Comment: In a time of upheaval it is useful to be reminded of some of the basic teachings that can assist with our own development, I came across this article that briefly looks at Buddhism and Baha’i faith and is a link for those who wish to explore the Baha’i Faith .
Buddhism and the Baha’i Faith: The central focus of the Buddha’s teachings was the fact that human suffering is inescapable. Linked to this suffering is desire: desire to flee what is painful and have what is pleasurable. But desire can never satisfy a person because everything we desire is impermanent. Throughout his writings, Baha’u’llah also stressed the futility of this fleeting world to fulfill us.
The notion of impermanence, or anicca in Buddhism, is also linked to the notion of emptiness (sunyata), tha
t nothing has a fixed essence. Everything that exists is constituted by the unceasing relationship of cause and effect, birth and death. Since we are part and parcel of this world, we too are constantly changing, with old cells dying and new cells being born. But this change also takes place within, as throughout our lives our thoughts, beliefs and even perceptions all undergo significant change. Because of this, Buddhists believe that like all things in existence, the human being has no fixed essence.
Here we can see that “love” refers to our attraction to the things of this world, and “hate” refers to our aversion to them. Both need to be relinquished, because we cannot find fulfillment in a withering world. This is why both the Buddha and Baha’u’llah stressed the need to transcend this transient world and reach for something more lasting by growing spiritually.