Question
what is the meaning of “truth seeking”?
First Answer
meaning
One of the important teachings of Bahaullah is the truth seeking. It means every person should search for truth independently, with his (her) own thinking and efforts. Every person should avoid from unscientific following from their fathers or other people. And since there is only one truth so all the human beings will reach in a unique truth. In this way, all the disputes and conflicts which are caused by different followings and imitations will disappear. For a real true seeking you should clean your heart from impurities and imitations and pay full attention to the almighty God.
Abdul-Baha says:’ the first institution of Bahaullah is “truth seeking”. It means the souls should leave any following and imitation for their forefathers and try to purify and sanctify themselves.”
He has also said:’ the seeker of the path of rescue will perform truth seeking and will hate all the aspects of imitation. This age is the age of truth. The hatred old thoughts of thousands years ago, even originated from the wise, clever, and knowledgeable people are left aside in this great century and new thoughts and views have been flourished in different aspects. For example the old knowledge is abandoned and the new knowledge is accepted, the old politics are left aside and the new politics are concerned; the old sciences have been completely abandoned and the new sciences are well accepted. The old customs and traditions have been left and the new ones are being practiced. all the new and current norms ,researches ,discoveries and inventions are astonishing for the wise people and all the affaires have become new ; so the divine truths should become new either . All the imitations should be thrown away, and the light of should be attended and the teachings that are the spirits of this age should be developed. and (one of them is) the seeking of truth taught by Bahaullah that is very popular throughout the world and is like the blowing of the holy spirit , and its key word is truth seeking , or forget the imitations and light up the lamp of truth.”
Another Answer
One of the Baha’i teachings is to leave the imitations and practice truth seeking. Any discrepancy or conflict among the religions or people is caused due to their different imitations!
In the teachings of the holy Islam and the books of the Shia scholars we usually read:
“The acceptance of the principal beliefs of a religion should be by complete knowledge and through research. Imitation or following the scholars is not allowed. The holy Quran has invited people to free thinking and speculation in different verses.
-ask them is the blind and seer are equal? Why you do not think about it?
-thus the divine signs are explained for you, so that you may speculate about it.
Therefore, Islam has repeatedly invited all people to study research and thinking. No imitation is acceptable in trusting the principle thoughts and aspects of the religion. But with regards to the practice of our daily activities in conformity with the religious rules the cause is different. It is an extensive field of rules.
One should be very skilled and specialized in recognizing the divine orders according to the holy Quran and the traditions, words, and practices narrated from the holy prophet and the infallible Imams (P.b.u.t). Or the person should refer to a reliable, honest, and knowledgeable religious scholar. This is a clear and reasonable issue. In all our daily affairs we refer to the experts. When we got sick, we go to a well-known, educated physician. We usually trust him and take his prescription. No one will blame you that “why did you followed the instruction of the doctor?”
It is the same in the religious performance of our daily affairs. We refer to a religious scholar in order to receive knowledge and prescriptions about the religious rules. If someone is a highly qualified religious scholar himself he should not follow the advices of another jurisprudent.
The Baha’is acknowledge that one of their teachings is to leave imitation. In fact they ask people to not go to the religious experts. There’s another teaching is the conformity of religion with reason and science. Which reason prevents from going to an expert? The bitter truth is that they have replaced the religious expert and scholar with 9 normal people, who may be even uneducated ones. In fact, the Baha’is should follow and obey the instructions of the local and national assemblies and cannot wake any apposition toward them; otherwise one will face the dangers of excommunication.
The excommunicated Baha’i person has no right to talk with other Baha’is; even the members of his near family. By this you can understand the true meaning of the Baha’i “truth seeking”. In fact, it becomes apparent that truth seeking is just a show.
