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In the right-hand commentary column, that which is in GREEN is a commentator's remark and that which is in BLUE is from the Baha'i Writings. On occasion, in that column, there may be a link to an extended comment or dissertation on the subject under discussion. - - A reminder that under "view" on your browser - you can set the text size UP or DOWN for a more comfortable read for yourself. |
---Page 14 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth---
| 1. The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship. | Some might say the problem of our age is the need for PEACE! Others might say the problem in our materialistic age is the lack of spirituality. Nevertheless, as the old saying goes - money appears to be the root of all evil - and so while Carnegie lived at a time when the struggle between labor and capital was the predominant concern of the day,
still it is a proper thesis from which to begin our study of the reorganization of society. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements. (Baha'u'llah: Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, page 116) Is it not a fact - and this is the central idea I desire to emphasize - that the fundamental cause of this world unrest is attributable, not so much to the consequences of what must sooner or later come to be regarded as a transitory dislocation in the affairs of a continually changing world, but rather to the failure of those into whose hands the immediate destinies of peoples and nations have been committed, to adjust their system of economic and political institutions to the imperative needs of a rapidly evolving age? Are not these intermittent crises that convulse present-day society due primarily to the lamentable inability of the world's recognized leaders to read aright the signs of the times, to rid themselves once for all of their preconceived ideas and fettering creeds, and to reshape the machinery of their respective governments according to those standards that are implicit in Baha'u'llah's supreme declaration of the Oneness of Mankind - the chief and distinguishing feature of the Faith He proclaimed? For the principle of the Oneness of Mankind, the cornerstone of Baha'u'llah's world-embracing dominion, implies nothing more nor less than the enforcement of His scheme for the unification of the world - the scheme to which we have already referred. "In every Dispensation," writes Abdu'l-Baha, "the light of Divine Guidance has been focussed upon one central theme.... In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law is the consciousness of the Oneness of Mankind." (Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, page 36) "Nevertheless a greater and greater number of thoughtful and fair-minded men and women are recognizing in the clamour of contention, grief and destruction, now reaching such horrendous proportions, the evidences of Divine chastisement, and, turning their faces towards God, are becoming increasingly receptive to His Word. Doubtless the present circumstances, though tragic and awful in their immediate consequences, are serving to sharpen the focus on the indispensability of the Teachings of Baha'u'llah to the needs of the present age, and will provide many opportunities to reach countless waiting souls, hungry and thirsty for Divine guidance." (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World, November 16, 1969: Messages from the Universal House of Justice, pp. 33-34) (Multiple Authors: Lights of Guidance, pages 132-133) "The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation. The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made. It is an issue that is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is itself a major part of the solution." (The Universal House of Justice: The Promise of World Peace, pp. 10-11, Haifa, 1985)
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The conditions of
human life have not only been changed,
but revolutionized, within the past few hundred years. In former days there
was little difference between the
dwelling, dress, food, and environment of the chief and those of his
retainers. The Indians are today where
civilized man then was. When visiting the Sioux, I was led to the wigwam of
the chief. It was like the others in
external appearance, and even within the difference was trifling between it
and those of the poorest of his braves.
The contrast between the palace of the millionaire and the cottage of the
laborer with us today measures the
change which has come with civilization.
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Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich,
an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of
the sanctity of thy pledge.
(Baha'u'llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, page 93)
O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease. (Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, page 54)
Certainly, some being enormously rich and others
lamentably poor, an organization is necessary to control
and improve this state of affairs. It is important to
limit riches, as it is also of importance to limit poverty.
Either extreme is not good. To be seated in the mean(1)
is most desirable. If it be right for a capitalist to possess
a large fortune, it is equally just that his workman
should have a sufficient means of existence.
A financier with colossal wealth should not exist
whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity. When
we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation
it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find
tyranny. Men must bestir themselves in this matter,
and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring
the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number
of the people. The rich must give of their abundance,
they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate
intelligence, taking thought for those sad
ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities
of life.
There must be special laws made, dealing with these
extremes of riches and of want. The members of the
Government should consider the laws of God when
they are framing plans for the ruling of the people.
The general rights of mankind must be guarded and
preserved.
The government of the countries should conform
to the Divine Law which gives equal justice to all.
This is the only way in which the deplorable superfluity
of great wealth and miserable, demoralizing,
degrading poverty can be abolished. Not until this is
done will the Law of God be obeyed.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks*, pages 153-154)
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---Page 15 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- This change, however, is not to be deplored, but welcomed as highly beneficial. It is well, nay, essential, for the progress of the race that the houses of some should be homes for all that is highest and best in literature and the arts, and for all the refinements of civilization, rather than that none should be so. Much better this great irregularity than universal squalor. Without wealth there can be no Maecenas. The "good old times" were not good old times. Neither master nor servant was as well situated then as today. A relapse to old conditions would be disastrous to both -- not the least so to him who serves -- and would sweep away civilization with it. But whether the change be for good or ill, it is upon us, beyond our power to alter, and, therefore, to be accepted and made the best of. It is a waste of time to criticize the inevitable.
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King Lycurgus, the philosopher, made a great plan
to equalize the subjects of Sparta; with self-sacrifice
and wisdom was the experiment begun. Then the
king called the people of his kingdom, and made them
swear a great oath to maintain the same order of
government if he should leave the country, also that
nothing should make them alter it until his return.
Having secured this oath, he left his kingdom of Sparta
and never returned. Lycurgus abandoned the situation,
renouncing his high position, thinking to achieve the
permanent good of his country by the equalization of
the property and of the conditions of life in his kingdom.
All the self-sacrifice of the king was in vain. The
great experiment failed. After a time all was destroyed;
his carefully thought-out constitution came to an end.
The futility of attempting such a scheme was shown
and the impossibility of attaining equal conditions
of existence was proclaimed in the ancient kingdom of
Sparta. In our day any such attempt would be equally
doomed to failure.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks*, pages 152-153)
Among the results of the manifestation of spiritual forces will be that the human world will adapt itself to a new social form, the justice of God will become manifest throughout human affairs, and human equality will be universally established. The poor will receive a great bestowal, and the rich attain eternal happiness. For although at the present time the rich enjoy the greatest luxury and comfort, they are nevertheless deprived of eternal happiness; for eternal happiness is contingent upon giving, and the poor are everywhere in the state of abject need. Through the manifestation of God's great equity the poor of the world will be rewarded and assisted fully, and there will be a readjustment in the economic conditions of mankind so that in the future there will not be the abnormally rich nor the abject poor. The rich will enjoy the privilege of this new economic condition as well as the poor, for owing to certain provisions and restrictions they will not be able to accumulate so much as to be burdened by its management, while the poor will be relieved from the stress of want and misery. The rich will enjoy his palace, and the poor will have his comfortable cottage. The essence of the matter is that divine justice will become manifest in human conditions and affairs, and all mankind will find comfort and enjoyment in life. It is not meant that all will be equal, for inequality in degree and capacity is a property of nature. Necessarily there will be rich people and also those who will be in want of their livelihood, but in the aggregate community there will be equalization and readjustment of values and interests. In the future there will be no very rich nor extremely poor. There will be an equilibrium of interests, and a condition will be established which will make both rich and poor comfortable and content. This will be an eternal and blessed outcome of the glorious twentieth century which will be realized universally. The significance of it is that the glad tidings of great joy revealed in the promises of the Holy Books will be fulfilled. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 131-132)
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2. It is easy to see how the change has come. One illustration will serve for
almost every phase of the cause. In
the manufacture of products we have the whole story. It applies to all
combinations of human industry, as
stimulated and enlarged by the inventions of this scientific age. Formerly,
articles were manufactured at the
domestic hearth, or in small shops which formed part of the household. The
master and his apprentices worked
side by side, the latter living with the master, and therefore subject to the
same conditions. When these
apprentices rose to be masters, there was little or no change in their mode
of life, and they, in turn, educated
succeeding apprentices in the same routine. There was, substantially, social
equality, and even political equality,
for those engaged in industrial pursuits had then little or no voice in the
State.
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This is a century
of life and renewal. Sciences and arts, industry and invention have
been reformed. Law and ethics have been reconstituted, reorganized.
The world of thought has been regenerated. Sciences of
former ages and philosophies of the past are useless today. Present
exigencies demand new methods of solution; world problems are
without precedent. Old ideas and modes of thought are fast becoming
obsolete. Ancient laws and archaic ethical systems will not
meet the requirements of modern conditions, for this is clearly the
century of a new life, the century of the revelation of reality and,
therefore, the greatest of all centuries. Consider how the scientific
developments of fifty years have surpassed and eclipsed the
knowledge and achievements of all the former ages combined.
Would the announcements and theories of ancient astronomers
explain our present knowledge of the suns and planetary systems?
Would the mask of obscurity which beclouded medieval centuries
meet the demand for clear-eyed vision and understanding which
characterizes the world today? Will the despotism of former governments
answer the call for freedom which has risen from the
heart of humanity in this cycle of illumination? It is evident that no
vital results are now forthcoming from the customs, institutions
and standpoints of the past. In view of this, shall blind imitations of
ancestral forms and theological interpretations continue to guide
and control the religious life and spiritual development of humanity
today? Shall man, gifted with the power of reason, unthinkingly
follow and adhere to dogma, creeds and hereditary beliefs which
will not bear the analysis of reason in this century of effulgent reality?
Unquestionably this will not satisfy men of science, for when
they find premise or conclusion contrary to present standards of
proof and without real foundation, they reject that which has been
formerly accepted as standard and correct and move forward from
new foundations.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 140-141)
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3. The inevitable result of such a mode of manufacture was crude articles at
high prices. Today the world
obtains commodities of excellent quality at prices which even the preceding
generation would have deemed
incredible. In the commercial world similar causes have produced similar
results, and the race is benefited
thereby. The poor enjoy what
---Page 16 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- the rich could not before afford. What were the luxuries have become the necessaries of life. The laborer has now more comforts than the farmer had a few generations ago. The farmer has more luxuries than the landlord had, and is more richly clad and better housed. The landlord has books and pictures rarer and appointments more artistic than the king could then obtain.
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From every standpoint the world of humanity is undergoing a
reformation. The laws of former governments and civilizations are
in process of revision; scientific ideas and theories are developing
and advancing to meet a new range of phenomena; invention and
discovery are penetrating hitherto unknown fields, revealing new
wonders and hidden secrets of the material universe; industries
have vastly wider scope and production; everywhere the world of
mankind is in the throes of evolutionary activity indicating the
passing of the old conditions and advent of the new age of reformation.
Old trees yield no fruitage; old ideas and methods are obsolete
and worthless now. Old standards of ethics, moral codes and
methods of living in the past will not suffice for the present age of
advancement and progress.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 439)
Man is always progressing. His circle of knowledge is ever widening, and his mental activity flows through many and varied channels. Look what man has accomplished in the field of science, consider his many discoveries and countless inventions and his profound understanding of natural law. In the world of art it is just the same, and this wonderful development of man's faculties becomes more and more rapid as time goes on. If the discoveries, inventions and material accomplishments of the last fifteen hundred years could be put together, you would see that there has been greater advancement during the last hundred years than in the previous fourteen centuries. For the rapidity with which man is progressing increases century by century. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks*, pages 71-72) In times gone by progress on the material plane was not so rapid, neither was there bloodshed in such profusion. In ancient warfare there were no cannons, no guns, no dynamite, no shells, no torpedo boats, no battleships, no submarines. Now, owing to material civilization, we have all these inventions, and war goes from bad to worse! Europe itself has become like one immense arsenal, full of explosives, and may God prevent its ignition - for, should this happen, the whole world would be involved. I want to make you understand that material progress and spiritual progress are two very different things, and that only if material progress goes hand in hand with spirituality can any real progress come about, and the Most Great Peace reign in the world. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks*, pages 107-108)
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4. The price we pay for this salutary change is, no doubt, great. We assemble
thousands of operatives in the
factory, and in the mine, of whom the employer can know little or nothing,
and to whom he is little better than a
myth. All intercourse between them is at an end. Rigid castes are formed,
and, as usual, mutual ignorance
breeds mutual distrust. Each caste is without sympathy with the other, and
ready to credit anything disparaging
in regard to it. Under the law of competition, the employer of thousands is
forced into the strictest economies,
among which the rates paid to labor figure prominently, and often there is
friction between the employer and the
employed, between capital and labor, between rich and poor. Human society
loses homogeneity.
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Then rules and laws should be established to regulate the excessive fortunes of certain private individuals and meet the needs of millions of the poor masses; thus a certain moderation would be obtained. However, absolute equality is just as impossible, for absolute equality in fortunes, honors, commerce, agriculture, industry would end in disorderliness, in chaos, in disorganization of the means of existence, and in universal disappointment: the order of the community would be quite destroyed. Thus difficulties will also arise when unjustified equality is imposed. It is, therefore, preferable for moderation to be established by means of laws and regulations to hinder the constitution of the excessive fortunes of certain individuals, and to protect the essential needs of the masses. For instance, the manufacturers and the industrialists heap up a treasure each day, and the poor artisans do not gain their daily sustenance: that is the height of iniquity, and no just man can accept it. Therefore, laws and regulations should be established which would permit the workmen to receive from the factory owner their wages and a share in the fourth or the fifth part of the profits, according to the capacity of the factory; or in some other way the body of workmen and the manufacturers should share equitably the profits and advantages. Indeed, the capital and management come from the owner of the factory, and the work and labor, from the body of the workmen. Either the workmen should receive wages which assure them an adequate support and, when they cease work, becoming feeble or helpless, they should have sufficient benefits from the income of the industry; or the wages should be high enough to satisfy the workmen with the amount they receive so that they may themselves be able to put a little aside for days of want and helplessness. When matters will be thus fixed, the owner of the factory will no longer put aside daily a treasure which he has absolutely no need of (for, if the fortune is disproportionate, the capitalist succumbs under a formidable burden and gets into the greatest difficulties and troubles; the administration of an excessive fortune is very difficult and exhausts man's natural strength). And the workmen and artisans will no longer be in the greatest misery and want; they will no longer be submitted to the worst privations at the end of their life. It is, then, clear and evident that the repartition of excessive fortunes among a small number of individuals, while the masses are in need, is an iniquity and an injustice. |
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5. The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it
pays for cheap comforts and luxuries,
is also great; but the advantages of this law are also greater still than its
cost -- for it is to this law that we owe our
wonderful material development, which brings improved conditions in its
train. But, whether the law be benign
or not, we must say of it, as we say of the change in the conditions of men
to which we have referred: It is here;
we cannot evade it; no substitutes for it have been found; and while the law
may be sometimes hard for the
individual, it is best for the race, because it insures the survival of the
fittest in every department. We accept and
welcome, therefore, as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves,
great inequality of environment;
the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, in the hands of a
few; and the law of competition
between these, as being not only beneficial, but
---Page 17 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- essential to the future progress of the race. Having accepted these, it follows that there must be great scope for the exercise of special ability in the merchant and in the manufacturer who has to conduct affairs upon a great scale. That this talent for organization and management is rare among men is proved by the fact that it invariably secures enormous rewards for its possessor, no matter where or under what laws or conditions. The experienced in affairs always rate the MAN whose services can be obtained as a partner as not only the first consideration, but such as render the question of his capital scarcely worth considering: for able men soon create capital; in the hands of those without the special talent required, capital soon takes wings. Such men become interested in firms or corporations using millions; and, estimating only simple interest to be made upon the capital invested, it is inevitable that their income must exceed their expenditure and that they must, therefore, accumulate wealth. Nor is there any middle ground which such men can occupy, because the great manufacturing or commercial concern which does not earn at least interest upon its capital soon becomes bankrupt. It must either go forward or fall behind; to stand still is impossible. It is a condition essential to its successful operation that it should be thus far profitable, and even that, in addition to interest on capital, it should make profit. It is a law, as certain as any of the others named, that men possessed of this peculiar talent for affairs, under the free play of economic forces must, of necessity, soon be in receipt of more revenue than can be judiciously expended upon themselves; and this law is as beneficial for the race as the others.
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competition -
How much of the energy employed in the business world of today is
expended simply in canceling and neutralizing the efforts of other
people--in useless strife and competition! And how much in ways that
are still more injurious! Were all to work, and were all work,
whether of brain or hand, of a nature profitable to mankind, as
Baha'u'llah commands, then the supplies of everything necessary for a
healthy, comfortable and noble life would amply suffice for all.
There need be no
slums, no starvation, no destitution, no industrial slavery, no
health-destroying drudgery. (Bahá'u'lláh & New Era, page 143)
The Ethics of Wealth -
According to the Baha'i teachings, riches
rightly acquired and rightly used are honorable and praiseworthy.
Services rendered should be
adequately rewarded. Baha'u'llah says in the Tablet of Tarazat:--"The
people of Baha must not refuse to discharge the due reward of anyone,
and must respect possessors of talent,... One must speak with justice
and recognize the worth of benefits." (Bahá'u'lláh & New Era, page
143)
essential -
The implications for social and economic development are profound.
Concern for justice protects the task of defining progress from the
temptation to sacrifice the well-being of the generality of humankind
-- and even of the planet itself -- to the advantages which
technological breakthroughs can make available to privileged
minorities. In design and planning, it ensures that limited resources
are not diverted to the pursuit of projects extraneous to a
community's essential social or economic priorities. Above all, only
development programs that are perceived as meeting their needs and as
being just and equitable in objective can hope to engage the
commitment of the masses of humanity, upon whom implementation
depends. The relevant human qualities such as honesty, a willingness
to work, and a spirit of cooperation are successfully harnessed to
the accomplishment of enormously demanding collective goals when
every member of society -- indeed every component
group within society -- can trust that they are protected by
standards and assured of benefits that apply equally to all.
At the heart of the discussion of a strategy of social and economic
development, therefore, lies the issue of human rights. The shaping
of such a strategy calls for the promotion of human rights to be
freed from the grip of the false dichotomies that have for so long
held it hostage. Concern that each human being should enjoy the
freedom of thought and action conducive to his or her personal growth
does not justify devotion to the cult of individualism that so deeply
corrupts many areas of
contemporary life. Nor does concern to ensure the welfare of society
as a whole require a deification of the state as the supposed source
of humanity's well-being. Far otherwise: the history of the present
century shows all too clearly that such ideologies and the partisan
agendas to which they give rise have been themselves the principal
enemies ofthe interests they purport to serve. Only in a consultative framework
made possible by the consciousness of the organic unity of humankind
can all aspects of the concern for human rights find legitimate and
creative expression. (Prosperity of Humankind, pages 5-6)
revenue -
His Holiness Baha'u'llah has given instructions regarding
every one of
the questions confronting humanity. He has given teachings and
instructions with regard to every one of the problems with which man
struggles. Among them are (the teachings) concerning the question of
economics that all the members of the body politic may enjoy through
the working out of this solution the greatest happiness, welfare and
comfort without any harm or injury attacking the general order of
things.
Thereby no difference or dissension will occur. No sedition or
contention will take place. This solution is this:
First and foremost is the principle that to all the members of the
body politic shall be given the greatest achievements of the world of
humanity. Each one shall have the utmost welfare and well-being. To
solve this problem we must begin with the farmer; there will we lay a
foundation for system and order because the peasant class and the
agricultural class exceed other classes in the importance of their
service. In every village there must be established a general
storehouse which will have a number of revenues. (Foundations of
World Unity, page 39)
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6. Objections to the foundations upon which society is based are not in
order, because the
condition of the race is better with these than it has been with any other
which has been tried. Of the effect of any
new substitutes proposed we can-not be sure. The Socialist or Anarchist who
seeks to overturn present
conditions is to be regarded as attacking the
---Page 18 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- foundation upon which civilization itself rests, for civilization took its start from the day when the capable, industrious workman said to his incompetent and lazy fellow, "If thou dost not sow, thou shalt not reap," and thus ended primitive Communism by separating the drones from the bees. One who studies this subject will soon be brought face to face with the conclusion that upon the sacredness of property civilization itself depends -- the right of the laborer to his hundred dollars in the savings-bank, and equally the legal right of the millionaire to his millions. Every man must be allowed "to sit under his own vine and fig-tree, with none to make afraid," if human society is to advance, or even to remain so far advanced as it is. To those who propose to substitute Communism for this intense Individualism, the answer therefore is: The race has tried that. All progress from that barbarous day to the present time has resulted from its displacement. Not evil, but good, has come to the race from the accumulation of wealth by those who have had the ability and energy to produce it. But even if we admit for a moment that it might be better for the race to discard its present foundation, Individualism, -- that it is a nobler ideal that man should labor, not for himself alone, but in and for a brotherhood of his fellows, and share with them all in common, realizing Swedenborg's idea of heaven
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society -
The institutions of society will succeed in eliciting and
directing the potentialities latent in the consciousness of the
world's peoples to the
extent that the exercise of authority is governed by principles that
are in harmony with the evolving interests of a rapidly maturing
human race. Such principles include the obligation of those in
authority to win the confidence, respect, and genuine support of
those whose actions they seek to govern; to consult openly and to the
fullest extent possible with all whose interests are affected by
decisions being arrived at; to assess in an objective manner both the
real needs and the aspirations of the communities they serve; to
benefit from scientific and moral advancement in order to make
appropriate use of the community's resources, including the energies
of its members. No single principle of effective authority is so
important as giving priority to building and maintaining unity among
the members of a society and the members of its administrative
institutions. Reference has already been made to the
intimately associated issue of commitment to the search for justice
in all matters. Clearly, such principles can operate only within a culture that is essentially democratic in spirit and method. To say this, however, is not to endorse the ideology of partisanship that has everywhere boldly assumed democracy's name and which, despite impressive contributions to human progress in the past, today finds itself mired in the cynicism, apathy, and corruption to which it has given rise. In selecting those who are to take collective decisions on its behalf, society does not need and is not well served by the political theater of nominations, candidature, electioneering, and solicitation. It lies within the capacity of all people, as they become progressively educated and convinced that their real development interests are being served by programs proposed to them, to adopt electoral procedures that will gradually refine the selection of their decision-making bodies. As the integration of humanity gains momentum, those who are thus selected will increasingly have to see all their efforts in a global perspective. Not only at the national, but also at the local level, the elected governors of human affairs should, in Baha'u'llah's view, consider themselves responsible for the welfare of all of humankind. The tasks entailed in the development of a global society call for levels of capacity far beyond anything the human race has so far been able to muster. Reaching these levels will require an enormous expansion in access to knowledge, on the part of individuals and social organizations alike. Universal education will be an indispensable contributor to this process of capacity building, but the effort will succeed only as human affairs are so reorganized as to enable both individuals and groups in every sector of society to acquire knowledge and apply it to the shaping of human affairs. (Prosperity of Humankind, page 8,14 &15) O my friend! In all circumstances one should seize upon every means which will promote security and tranquillity among the peoples of the world. The Great Being saith: In this glorious Day whatever will purge you from corruption and will lead you towards peace and composure, is indeed the Straight Path. Please God, the peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavours exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, page171)
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7. It is not practicable in our day or in our age. Even if desirable
theoretically, it belongs to another and
long-succeeding sociological stratum. Our duty is with what is practicable
now -- with the next step possible in
our day and generation. It is criminal to waste our energies in endeavoring
to uproot,
---Page 19 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- when all we can profitably accomplish is to bend the universal tree of humanity a little in the direction most favorable to the production of good fruit under existing circumstances. We might as well urge the destruction of the highest existing type of man because he failed to reach our ideal as to favor the destruction of Individualism, Private Property, the Law of Accumulation of Wealth, and the Law of Competition; for these are the highest result of human experience, the soil in which society, so far, has produced the best fruit. Unequally or unjustly, perhaps, as these laws sometimes operate, and imperfect as they appear to the Idealist, they are, nevertheless, like the highest type of man, the best and most valuable of all that humanity has yet accomplished.
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society -
..."The maturity of the gift of understanding is made
manifest through consultation." The standard of truth seeking this
process demands is far beyond the
patterns of negotiation and compromise that tend to characterize the
present-day discussion of human affairs. It cannot be achieved --
indeed, its attainment is severely handicapped -- by the culture of
protest that is another widely prevailing feature of contemporary
society. Debate, propaganda, the adversarial method, the entire
apparatus of partisanship that have long been such familiar features
of
collective action are all fundamentally harmful to its purpose: that
is, arriving at a consensus about the truth of a given situation and
the wisest choice of action among the options open at any given
moment. What Baha'u'llah is calling for is a consultative process in which the individual participants strive to transcend their respective points of view, in order to function as members of a body with its own interests and goals. In such an atmosphere, characterized by both candor and courtesy, ideas belong not to the individual to whom they occur during the discussion but to the group as a whole, to take up, discard, or revise as seems to best serve the goal pursued. Consultation succeeds to the extent that all participants support the decisions arrived at, regardless of the individual opinions with which they entered the discussion. Under such circumstances an earlier decision can be readily reconsidered if experience exposes any shortcomings. (Prosperity of Humankind, page 8)
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8. We start, then, with a condition of affairs under which the best interests
of the race are promoted, but which
inevitably gives wealth to the few. Thus far, accepting conditions as they
exist, the situation can be surveyed and
pronounced good. The question then arises, -- and if the foregoing be
correct, it is the only question with which
we have to deal, -- What is the proper mode of administering wealth after the
laws upon which civilization is
founded have thrown it into the hands of the few? And it is of this great
question that I believe I offer the true
solution. It will be understood that fortunes are here spoken of, not
moderate sums saved by many years of
effort, the returns from which are required for the comfortable maintenance
and education of families. This is not
wealth, but only competence, which it should be the aim of all to acquire,
and which it is for the best interests of
society should be acquired.
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administering wealth -
Certainly, some being enormously rich and
others lamentably poor, an organization is necessary to control and
improve this state of affairs. It is important to limit riches, as
it is also of importance to limit poverty. Either extreme is not
good. To be seated in the mean is most desirable. If it be right for
a capitalist to possess a large fortune, it is equally just that his
workman should have a sufficient means of existence. A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity. When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life. There must be special laws made, dealing with these extremes of riches and of want. The members of the Government should consider the laws of God when they are framing plans for the ruling of the people. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved. The government of the countries should conform to the Divine Law which gives equal justice to all. This is the only way in which the deplorable superfluity of great wealth and miserable, demoralizing, degrading poverty can be abolished. Not until this is done will the Law of God be obeyed. (`Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, page 153-154)
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9. There are but three modes in which surplus wealth can be disposed of. It
can be left to the families of the
decedents; or it can be bequeathed for public purposes; or, finally, it can
be administered by its possessors during
their lives. Under the first and second modes most of the wealth of the world
that has reached the few has
hitherto been applied. Let us in turn consider each of these modes. The first
is the most
---Page 20 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- injudicious. In monarchical countries, the estates and the greatest portion of the wealth are left to the first son, that the vanity of the parent may be gratified by the thought that his name and title are to descend unimpaired to succeeding generations. The condition of this class in Europe to-day teaches the failure of such hopes or ambitions. The successors have become impoverished through their follies, or from the fall in the value of land. Even in Great Britain the strict law of entail has been found inadequate to maintain an hereditary class. Its soil is rapidly passing into the hands of the stranger. Under republican institutions the division of property among the children is much fairer; but the question which forces itself upon thoughtful men in all lands is, Why should men leave great fortunes to their children? If this is done from affection, is it not misguided affection? Observation teaches that, generally speaking, it is not well for the children that they should be so burdened. Neither is it well for the State. Beyond providing for the wife and daughters moderate sources of income, and very moderate allowances indeed, if any, for the sons, men may well hesitate; for it is no longer questionable that great sums bequeathed often work more for the injury than for the good of the recipients. Wise men will soon conclude that, for the best interests of the members of their families, and of the State, such bequests are an improper use of their means.
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inheritance -
We have divided inheritance into seven categories The Baha'i laws of inheritance apply only in case of intestacy, that is, when the individual dies without leaving a will. In the Kitab-i-Aqdas (#109), Baha'u'llah instructs every believer to write a will. He elsewhere clearly states that the individual has full jurisdiction over his property and is free to determine the manner in which his or her estate is to be divided and to designate, in the will, those, whether Baha'i or non-Baha'i, who should inherit (Q and A 69). In this connection, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi explains that: ...even though a Baha'i is permitted in his will to dispose of his wealth in the way he wishes, yet he is morally and conscientiously bound to always bear in mind, while writing his will, the necessity of his upholding the principle of Baha'u'llah regarding the social function of wealth, and the consequent necessity of avoiding its over-accumulation and concentration in a few individuals or groups of individuals. This verse of the Aqdas introduces a lengthy passage in which Baha'u'llah elaborates the Baha'i law of inheritance. In reading this passage one should bear in mind that the law is formulated with the presumption that the deceased is a man; its provisions apply, mutatis mutandis, when the deceased is a woman. The system of inheritance which provides for distribution of the deceased's estate among seven categories of heirs (children, spouse, father, mother, brothers, sisters, and teachers) is based on the provisions set out by the Báb in the Bayan. The major features of the Baha'i laws of inheritance in the case of intestacy are: 1. If the deceased is a father and his estate includes a personal residence, such residence passes to the eldest son (Q and A 34). 2. If the deceased has no male descendants, two thirds of the residence pass to his female descendants and the remaining third passes to the House of Justice (Q and A 41, 72). See note 42 concerning the levels of the institution of the House of Justice to which this law applies. (See also note 44.) 3. The remainder of the estate is divided among the seven categories of heirs. For details of the number of shares to be received by each group, see Questions and Answers, number 5, and Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.3.a. 4. In case there is more than one heir in any category the share allotted to that class should be divided between them equally, be they male or female. (Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdás, page 182-183)
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10. It is not suggested that men who have failed to educate their sons to
earn a livelihood shall cast them adrift in
poverty. If any man has seen fit to rear his sons with a view to their living
idle lives, or, what is highly
commendable, has instilled in them the sentiment that they are in a position
to labor for public ends without
reference to pecuniary considerations, then, of course, the duty of the
parent is to see that such are provided for in
moderation. There are instances of millionaires' sons unspoiled by wealth,
who, being rich, still perform great
services to the community. Such are the very salt of the earth, as valuable
as, unfortunately, they are
---Page 21 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- rare. It is not the exception, however, but the rule, that men must regard; and, looking at the usual result of enormous sums conferred upon legatees, the thoughtful man must shortly say, "I would as soon leave to my son a curse as the almighty dollar," and admit to himself that it is not the welfare of the children, but family pride, which inspires these legacies.
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livelihood -
O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a
livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their
kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds. (Baha'u'llah:
The Hidden Words, Persian #82) Blessed are those who have fixed their gaze on the realm of glory and have followed the commandments of the Lord of Names. Blessed is he who in the days of God will engage in handicrafts. This is a bounty from God, for in this Most Great Dispensation it is acceptable in the sight of God for man to occupy himself in a trade which relieveth him of depending upon charity. The craft of every craftsman is regarded as worship. (Bahá'u'lláh, The Arts, Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, number 1) 10. The purpose of learning should be the promotion of the welfare of the people, and this can be achieved through crafts. It hath been revealed and is now repeated that the true worth of artists and craftsmen should be appreciated, for they advance the affairs of mankind. Just as the foundations of religion are made firm through the Law of God, the means of livelihood depend upon those who are engaged in arts and crafts. True learning is that which is conducive to the well-being of the world, not to pride and self-conceit, or to tyranny, violence and pillage. II. From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha 11. Every person must have an occupation, a trade or a craft, so that he may carry other people's burdens, and not himself be a burden to others. (The Arts, Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, number 10 & 11) It would be well, with regard to the common rights of manufacturers, workmen and artisans, that laws be established, giving moderate profits to manufacturers, and to workmen the necessary means of existence and security for the future. Thus when they become feeble and cease working, get old and helpless, or leave behind children under age, they and their children will not be annihilated by excess of poverty. And it is from the income of the factory itself, to which they have a right, that they will derive a share, however small, toward their livelihood. (`Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, page 275)
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11. As to the second mode, that of leaving wealth at death for public uses,
it may be said that this is only a means
for the disposal of wealth, provided a man is content to wait until he is
dead before he becomes of much good in
the world. Knowledge of the results of legacies bequeathed is not calculated
to inspire the brightest hopes of
much posthumous good being accomplished by them. The cases are not few in
which the real object sought by
the testator is not attained, nor are they few in which his real wishes are
thwarted. In many cases the bequests are
so used as to become only monuments of his folly. It is well to remember that
it requires the exercise of not less
ability than that which acquires it, to use wealth so as to be really
beneficial to the community. Besides this, it
may fairly be said that no man is to be extolled for doing what he cannot
help doing, nor is he to be thanked by
the community to which he only leaves wealth at death. Men who leave vast
sums in this way may fairly be
thought men who would not have left it at all had they been able to take it
with them. The memories of such
cannot be held in grateful remembrance, for there is no grace in their
gifts. It is not to be wondered at that such
bequests seem so generally to lack the blessing.
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Bequests -
"If a wealthy man at the time of his death bequeaths a
gift to the poor
and miserable, and gives a part of his wealth to be spent for them,
perhaps this action may be the cause of his pardon and forgiveness,
and of his progress in the divine Kingdom. "Also a father and mother endure the greatest troubles and hardships for their children; and often when the children have reached the age of maturity, the parents pass on to the other world. Rarely does it happen that a father and mother in this world see the reward of the care and trouble they have undergone for their children. Therefore, children, in return for this care and trouble, must show forth charity and beneficence, and must implore pardon and forgiveness for their parents. So you ought, in return for the love and kindness shown you by your father, to give to the poor for his sake, with greatest submission and humility implore pardon and remission of sins, and ask for the supreme mercy." (Lights of Guidance, number 685) 90. Great is the recompense that God has ordained for the true and devoted souls, the pure and detached beings who have spontaneously bequeathed a portion of their earthly possessions to the Cause of God, either during their own lifetimes or through their wills, and have had the privilege and honour of discharging their obligations to Huququ'llah. Give assurance on my behalf to the donors and to the survivors of those who have ascended unto God, affirming that these efforts and donations are bound to attract divine confirmations, heavenly blessings and incalculable favours, and to promote the manifold interests of the International Baha'i Community. Well is it with them, inasmuch as God has enabled them to fulfil that which shall elevate their stations in this world and in the world to come. (23 June 1945--translated from the Persian) (Bahá'u'lláh, Huququ'llah, page 31)
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12. The growing disposition to tax more and more heavily large estates left
at death is a cheering indication of the
growth of a salutary change in public opinion. The State of Pennsylvania now
takes -- subject to some
exceptions -- one tenth of the property left by its citizens. The budget
presented in the British Parliament the other
day proposes
---Page 22 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- to increase the death duties; and, most significant of all, the new tax is to be a graduated one. Of all forms of taxation this seems the wisest
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Inheritance -
Baha'u'llah states that a person should be free to
dispose of his possessions during his lifetime in any way he chooses,
and it is incumbent on everyone to write a will stating how his
property is to be disposed of after his death. When a person dies
without leaving a will, the value of the property should be estimated
and divided in certain stated proportions among seven classes of
inheritors, namely, children, wife or husband, father, mother,
brothers, sisters and teachers, the share of each diminishing from
the first to the last. In the absence of one or more of these
classes, the share which would belong to them goes to the public
treasury, to be expended on the poor, the fatherless and the widows,
or on useful public works. If the deceased has no heirs, then all his
property goes to the public treasury. There is nothing in the law of Baha'u'llah to prevent a man from leaving all his property to one individual if he pleases, but Baha'is will naturally be influenced, in making their wills, by the model Baha'u'llah has laid down for the case of intestate estates, which ensures distribution of property among a considerable number of heirs. (Bahá'u'lláh & New Era, page 146)
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13. It is desirable that nations should go much further in this direction.
Indeed, it is difficult to set bounds to the
share of a rich man's estate which should go at his death to the public
through the agency of the State, and by all
means such taxes should be graduated, beginning at nothing upon moderate sums
to dependents, and increasing
rapidly as the amounts swell, until of the millionaire's hoard, as of
Shylock's, at least
---Page 23 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth---
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tax -
Difference of capacity in human individuals is fundamental. It
is impossible for all to be alike, all to be equal, all to be wise.
Baha'u'llah has revealed principles and laws which will accomplish
the adjustment of varying human capacities. He has said that
whatsoever is possible of accomplishment in human government will be
effected through these principles. When the laws he has instituted
are carried out there will be no millionaires possible in the
community and likewise no extremely poor. This will be effected and
regulated by adjusting the different degrees of human capacity. The
fundamental basis of the community is agriculture, tillage of the
soil. All must be producers. Each person in the community whose
income is equal to his individual producing capacity shall be exempt
from taxation. But if his income is
greater than his needs he must pay a tax until an adjustment is
effected. That is to say, a man's capacity for production and his
needs will be equalized and reconciled through taxation. If his
production exceeds he will pay no tax; if his necessities exceed his
production he shall receive an amount sufficient to equalize or
adjust. Therefore taxation will be proportionate to capacity and
production and there will
be no poor in the community. (Foundations of World Unity, page 37)
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14. There remains, then, only one mode of using great fortunes; but in this
we have the true antidote for the
temporary unequal distribution of wealth, the reconciliation of the rich and
the poor -- a reign of harmony,
another ideal, differing, indeed, from that of the Communist in requiring
only the further evolution of existing
conditions, not the total overthrow of our civilization. It is founded upon
the present most intense Individualism,
and the race is prepared to put it in practice by degrees whenever it
pleases. Under its sway we shall have an ideal
State, in which the surplus wealth of the few will become, in the best sense,
the property of the many, because
administered for the common good; and this wealth, passing through the hands
of the few, can be made a much
more potent force for the elevation of our race than if distributed in small
sums to the people themselves. Even
the poorest can be made to see this, and to agree that great sums gathered by
some of their fellow-citizens and
spent for public purposes, from which the masses reap the principal benefit,
are more valuable to them than if
scattered among themselves in trifling amounts through the course of many
years.
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Public Finance -
'Abdu'l-Baha suggests that each town and village or
district should be entrusted as far as possible with the
administration of fiscal matters within its own area and should
contribute its due proportion for the expenses of the general
government. One of the principal sources of revenue should be a
graduated income tax. If a man's income does not exceed his necessary
expenditure he should not be required to pay any tax, but in all
cases where income exceeds the necessary expenditure a tax should be
levied, the percentage of tax increasing as the surplus of income
over necessary expenditure increases. On the other hand, if a person, through illness, poor crops, or other cause for which he is not responsible, is unable to earn an income sufficient to meet his necessary expenses for the year, then what he lacks for the maintenance of himself and his family should be supplied out of public funds. There will also be other sources of public revenue, e.g. from intestate estates, mines, treasure trove and voluntary contributions; while among the expenditures will be grants for the support of the infirm, of orphans, of schools, of the deaf and blind, and for the maintenance of public health. Thus the welfare and comfort of all will be provided for. (Bahá'u'lláh & New Era, page 141-142)
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15. If we consider the results which flow from the Cooper Institute, for
instance, to the best portion of the race in
New York not possessed of means, and compare these with those which would
have ensued for the good of the
masses from an equal sum distributed by Mr. Cooper in his lifetime in the
form of wages, which is the highest
form of distribution, being for work done and not for charity, we can form
some estimate of the possibilities for
the improvement of the race which lie embedded in the present law of the
accumulation of wealth. Much of this
sum, if distributed in small quantities among the people, would have been
wasted in the indulgence of appetite,
some of it in excess, and it may be doubted whether even the part put to the
best use, that of adding to the
comforts of the home, would have yielded results for the race, as a race, at
all comparable to those
---Page 24 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- which are flowing and are to flow from the Cooper Institute from generation to generation.
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Income -
Difference of capacity in human individuals is fundamental.
It is impossible for all to be alike, all to be equal, all to be
wise. Baha'u'llah has revealed principles and laws which will
accomplish the adjustment of varying human capacities. He has said
that whatsoever is possible of accomplishment in human government
will be effected through these principles. When the laws he has
instituted are carried out there will be no millionaires possible in
the community and likewise no extremely poor. This will be effected
and regulated by adjusting the different degrees of human capacity.
The fundamental basis of the community is agriculture, tillage of the
soil. All must be producers. Each person in the community whose
income is equal to his individual producing capacity shall be exempt
from taxation. But if his income is greater than his needs he must
pay a tax until an adjustment is effected. That is to say, a man's
capacity for production and his needs will be equalized and
reconciled through taxation. If his production exceeds he will pay no
tax; if his necessities exceed his production he shall receive an
amount sufficient to equalize or adjust. Therefore taxation will be
proportionate to capacity and production and there will be no poor in
the community. (Foundations of World Unity, page 37) The question of socialization is very important. It will not be solved by strikes for wages. All the governments of the world must be united and organize an assembly the members of which should be elected from the parliaments and the nobles of the nations. These must plan with utmost wisdom and power so that neither the capitalist suffer from enormous losses nor the laborers become needy. In the utmost moderation they should make the law; then announce to the public that the rights of the working people are to be strongly preserved. Also the rights of the capitalists are to be protected. When such a general plan is adopted by the will of both sides, should a strike occur, all the governments of the world collectively should resist it. Other-wise, the labor problem will lead to much destruction, especially in Europe. Terrible things will take place. For instance, the owners of properties, mines and factories should share their incomes with their employees and give a fairly certain percentage of their products to their workingmen in order that the employees may receive, beside their wages, some of the general income of the factory so that the employee may strive with his soul in the work. No more trusts will remain in the future. The question of the trusts will be wiped away entirely. Also, every factory that has ten thousand shares will give two thousand shares of these ten thousand to its employees and will write the shares in their names, so that they may have them, and the rest will belong to the capitalists. Then at the end of the month or year whatever they may earn after the expenses and wages are paid, according to the number of shares, should be divided among both. In reality, so far great injustice has befallen the common people. Laws must be made because it is impossible for the laborers to be satisfied with the present system. They will strike every month and every year. Finally, the capitalists will lose. In ancient times a strike occurred among the Turkish soldiers. They said to the government: "Our wages are very small and they should be increased." The government was forced to give them their demands. Shortly afterwards they struck again. Finally all the incomes went to the pockets of the soldiers to the extent that they killed the king, saying: "Why didst thou not increase the income so that we might have received more?" It is impossible for a country to live properly without laws. To solve this problem rigorous laws must be made, so that all the governments of the world will be the protectors thereof. (Foundations of World Unity, pages 43-44)
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16. We might even go so far as to take another instance -- that of Mr.
Tilden's bequest of five millions of dollars
for a free library in the city of New York; but in referring to this one
cannot help saying involuntarily: How
much better if Mr. Tilden had devoted the last years of his own life to the
proper administration of this immense
sum; in which case neither legal contest nor any other cause of delay could
have interfered with his aims. But let
us assume that Mr. Tilden's millions finally become the means of giving to
this city a noble public library, where
the treasures of the world contained in books will be open to all forever,
without money and without price.
---Page 25 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- Most of those who think will probably entertain no doubt whatever.
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Baha'i Comment
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17. Poor and restricted are our opportunities in this life, narrow our
horizon, our best work most imperfect; but
rich men should be thankful for one inestimable boon. They have it in their
power during their lives to busy
themselves in organizing benefactions from which the masses of their fellows
will derive lasting advantage, and
thus dignify their own lives. The highest life is probably to be reached, not
by such imitation of the life of Christ
as Count Tolstoi gives us, but, while animated by Christ's spirit, by
recognizing the changed conditions of this
age, and adopting modes of expressing this spirit suitable to the changed
conditions under which we live, still
laboring for the good of our fellows, which was the essence of his life and
teaching, but laboring in a different
manner.
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Baha'i Comment
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18. This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth: To set an
example of modest, unostentatious living,
shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate
wants of those dependent upon him;
and, after doing so, to consider all surplus revenues which come to him
simply as trust funds, which he is called
upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in
the manner which, in his judgment, is
best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community --
the man of wealth thus becoming the
mere trustee and agent for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his
superior wisdom, experience, and
ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for
themselves.
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Rich -
This is the Book of Generosity which hath been revealed by the
King of Eternity. Whoso adorneth himself with this virtue hath
distinguished himself and will be blessed by the All-Merciful from
His exalted Kingdom of Glory. However, despite his high rank and
prominent position, were he to pass beyond the limits, he would be
regarded among the prodigal by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Cling
ye unto moderation. This is the commandment that He Who is the
All-Possessing, the Most High hath enjoined upon you in His Generous
Book. O ye that are the exponents of generosity and the
manifestations thereof! Be generous unto them whom ye find in
manifest poverty. Oh ye that are possessed of riches! Take heed
lest outward appearance deter you from benevolent deeds in the path
of God, the Lord of all mankind. Say: I swear by God! No one is despised in the sight of the Almighty for being poor. Rather is he exalted, if he is found to be of them who are patient. Blessed are the poor that are steadfast in patience, and woe betide the rich that hold back Huququ'lláh and fail to observe that which is enjoined upon them in His Preserved Tablet. Say: Pride not yourselves on earthly riches ye possess. Reflect upon your end and upon the recompense for your works that hath been ordained in the Book of God, the Exalted, the Mighty. Blessed is the rich man whom earthly possessions have been powerless to hinder from turning unto God, the Lord of all names. Verily he is accounted among the most distinguished of men before God, the Gracious, the All-Knowing. (Bahá'u'lláh, Huququ'llah, page 8-9)
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19. We are met here with the difficulty of determining what are moderate sums
to leave to members of the
family; what is modest, unostentatious living; what is the test of
extravagance. There must be different standards
for different conditions. The answer is that it is as impossible to name
exact amounts or actions as it is to define
good manners, good taste, or the rules of propriety; but, nevertheless, these
are verities,
---Page 26 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- well known, although indefinable. Public sentiment is quick to know and to feel what offends these. So in the case of wealth. The rule in regard to good taste in dress of men or women applies here. Whatever makes one conspicuous offends the canon. If any family be chiefly known for display, for extravagance in home, table, or equipage, for enormous sums ostentatiously spent in any form upon itself -- if these be its chief distinctions, we have no difficulty in estimating its nature or culture. So likewise in regard to the use or abuse of its surplus wealth, or to generous, free-handed cooperation in good public uses, or to unabated efforts to accumulate and hoard to the last, or whether they administer or bequeath. The verdict rests with the best and most enlightened public sentiment. The community will surely judge, and its judgments will not often be wrong.
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Distribution of wealth by wills -
We have divided inheritance into
seven categories The Baha'i laws of inheritance apply only in case of intestacy, that is, when the individual dies without leaving a will. In the Kitab-i-Aqdas (#109), Baha'u'llah instructs every believer to write a will. He elsewhere clearly states that the individual has full jurisdiction over his property and is free to determine the manner in which his or her estate is to be divided and to designate, in the will, those, whether Baha'i or non-Baha'i, who should inherit (Q and A 69). In this connection, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi explains that: ...even though a Baha'i is permitted in his will to dispose of his wealth in the way he wishes, yet he is morally and conscientiously bound to always bear in mind, while writing his will, the necessity of his upholding the principle of Baha'u'llah regarding the social function of wealth, and the consequent necessity of avoiding its over-accumulation and concentration in a few individuals or groups of individuals. This verse of the Aqdas introduces a lengthy passage in which Baha'u'llah elaborates the Baha'i law of inheritance. In reading this passage one should bear in mind that the law is formulated with the presumption that the deceased is a man; its provisions apply, mutatis mutandis, when the deceased is a woman. The system of inheritance which provides for distribution of the deceased's estate among seven categories of heirs (children, spouse, father, mother, brothers, sisters, and teachers) is based on the provisions set out by the Báb in the Bayan. The major features of the Baha'i laws of inheritance in the case of intestacy are: 1. If the deceased is a father and his estate includes a personal residence, such residence passes to the eldest son (Q and A 34). 2. If the deceased has no male descendants, two thirds of the residence pass to his female descendants and the remaining third passes to the House of Justice (Q and A 41, 72). See note 42 concerning the levels of the institution of the House of Justice to which this law applies. (See also note 44.) 3. The remainder of the estate is divided among the seven categories of heirs. For details of the number of shares to be received by each group, see Questions and Answers, number 5, and Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.3.a. 4. In case there is more than one heir in any category the share allotted to that class should be divided between them equally, be they male or female. (Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdás, page 182-183)
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20. The best uses to which surplus wealth can be put have already been
indicated. Those who would administer
wisely must, indeed, be wise; for one of the serious obstacles to the
improvement of our race is indiscriminate
charity. It were better for mankind that the millions of the rich were thrown
into the sea than so spent as to
encourage the slothful, the drunken, the unworthy. Of every thousand dollars
spent in so-called charity today, it
is probable that nine hundred and fifty dollars is unwisely spent -- so
spent, indeed, as to produce the very evils
which it hopes to mitigate or cure. A well-known writer of philosophic books
admitted the other day that he had
given a quarter of a dollar to a man who approached him as he was coming to
visit the house of his friend. He
knew nothing of the habits of this beggar, knew not the use that would be
made of this money, although he had
every reason to suspect that it would be spent improperly. This man
professed to be a disciple of Herbert
Spencer; yet the quarter-dollar given that night will probably work more
injury than all the money will do good
which its thoughtless donor will ever be able to give in true charity. He
only gratified his own feelings, saved
himself from
---Page 27 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- annoyance -- and this was probably one of the most selfish and very worst actions of his life, for in all respects he is most worthy.
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charity -
One demonstration of the excellent character of the
Christians in those days was their dedication to charity and good
works, and the fact that they founded hospitals and philanthropic
institutions. For example, the first person to establish public
clinics throughout the Roman Empire where the poor, the injured and
the helpless received medical care, was the Emperor Constantine. This
great king was the first Roman ruler to champion the Cause of Christ.
He spared no efforts, dedicating his life to the promotion of the
principles of the Gospel, and he solidly established the Roman
government, which in reality had been nothing but a system of
unrelieved oppression, on moderation and justice. His blessed name
shines out across the dawn of history like the morning star, and his
rank and fame among the world's noblest and most highly civilized is
still on the tongues of Christians of all denominations. What a firm foundation of excellent character was laid down in those days, thanks to the training of holy souls who arose to promote the teachings of the Gospel. How many primary schools, colleges, hospitals, were established, and institutions where fatherless and indigent children received their education. How many were the individuals who sacrificed their own personal advantages and "out of desire to please the Lord" devoted the days of their lives to teaching the masses. (Secret of Divine Civilization, page 85)
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21. In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those who
will help themselves; to provide
part of the means by which those who desire to improve may do so; to give
those who desire to rise the aids by
which they may rise; to assist, but rarely or never to do all. Neither the
individual nor the race is improved by
almsgiving. Those worthy of assistance, except in rare cases, seldom require
assistance. The really valuable men
of the race never do, except in case of accident or sudden change. Every one
has, of course, cases of individuals
brought to his own knowledge where temporary assistance can do genuine good,
and these he will not overlook.
But the amount which can be wisely given by the individual for individuals is
necessarily limited by his lack of
knowledge of the circumstances connected with each. He is the only true
reformer who is as careful and as
anxious not to aid the unworthy as he is to aid the worthy, and, perhaps,
even more so, for in almsgiving more
injury is probably done by rewarding vice than by relieving virtue.
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charity -
"The divine ideals are humility, submissiveness,
annihilation of self, perfect evanescence, charity and
loving-kindness. You must die to self and live in God. You must be
exceedingly compassionate to one another and to all the people of the
world. Love and serve mankind just for the sake of God and not for
anything else. The foundation of your love toward humanity must be
spiritual faith and divine assurance. (Lights of Guidance, page 214)
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22. The rich man is thus almost restricted to following the examples of Peter
Cooper, Enoch Pratt of Baltimore,
Mr. Pratt of Brooklyn, Senator Stanford,
---Page 28 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- that the best means of benefiting the community is to place within its reach the ladders upon which the aspiring can rise -- free libraries, parks, and means of recreation, by which men are helped in body and mind; works of art, certain to give pleasure and improve the public taste; and public institutions of various kinds, which will improve the general condition of the people; in this manner returning their surplus wealth to the mass of their fellows in the forms best calculated to do them lasting good.
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Trades -
It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form
of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have
graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of
worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace
and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and
at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy
yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. Thus
hath it been decreed in this Tablet from
whose horizon the day-star of wisdom and utterance shineth resplendent. The most despised of men in the sight of God are those who sit idly and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of material means, placing your whole trust in God, the Provider of all means. When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and all-pervasive bounty. (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, page 26)
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23. Thus is the problem of rich and poor to be solved. The laws of
accumulation will be left free, the laws of
distribution free. Individualism will continue, but the millionaire will be
but a trustee for the poor, intrusted for a
season with a great part of the increased wealth of the community, but
administering it for the community far
better than it could or would have done for itself. The best minds will thus
have reached a stage in the
development of the race in which it is clearly seen that there is no mode of
disposing of surplus wealth creditable
to thoughtful and earnest men into whose hands it flows, save by using it
year by year for the general good. This
day already dawns. Men may die without incurring the pity of their fellows,
still sharers in great business
enterprises from which their capital cannot be or has not been withdrawn, and
which is left chiefly at death for
public uses; yet the day is not far distant when the man who dies leaving
behind him millions of available wealth,
which was free to him to administer during life, will pass away "unwept,
unhonored, and unsung," no matter to
what uses he leaves the dross which he cannot take with him. Of such as these
---Page 29 The Gospel of Wealth - II Administration of Wealth--- the public verdict will then be: "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced."
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Baha'i Comment
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24. Such, in my opinion is the true gospel concerning wealth, obedience to
which is destined some day to solve
the problem of the rich and the poor, and to bring "Peace on earth, among men
good will."
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Peace -
O RESPECTED Assembly! O friends of Truth! The inherent nature
of fire is
to burn, the inherent nature of electricity is to give light, the
inherent nature of the sun is to shine, and the inherent nature of
the organic earth is the power of growth. There is no separation between a thing and its inherent qualities. It is the inherent nature of things on this earth to change, thus we see around us the change of the seasons. Every spring is followed by a summer and every autumn brings a winter--every day a night and every evening a morning. There is a sequence in all things. Thus when hatred and animosity, fighting, slaughtering, and great coldness of heart were governing this world, and darkness had overcome the nations, Baha'u'llah, like a bright star, rose from the horizon of Persia and shone with the great Light of Guidance, giving heavenly radiance and establishing the new Teaching. He declared the most human virtues; He manifested the Spiritual powers, and put them into practice in the world around Him. Firstly: He lays stress on the search for Truth. This is most important, because the people are too easily led by tradition. It is because of this that they are often antagonistic to each other, and dispute with one another. But the manifesting of Truth discovers the darkness and becomes the cause of Oneness of faith and belief: because Truth cannot be two! That is not possible... . Eighthly: Baha'u'llah declared the coming of the Most Great Peace. All the nations and peoples will come under the shadow of the Tent of the Great Peace and Harmony--that is to say, by general election a Great Board of Arbitration shall be established, to settle all differences and quarrels between the Powers; so that disputes shall not end in war. (`Abdu'l-Bahá in London, pages 26-30)
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