorities are favored

The Guardianship The first Guardian was the son of

Baha'u'llah (1817-1892), Abdu'l-Baha (until 1921)

The second, and the last one, was Shoghi Effendi (until 1957), Abdu'l-Baha's eldest grandson

The Guardian is the only authorized person to interpret spiritual Baha'i teaching

After him, no one was named to succeed as the Guardian

The Guardianship

Today, the Universal House of Justice takes the decisions & plays the role of Guardian

Hands of the Cause of God : Counselors and Protectors of the Faith

After the death of Shoghi Effendi, no more "Hands" were named

The Guardianship So, Baha'is created a Counselors

Body of 7 to 13 members, named for 5 years, at the international level

On each continent, the Counselors named Auxiliary Bodies (or secondary bodies)

Those ones can name Assistants to help them at a local level

But none of those persons can take decisions neither interpret Baha'i Scripture

The Guardianship In 1973, the "Hands" still alive, the

Counselors and the members of Auxiliary Bodies were placed under An international institution called

International Teaching Center, in Israel

The Guardianship works also at 3 levels: continental, regional and local

Other Baha'i Institutions Local Spiritual Assemblies:

9 or more Baha'i adults, in any town or village

National Spiritual Assembly: when there is a sufficient number of local Spiritual Assemblies

Elections take place in the same manner as for the Universal House of Justice

Other Baha'i institutions Houses of Worship, open to all

people Simple devotional programs :

prayers, meditations, reading of selections from Baha'i and other religions Scriptures, music…

Schools

Administrative centers

Community centers

House of Worship New Delhi, India

Baha'i Calendar, Feasts and Fasting The Bab set up a Calendar 19 months of 19 days = 361 days The 4 (or 5) days missing are added

at the beginning of the last month of the year = Days of feast

The last month, from March 2 to March 21 is a month of fasting

New year : March 22 Feast of Ridvan, the most important

Baha'i Feast = 12 days

Some Principles of Baha'i Faith Truthfulness of all religions of the

world Need to shatter racial prejudice Equality of man and woman Universal education Justice in social and economical

systems Etc.

Baha'i Financial System, Clergy, … Finances : Voluntary contributions from

the members No Clergy No Politics Role of North America : The East

replaced by the West, spreading the light of the divine direction…

Now Maitreya is here!

"For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Bible, Matthew 23:39)

Maitreya's Plan

A Practical Process to Manifest The Plan

1st step: Initial Elder Body To facilitate to manifest the COL 11 members:

The Eldest 2 Direct Reporters to the Eldest 4 Judiciary (Ethical) Directors 4 Administrative Directors

Guardian of the Faith and Hierarchy

Maitreya's Plan

A Practical Process to Manifest The Plan

2nd Step: Initial Administrative Body 19 members:

1 as the Head 2 Direct Reporters to the Head 4 Assistants to the Direct Reporters 12, each Responsible for 1 region

Maitreya's Plan

A Practical Process to Manifest The Plan

2nd Step : Initial Judiciary Body 19 members:

1 as the Head 2 Direct Reporters to the Head 4 Assistants to the Direct Reporter 12, each Responsible for 1 region

Maitreya's Plan

A Practical Process to Manifest The Plan

3rd Step : Initial Legislative Body 29 members:

1 as Speaker of the House 4 Direct Reporters to the Speaker of

the House 24, two Representatives for each

region

Maitreya's Plan

The Vision The Facilitators

One form of the ultimate manifestation of The Plan

Praise be to the Lord for sending us His Great

Messengers!

Sal-Ôm!