The "Hidden Words" is a compilation of verses in Arabic and Persian revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, in Baghdad about 1858 AD (C.E.) As can be seen in the opening verse quoted below, the Baha'is believe that the Prophet-Founders of past religions have all been the Bearers of the message of the One True God at different times and places. The "Hidden Words" claims to have taken the "inner essence" of those past religions and has re-revealed it for today.
In this blog I will try to recall the "inner essence" of the past religions and discover where it is reflected in the "Hidden Words." Remember: although the scriptures that I will be quoting are intended to be authoritative English translations, the commentaries are not These should be regarded as merely the musings of a mortal mind on the richness of the writings of Baha'u'llah.
"This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue."
1. Essence of Judaism: The Ten Commandments
a. "You shall have no other gods beside Me." Exodus 20:3
"If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe
for evermore, thy quest will be in vain." Arabic Hidden Words (AHW) #15
Commentary: There is one God for all of us, no matter what race , ethnic background, religion, or language we come from.
b. "You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is
in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth.
You shall not bow to them or serve them." Exodus 20:4-5
"Even as the swiftness of lightning ye have passed by the Beloved One, and
have set your hearts on satanic fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain
imagining, and call it truth. You turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it
a flower." Persian Hidden Words (PHW) #45
Commentary: There is no substitute for God Himself (God has no gender, that is
just an English convention). Although temptations can be satanic, there is no Satan, God of Evil. It is only our selfish ego talking.
c. "You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God; for the Lord will not clear
one who swears falsely by His name." Exodus 20:7
"The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with detraction ."
PHW #66
Commentary: Here is another quote from Baha'u'llah about truth: "Let your eye be chaste,
your hand faithful, your tongue truthful, and your heart enlightened." Tablets of Baha'u'llah p.138
d. "Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy." Exodus 20:8
Commentary: This commandment I could not find a parallel in the Hidden Words since
the Baha'is have no sabbath: every day is holy, and our daily work (if done in the spirit of service to mankind) is the same as worshipping God. There is this one, however:
"O son of Man! The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of all things, that there I may be established and there I may abide." AHW #58
e. "Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land which the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20: 12
"Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother's womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee." PHW #29
Commentary: Although most people understand the "two founts of gleaming milk" as the two breasts of the nursing mother, I think it could symbolically mean the two parents who give the newborn baby the spiritual nutrition (education) that it needs to acheive its true potential.
f. "You shall not murder." Exodus 20:13
"The comb, too, have I given thee that thou mayest dress My raven locks, and not
lacerate My throat." PHW #79
Commentary: Although there are specific statements in Baha'u'llah's Book of Laws ( Kitab-i-Aqdas) prohibiting murder, this is an early statement in the Hidden Words.
g. "You shall not commit adultery." Exodus 20:14
"My forebearance hath emboldened you and My long-suffering hath made you negligent, in such wise that ye have spurred on the fiery charger of passion into perilous ways that lead unto destruction." PHW #65
Commentary: There are of course specific laws against adultery in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. The major principle in the Baha'i Faith is Unity. Sex acts outside of marriage lead not to unity, but to division. It could be divided loyalties breaking up a marriage, or it could be making a commitment (promise) that one side is not yet ready to keep.
h. "You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15
"No man should enter the house of his friend save at his friend's pleasure, nor lay hands upon his treasures nor prefer his own will to his friend's, and in no way seek an advantage over him." PHW #43
Commentary: Material possessions are the bounties of God. Why should we wish to deprive someone of that which God has bestowed upon him?
i. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Exodus 20: 16
"Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not." AHW #29
Commentary: Lies are never acceptable, but discretion is praiseworthy.
j. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house: you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female slave, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17
"Put away all covetousness, and seek contentment; for the covetous have ever been deprived, and the contented hath ever been loved and praised." PHW #50
2. The essence of Zoroastrianism: The Good Religion
"I am Ahura Mazda, the God of Good. Evil is Ahriman, who is My enemy as well as yours. Help Me by your good thoughts, good words, good deeds, and by your cleanliness." Zend-Avesta
a. good thoughts: "Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore." PHW #44
b. good words: "Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which beseemeth thee not. Prostrate thyself before the countenance of thy God, the Lord of might and power." AHW #24
c. good deeds: "Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now it is given by deeds. Every one must show forth deeds that are pure and holy, for words are the property of all alike, whereas such deeds as these belong only to Our loved ones." PHW #76
d. cleanliness: "Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the heaven of celestial glory. Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the dust of self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court of glory; for ere long the assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored One, accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds of stainless purity." PHW #69
3. The essence of Buddhism: The Eight-Fold Path
a. Right View: "And what, friends, is right view? Knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the origin of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, and knowledge of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: this is called right view." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta, 141.24
"Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words: O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings." PHW #19
b. Right Intention: "And what, friends, is right intention? Intention of renunciation, intention of non-illwill, and intention of non-cruelty: this is called righyt intention." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta 141.25
"My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly, and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable, and everlasting." AHW #1
c. Right Speech: "And what, friends, is right speech? Abstaining from false speech, abstaining from malicious speech, abstaining from harsh speech, and abstaining from chatter: this is right speech." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta, 141.26
"The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing, even as the cup-bearer, who proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker, and the lover who crieth not out from the depths of his heart until he gazeth upon the beauty of his beloved." PHW #36
d. Right Action: "And what, friends, is right action? Abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, and abstaining from misconduct in sensual pleasures: this is called right action." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta 141.27
"O My friends! Quench ye the lamp of error, and kindle within your hearts the everlasting torch of divine guidance. For ere long the assayers of mankind shall, in the presence of the Adored, accept naught but purest virtue and deeds of stainless holiness." PHW #35
e. Right Livelihood: "And what, friends, is right livelihood? Here a noble disciple, having abandoned wrong livelihood, earns his living by right livelihood: this is called right livelihood." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta 141:28
"Thus it is incumbant on every one to engage in crafts, and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding! for results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you. Trees that bear no fruit have been and will ever be for the fire." PHW #80
f. Right Effort: "And what, friends, is right effort? Here a bhikku awakens zeal for the non-arising of unrisen evil unwholesome states, and he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and strives." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta 141:29
"Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the heaven of celestial glory. Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the dust of self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court of glory; for ere long the assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored One, accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds of stainless purity." PHW #69
g. Right Mindfulness: "And what, friends, is right mindfulness? Here a bhikku abides contemplating the body as a body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world." Majjhima Nikaya, Saccavibhanga Sutta 141:30
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h. Right Concentration: "And what, friends, is right concentration? Here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikku enters upon and abides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born ol seclusion."