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Justice
From the Bahá’í Writings
Oh, friends of God, be living examples of justice!
So that by the Mercy of God, the world may see in your actions that you
manifest the attributes of justice and mercy.
Justice is not limited, it is a universal quality. Its
operation must be carried out in all classes, from the highest to the lowest.
Justice must be sacred, and the rights of all the people must be considered.
Desire for others only that which you desire for yourselves. Then shall we
rejoice in the Sun of Justice, which shines from the Horizon of God.
Each man has been placed in a post of honor, which he must
not desert. A humble workman who commits an injustice is as much to blame as a
renowned tyrant. Thus we all have our choice between justice and injustice.
I hope that each one of you will become just, and direct
your thoughts towards the unity of mankind; that you will never harm your
neighbours nor speak ill of any one; that you will respect the rights of all
men, and be more concerned for the interests of others than for your own. Thus
will you become torches of Divine justice, acting in accordance with the
Teaching of Baha’u’lláh, who, during His life, bore innumerable trials and
persecutions in order to show forth to the world of mankind the virtues of the
World of Divinity, making it possible for you to realize the supremacy of the
spirit, and to rejoice in the Justice of God.
Abdu’l-Bahá:Paris Talks, pp.159-60
O people of God! The trainer of the world is justice, for
it consists of two pillars; Reward and retribution. These two pillars are two
fountains for the life of the people of the world. Inasmuch as for each time and
day a particular decree and order is expedient, affairs are therefore entrusted
to the ministers of the House of Justice so that they may execute that which
they deem advisable at the time. Those souls who arise to serve the Cause
sincerely to please God will be inspired by the divine, invisible inspirations.
It is incumbent upon all to obey.
Baha’u’lláh:The Bahá’í World Faith,
p.195-6
From the Buddhist Scripture
How does a king, who is born
of men, come to be called divine?
Why is a king called the Son of the Gods?
If a king is born in this world of mortals,
How can it be that a god rules over men?
I will tell you of the origin of kings, who are born in the world of mortals,
And for what reason kings exist, and rule over every province.
By the authority of the great gods a king enters his mother’s womb.
First he is ordained by the gods – only then does he find an embryo.
What though he is born or dies in the world of mortals –
Arising from the gods he is called the Son of the Gods.
The thirty-three great gods assign the fortune of the king.
The ruler of men is created as son of all the gods,
To put a stop to unrighteousness, to prevent evil deeds,
To establish all being in well-doing, and to show them the way to heaven.
Whether man, or god, or fairly, or demon,
Or outcaste, he is a true king who prevents evil deeds.
Such a king is mother and father to those who do good.
He was appointed by the gods to show the results of karma…
But when a king disregards the evil done in his kingdom,
And does not inflict just punishment on the criminal,
From his neglect of evil, unrighteousness grows apace,
And fraud and strife increase in the land.
The thirty-three great gods grow angry in their palaces
When the king disregards the evil done in his kingdom….
….But he who distinguishes good deeds from evil,
Who shows the results of karma – he is called a king,
Ordained by the host of gods, the gods delight in him..
From Suvarnaprabhasottama Sutra 12 (cento)
Sources of Indian Tradition p.183-4
From the Hindu Scriptures
The Origin of Kingship
Neither kingship nor king
was there in the beginning, neither scepter nor the bearer of scepter.
All people protected one another, by means of righteous conduct (dharma).
Thus, while protecting one another by means of righteous conduct, O Bharata, men
eventually fell into a state of spiritual lassitude. Then delusion overcame
them. Man were thus overpowered by
infatuation, O leader of men, on account of the delusion of understanding; their
sense of righteous conduct was lost…
…When spiritual knowledge
and righteous conduct perished, the gods were overcome with fear, and fearfully
sought refuge with Brahma, the creator. Going to the great lord, the ancestor of
the worlds, all the gods, afflicted with sorrow, misery, and fear, with folded
hands said: “O Lord, the eternal spiritual knowledge, which had existed in the
world of men has perished because of greed, infatuation, and the like, therefore
we have become fearful. Through the
loss of spiritual knowledge, righteous conduct also has perished, O God.
Therefore, O Lord of the three worlds, mortals have reached a state of
indifference. …O grandfather,
decide what is most beneficial to us under these circumstances.”
Then the self-born lord said
to all those gods: “I will consider what is most beneficial; let your fear
depart, O leaders of the gods.
Thereupon he composed a work
consisting of a hundred thousand chapters out of his own mind, wherein righteous
conduct (dharma), as well as material gain (artha) and enjoyment of sensual
pleasures (kama) were described. This group, known as the threefold
classification of human objectives, was expounded; by the self-born lord; so,
too, a fourth objective, spiritual emancipation (moksha) which aims at a
different goal, and which constitutes a separate group by itself.
Then the gods approached
Vishnu, the lord of creatures, and said: “Indicate to us that one person among
mortals who alone is worthy of the highest eminence.”
Then the blessed lord god
Narayana reflected, and brought forth an illustrious mind-born son, called
Virajas (who became the first king).
From Mahabharata,
12.59-5, 13-30,93-94
(Sources
of Indian Tradition p.237)
From
the Islamic Scripture
Believers; Be resolute in
the doing of justice, as witnesses to God, even though it be against yourselves,
your parents or your kinsfolk, and whether it concerns rich or poor. For what
has to do with God is more relevant than wealth or poverty. Do not follow your
own desires into perversion of what is right. If you act in bias or prejudice
God is well aware of what you are doing.
Surah 4 .135
From the time of Adam to our
own days the people of all communities throughout history are united in the
opinion that justice is a requisite of religion and tat religion is a requisite
of justice. For it is not possible for men to live without having dealings with
each other; and in these mutual dealings a man may be strong or weak, good or
bad, Muslim of non-Muslim, wise or foolish, learned or ignorant, townsman or
villager, resident or traveller, deceptive or straightforward, ruler or subject,
an adult or a minor. Now justice is
the balance in which the actions of people, right or wrong, are weighed. The
distinction between one’s desserts and the opposite is clarified by justice.
Justice exposes cruelty, oppression, usurpation and plunder.
Consequently, there can be no stability in the affairs of men without
justice.
No religion which is founded
on divine commandments can do without justice. Both ancient and succeeding
authorities have said, “Religion and justice are twins”. For Justice breaks
the strong arm of the tyrannical, the oppressive and the mighty – of
misappropriators, plunderers, rebels, the froward, the “people of license”
and disbelievers in the Day of Judgement and accounts – to protect the money,
property, women and children of the weak, the obedient, the helpless, the
orphans; the submissive, and the friendless.
Justice prevents tyranny and
oppression through the mandates of religion. If there is no justice or equity on
the earth, there will be complete community of women and property; the
distinctions between one man’s property and another’s will vanish; no time
or place will be free from disorder, and no man will be able to drink his cup of
water in his corner in peace or to stretch his legs and sleep on his bed in
security for a single night; and, finally the world will cease to be prosperous
owing to immense tumults and disorders.
Nevertheless, if all the
wise men of the earth tried to govern a village, or even a household through
mere policy or precepts of wisdom without judges endowed with power, they would
not succeed. The origin of peace and stability is justice and equity which
prevails among the people only through strong command.
From Barni Fatawa-yi-Jahandari,
folios 43b-44b
From
the New Testament
St. John 8,
12,20
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, “I am the light
of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the
light of life”.
The Pharisees therefore said unto him, “Thou bearest record of thyself; thy
record is not true.”
Jesus answered and said unto them; “Though I bear record of myself, yet my
record is true; for I know whence I came and whither I go; but ye cannot tell
whence I come and whither I go.
Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
And yet if I judge, my judgement is true, for I am not alone but I and the
Father that sent me.
It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth
witness of me.
Then said they unto him. “Where
is thy Father?” Jesus answered,
“Ye neither know me, nor my Father; if ye had known me ye should have known my
Father also.”
These words spoke Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; and no man
laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
St. John 8 v. 1 –11
When
Jesus came again into the temple, the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a
woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto
him, “Master, this women was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned; but what
sayest thou?”
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus
stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them
not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one
by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus was left alone,
and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her.
Women where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus
said unto her. Neither do I condemn
thee; go and sin no more.
Bahá’í Prayer
O
Compassionate God! Thanks be to
Thee for Thou has awakened and made me conscious. Thou hast given me a seeing
eye and favoured me with a hearing ear; hast led me to Thy Kingdom and guided me
to Thy Path. Thou hast shown me the right way and caused me to enter the Ark of
Deliverance.
O
God! Keep me steadfast and make me firm and staunch. Protect me from violent
tests and preserve and shelter me in the strongly fortified fortress of Thy
Covenant and Testament. Thou art the Powerful! Thou art the Seeing! Thou art the
Hearing! O Thou the Compassionate God! Bestow
upon me a heart which, like unto glass, may be illumined with the light of Thy
love, and confer upon me a thought which may change this world into a
rose-garden through the spiritual bounty. Thou art the Compassionate, the
Merciful! Thou art the Great Beneficient God!
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