Religious Practices

Buddhism
Not by sacred water is one pure, although many folk bathe in it. In whom is truth and dhamma, he is pure; he is a Brahmin. (Udana 6)

Abstaining from fish or flesh, nakedness, shaving of the head, wearing the hair matted, smearing with ashes, wearing rough deerskins, attending the sacrificial fire, all the various penances performed for immortality, neither incantations, oblations, sacrifices, nor observing seasonal feasts will cleanse a man who has not overcome his doubt. (Sutta Nipata, 249)

Even three times a day to offer three hundred cooking pots of food does not match a portion of the merit acquired in one instant of love. (Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 283)

If your kingdom exists for the doctrine and not for fame or desire, then it will be extremely fruitful. If not, its fruit will be misfortune. (Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 327)

One thing, when it comes to pass, does so to the loss, to the unhappiness of many folk…to the misery of the gods and humankind. What is that one thing? Schism in the order of monks. (Itivuttaka 11)

Confucianism
Ch'un-yu K'un said, "Is it prescribed by the rites that, in giving and receiving, man and woman should not touch each other? "It is," said Mencius. "When one's sister-inlaw is drowning, does one stretch out a hand to help her?" "Not to help a sister-in-law who is drowning is to be a brute. It is prescribed by the rites that, in giving and receiving, man and woman do not touch each other, but in stretching out a helping hand to the drowning sister-inlaw one uses one's discretion." (Mencius IV.A.17)

Christianity
Hear and understand, not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man….Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and so passes on? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man. (Matthew 15:11-20)

[Jesus] went on from there, and entered their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other. But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him. (Matthew 12:9-14)

Hinduism
May your counsel be common, your assembly common, common the mind, and the thoughts of these united. A common purpose do I lay before you, and worship with your common oblation. Let your aims be common, and your hearts of one accord, and all of you be of one mind, so you may live well together. (Rig Veda 10.191.2-4)

Concerned alone with the upholding of the world, you should act. Whatever the best man does, others do that also. The world follows the standard he sets for himself. (Bhagavad Gita 3.20-21)

Look, you brothers, who bathe in the holy waters, Look, you monks, who bathe in the stream. Give up, give up, your unholy thoughts; Give up lustful thoughts for another man's wife, Give up coveting after another man's wealth. If you bathe in the waters without giving up these, it is as if bathing in a stream that has run dry. (Basavanna, Vacana 642)

Finite and transient are the fruits of sacrificial rites. The deluded, who regard them as the highest good, remain subject to birth and death….Attached to works, they know not God. Works lead them only to heaven, whence, to their sorrow, their rewards quickly exhausted, they are flung back to earth. Considering religion to be observance of rituals and performance of acts of charity, the deluded remain ignorant of the highest good. Having enjoyed in heaven the reward of their good works, they enter again into the world of mortals. But the wise, self-controlled, and tranquil souls, who are contented in spirit, and who practice austerity and meditation in solitude and silence, are freed from all impurity, and attain by the path of liberation the immortal, the truly existing, the changeless Self. (Mundaka Upanishad. 1.2.7-11)

Islam
It is not piety that you turn your faces [in prayer] to the East and to the West. True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one's substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms. And they who fulfill their covenant, when they have engaged in a covenant, and endure with fortitude misfortune, hardship, and peril, these are they who are true in their faith, these are the truly God-fearing. (Qur'an 2.177)

And when a company meets together in one of the houses of God to pore over the Book of God and to study it together among themselves, the Shechinah comes down to them and mercy overshadows them, the angels surround them, and God remembers them among them that are His. (Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 36)

Judaism
If two sit together and the words between them are of Torah, then the Shechinah is in their midst. (Mishnah, Abot 3.2)

The world stands upon three things: upon the Law, upon worship, and upon showing kindness. (Mishnah, Abot 1.2)

Religious Practices
"The world stands upon three things: upon the Law,
upon worship, and upon showing kindness" (Judaism.
Mishnah, Abot 1.2). Worship is the uplifted human response
to proximity to God. As we recognize or remember God,
our joy over the glimpse of His Beauty is worship. The
effectiveness of our efforts to assist human social well-being
is supported by the experience of worship. It frees us from
the concerns of our physical natures, sensitizes us to the
reality of others, and provides the basis for the cooperative
action required for community. All of the world's religions
teach us to obey the will of God, to make efforts to improve
our character through worship, and to treat others as we
wish to be treated. The integrity of our efforts is supported
through communion with God.
The result of observing the admonitions of the Messengers with respect to worship and good works is both proximity to God and the establishment of justice in the affairs of
humankind. Spiritual practices are meant to provide an approach to God. The purpose of the admonitions of the Messengers in the context of this world is to assist individuals to progress spiritually and to live in harmony with others. Spiritual practices as ritual observance or as a means to establish self-righteousness are of little value to us or others. It is not piety that you turn your faces [in prayer] to the

East and to the West. True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one's substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms. And they who fulfill their covenant, when they have engaged in a covenant, and endure with fortitude misfortune, hardship, and peril, these are they who are true in their faith, these are the truly God-fearing. (Islam. Qur'an, 2.177)

The following Buddhist scripture admonishes that, the "various penances performed for immortality" as external observances will not provide salvation. Asceticism without trust in God will not satisfy the desire for forgiveness. The individual must change an internal disposition of doubt into knowledge of God.

Abstaining from fish or flesh, nakedness, shaving of the head, wearing the hair matted, smearing with ashes, wearing rough deerskins, attending the sacrificial fire, all the various penances performed for immortality, neither incantations, oblations, sacrifices, nor observing seasonal feasts will cleanse a man who has not overcome his doubt. (Buddhism. Sutta Nipata, 249)

The waters of redemption flow from proximity to God. The presence of God is only available to those who overcome their estrangement. The following passage from Hindu scripture provides a similar admonition. Adhering to the prescribed, outward observances of God's directives does not result in cleanliness. Suspending the internal attachment to things forbidden by God is prerequisite to attaining His presence.

Look, you brothers, who bathe in the holy waters, Look, you monks, who bathe in the stream. Give up, give up, your unholy thoughts; Give up lustful thoughts for another man's wife, Give up coveting after another man's wealth. If you bathe in the waters without giving up these, it is as if bathing in a stream that has run dry. (Hinduism. Basavanna, Vacana 642)

Many of the passages of scripture set spiritual practices in the context of priorities. They explicate by comparison the preferred order of religious practices like ritual, good works, love of one's neighbor, and communion with God. "Even three times a day to offer three hundred cooking pots of food does not match a portion of the merit acquired in one instant of love" (Buddhism. Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 283). Ritual works performed out of fear of punishment or for social recognition are a shadow of those performed out of love.

Jesus instructs the Pharisees that the ritual observance of the Sabbath is not as important as good works. He thereby instructs us that consideration for the needs of others is more important to our relationship with God than external observance of religious orthodoxy.

[Jesus] went on from there, and entered their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other. But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him. (Christianity. Matthew 12:9-14)

Confucius expresses the underlying purpose of ritual as support for human compassion in a brief statement. "A man who is not humane, what can he have to do with ritual" (Confucianism. Analects 3.3). Additional Confucian scripture on the topic clarifies the teaching with a hypothetical example.

Ch'un-yu K'un said, "Is it prescribed by the rites that, in giving and receiving, man and woman should not touch each other? "It is," said Mencius. "When one's sister-inlaw is drowning, does one stretch out a hand to help her?" "Not to help a sister-in-law who is drowning is to be a brute. It is prescribed by the rites that, in giving and receiving, man and woman do not touch each other, but in stretching out a helping hand to the drowning sister-inlaw one uses one's discretion." (Confucianism. Mencius IV.A.17)

The passage admonishes us against holding external observance of religious laws and rituals as more important than human need. The use of discretion or reason associated with selfless consideration of another's need is above brutish observance of ritual and religious law.

Good works are more important than the observance of ritual. However, when good works are done for benefit in this world, they are tied to the rewards of material life and have little spiritual, eternal benefit. Good works are not always free from the vagaries and uncertainties of selfishness in this life. Such actions may be clouded by associated attachments to social, emotional, or material benefit. Under these conditions, "good" actions are a form of attachment.

Finite and transient are the fruits of sacrificial rites. The deluded, who regard them as the highest good, remain subject to birth and death….Attached to works, they know not God. Works lead them only to heaven, whence, to their sorrow, their rewards quickly exhausted, they are flung back to earth. Considering religion to be observance of rituals and performance of acts of charity, the deluded remain ignorant of the highest good. Having enjoyed in heaven the reward of their good works, they enter again into the world of mortals. But the wise, self-controlled, and tranquil souls, who are contented in spirit, and who practice austerity and meditation in solitude and silence, are freed from all impurity, and attain by the path of liberation the immortal, the truly existing, the changeless Self. (Hinduism. Mundaka Upanishad. 1.2.7-11)

Heaven in this context may be understood as the selfrighteous pleasure associated with observing religious practices. It is not a reference to heaven as the presence of God. Spiritual practices are provided by the Messengers of God as a safe approach to His presence and as methods to assist in the establishment of love and justice in our affairs. They are integral to the maintenance of social order and a safe approach to God. They are not established as an end in themselves.

Buddhism
Every son and every daughter of a family ought with their whole mind to make fervent prayer for [rebirth in ] the Pure Land of Buddha Amitayus. (Smaller Skhavativyuha Sutra 10)

One thing, when it comes to pass, does so to the loss, to the unhappiness of many folk…to the misery of the gods and humankind. What is that one thing? Schism in the order of monks. (Itivuttaka 11)

Judaism
Always let a man test himself: if he can direct his heart, let him pray; if he cannot, let him not pray. (Talmud, Berakot 30b)

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him. (John 9:31)

Islam
Prayer restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of God is the greatest thing in life, without doubt. (Qur'an 29.45)

Worship is the mechanism by which individuals are motivated to abide by the law of God. The spiritual nature of worship pertains to the remembrance and recognition of God. It is the presence of God - His voice, His beauty. Worship is the experience of the eternal word of God, which is the essential gift of all religions. "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Judaism. Isaiah 56.7). Turning to God in prayer and meditation is mentioned in all of the religious traditions. "Pray constantly" (Christianity. 1 Thessalonians 5:17). "Worship me through meditation in the sanctuary of the heart" (Hinduism. Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5). "Prayer restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of God is the greatest thing in life, without doubt" (Islam. Qur'an 29.45). "Every son and every daughter of a family ought with their whole mind to make fervent prayer for [rebirth in] the Pure Land of Buddha Amitayus" (Buddhism. Smaller Skhavativyuha Sutra 10). "Always let a man test himself: if he can direct his heart, let him pray; if he cannot, let him not pray" (Judaism. Talmud, Berakot 30b). The admonition to pray requires that it be sincerely directed from the selfless heart. There is a similar admonition in the Gospel of John. "We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him" (Christianity. John 9:31). Remembrance of God in prayer is conditioned on a sincere willingness to respond to His will.

Worship energizes altruistic human behavior through the love of God. It also provides for the establishment of socially benevolent behavior. Observance of prayers, rituals, and procedures that express spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and social consciousness of God provide support for social order. It admonishes through the love and fear of God. Fear of the governance structures of society will restrain some outward behavior, but most people monitor their own behavior through a complex set of internalized values that are integrally related to their belief in God. It is a mixture of the love of God, a desire to do good, fear of losing the good pleasure of God, and fear of the wrath of God. The worship associated with religious institutions binds people together in their common commitment to promote the well-being of the community.

However, the amount of incredibly vicious and brutal conflict initiated in the name of God is the obvious caveat to human solidarity provided by religion. Human history is replete with religious persecutions and warfare. The inhuman behavior is generally directed at non-believers or those who appear to violate the rules of the believers. Before the convergence of disparate religious groups into a global community, geographic isolation buffered conflict between members of different religions. Religious persecutions were mostly internal affairs. In this age, the global neighborhood has increased tensions between adherents of the world's religions. Religious intolerance and fanaticism have become significant barriers to social stability and advances in social justice for the peoples of the world. Religious fanaticism is in direct opposition to the purpose of religion. "One thing, when it comes to pass, does so to the loss, to the unhappiness of many folk…to the misery of the gods and humankind. What is that one thing? Schism in the order of monks" (Buddhism. Itivuttaka 11). The Messengers are our connection to God. They bring personal salvation. They also provide social laws for the welfare of the individual and society. When religion is corrupted, it becomes a source of contention and conflict and no longer serves its purpose.

Christianity
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. (Matthew 12:25)

All jealousies have vanished in the society of the Saints. All are my friends now, there being no enemy or stranger. (Adi Granth, Kanara, M.5, 1299)

Judaism
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!....for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore. (Psalm 133)

The world stands upon three things: upon the Law, upon worship, and upon showing kindness. (Mishnah, Abot 1.2)

Baha'i Faith
O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces toward unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention among you. Then will the effulgence of the world's great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. (Gleanings 111)

Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body. Thus counsels you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them that believe. (Gleanings, 72)

Human community is supported by the grace of God that flows through worship. Experience of the love and bounty of God frees us from the concerns of self-preservation and permits acts of selflessness and kindness. "All jealousies have vanished in the society of the Saints. All are my friends now, there being no enemy or stranger" (Sikhism. Adi Granth, Kanara, M.5, 1299). "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!....for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore" (Judaism. Psalm 133). Worship supports community through the recognition of the underlying unity and security of being. Human community is the living expression of the golden rule to love others as ourselves. "Let all mankind be thy sect" (Sikhism. Adi Granth, Japuji 28, M.1 6). "Consider the family of humankind one" (Jainism. Jinasena, Adipurana). "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand" (Christianity. Matthew 12:25).

Religion is fundamentally a unifying force for humankind. It revolves around the law of love and kindness. The eternal nature of kindness rests on the realization of the self of another as one's own self. It is a transcendent unity. "Happy is the unity of the Sangha. Happy is the discipline of the united ones" (Buddhism. Dhammapada 194). Peace and happiness are supported by the preference of this unity over the inclinations of self-preservation.

The roots of cooperation are both spiritual and biological. Cooperation is the practical outcome of the higher levels of consciousness i.e. faith, love, and self-actualization. It is also as fundamental a part of nature as competition or survival of the fittest. In the human social environment, cooperation is supported by reason; all of the participants benefit. The temporal benefit of kindness accrues from the mutual benefits associated with cooperation. Adaptation is as much successful cooperation with an environment as it is defeat of a competitor. Cooperative relationships can be seen throughout nature i.e. herds, hives, flocks, and the cells that work cooperatively as organisms. The spiritual energy associated with the underlying reality of our unity helps to integrate the benevolent aspects of the body, mind, and spirit of humankind.

O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces toward unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention among you. Then will the effulgence of the world's great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. (Bahai' Faith. Gleanings 111)

Christianity
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

Islam
For the white to lord it over the black, the Arab over the non-Arab, the rich over the poor, the strong over the weak or men over women is out of place and wrong. (Hadith of Ibn Majah)

Judaism
I call heaven and earth to witness: whether Jew or Gentile, whether man or woman, whether servant or freeman, they are all equal in this: that the Holy Spirit rests upon them in accordance with their deeds! (Seder Eliyyahu Rabbah 10)

Take away from me the noise of your songs; To the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5.23-24)

Buddhism
Not by matted hair, nor by family, nor by birth does one become a Brahmin. But in whom there exists both truth and righteousness, pure is he, a Brahmin is he. (Dhammapada 393, 396)

All those who take refuge in me, whatever their birth, race, sex, or caste, will attain the supreme goal; this realization can be attained even by those whom society scorns. Kings and sages, too seek this goal with devotion. (Bhagavad Gita 9.32-33)

The realization of the equality of humanity is a corollary to the golden rule. Treat others as you would treat yourself. The directive does not discriminate based on race, nationality, class, or gender.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Christianity. Galatians 3:28)

All those who take refuge in me, whatever their birth, race, sex, or caste, will attain the supreme goal; this realization can be attained even by those whom society scorns. Kings and sages, too seek this goal with devotion. (Hinduism. Bhagavad Gita 9.32-33)

For the white to lord it over the black, the Arab over the non-Arab, the rich over the poor, the strong over the weak or men over women is out of place and wrong. (Islam. Hadith of Ibn Majah)

Not by matted hair, nor by family, nor by birth does one become a Brahmin. But in whom there exists both truth and righteousness, pure is he, a Brahmin is he. (Buddhism. Dhammapada 393, 396)

The theme of equality before God is well established throughout the world's scriptures. Biased treatment based in the human heart and/or in the institutions of society demonstrates, at this stage in the evolution of human social order on this planet, a denial of spiritual guidance. God's view establishes the norm. As He regards us all equally, therefore, we are equal. This is not the static equality of sameness. It is the equality of the essence of human worth and dignity. It is the transcendent, eternal equality of our being. The equality of our essential nature is the reality which our behaviors as well as our laws and social institutions should endeavor to reflect. "I call heaven and earth to witness: whether Jew or Gentile, whether man or woman, whether servant or freeman, they are all equal in this: that the Holy Spirit rests upon them in accordance with their deeds!" (Judaism. Seder Eliyyahu Rabbah 10).

The equality of the peoples of the world requires that the institutions and governance structures of our world promote social justice. The scriptures recognize that we are different. We are not the same, but we are equal. The promotion of social justice does not require that everyone be treated the same. We do not all wear the same size shoes, like the same colors, or have the same capacities. Equality of treatment means we all should have equal respect for each other's needs and perspectives under the governance structures of society. In today's world it also requires that we have representation in governing the affairs of the community. "Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants." (Judaism. Leviticus 25.10)

The political process produces social justice to the degree that it converts prejudiced perspectives into consensus. Prejudice is part ignorance of an alternate understanding and part dismissal of the holder of a different view. It derives from our living separate experiences in separate bodies. If I have a headache, I suffer. If you have a headache, I can feel and express my sympathy, but I do not feel your pain. Our separate human experiences are bridged by our ability to transcend our isolation through communication. We have the ability to acknowledge the reality of another as if it were ours, experience ourselves in others, and stretch to understand another's experience. It is more than the emotional or psychological identification with the image of the other. It is based on the experience of the other as we experience ourselves. It is an acknowledgement of their being with our being.

Political processes are aided to the degree that the participants afford each other respect for their varied positions and perspectives. Prejudice violates and obscures recognition of the value of the holder of a different perspective. The elimination of prejudice does not require the elimination of differences nor of preferences for differences. It requires developing the human capacity to see the inherent equality of the other and to be unified within differences, to seek consensus of what to do about a situation, to find agreement, or to compromise. We must make a decision before we can enter the realm of action. To the degree that the processes used to form a decision are informed by the open and respectful exchange of ideas and positions, they are likely to produce more effective solutions to problems or conflicts. Equality and justice in the affairs of global society will become realized through the evolution of governance structures that promote agreement rather than dominance of one group over another that is based in prejudice.

Buddhism
By degrees, little by little, from time to time, a wise person should remove his own impurities as a smith removes the dross from silver. (Dhammapada 239)

Confucianism
The Master said, "At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet upon firm ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I know what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with a docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right." (Analects 2.4)

Wang-sun Chia asked about the saying, "Better pay court to the stove than pay court to the shrine". Confucius said, "It is not true. He who has put himself in the wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation left." (Analects 3.13)

Christianity
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:15)

Islam
O man! Verily you are ever toiling on toward your Lord - painfully toiling - but you shall meet Him…. You shall surely travel from stage to stage. (Qur'an 84.6, 19)

Baha'i Faith
Briefly, the journey of the soul is necessary. The pathway of life is the road which leads to divine knowledge and attainment. Without training and guidance the soul could never progress beyond the conditions of its lower nature, which is ignorant and defective. (Promulgation of Universal Peace, 296)

The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. (Gleanings, 132)

Taoism
Do not try to develop what is natural to man; develop what is natural to Heaven. He who develops Heaven benefits life; he who develops man injures life. (Chuang Tzu 19)

Progress is everywhere apparent in the natural world. Nothing stands still. Everything in nature begins, unfolds, and dies. The cumulative process is also not stagnant, but is evolving from simpler to more complex forms. The purpose of human evolution is found in the knowledge and love of God. "O man! Verily you are ever toiling on toward your Lord - painfully toiling - but you shall meet Him…. You shall surely travel from stage to stage" (Islam. Qur'an 84.6, 19). Anyone who has consciously experienced the love of God has some knowledge of this truth. "I was a secret treasure, and I created the creatures in order that I might be known" (Islam. Hadith). Society is evolving or maturing to more complex forms and within it human beings are evolving their individual capacity to know and love God. "The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves" (Baha'i Faith. Gleanings, 132). The purpose of civilization is to aid in the fulfillment of this human purpose. Everything in the universe has been created for the education of humanity in the ways of God.

The processes of civilization are evolutionary but they are directed by purpose. The evolving nature of society as a whole can be viewed as a reflection of the development of individual capacity through the life cycle. Individual responsibility in this process begins and ends with the refinement of self. This world is made for our learning, and we learn by degrees through both success and failure. "By degrees, little by little, from time to time, a wise person should remove his own impurities as a smith removes the dross from silver" (Buddhism. Dhammapada 239).

The Master said, "At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet upon firm ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I know what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with a docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right." (Confucianism. Analects 2.4)

The first priority for education is the heart and soul and secondarily, the intellect and talent. If you educate a person in the sciences and arts but do not educate his character, he will likely produce things that are harmful to himself and others. If the first priority in education is the advancement of spiritual perception and sensitivities to life and second the education of the intellect, education will benefit the individual and society. "Do not try to develop what is natural to man; develop what is natural to Heaven. He who develops Heaven benefits life; he who develops man injures life" (Taoism. Chuang Tzu 19). "Wang-sun Chia asked about the saying, 'Better pay court to the stove than pay court to the shrine.' Confucius said, 'It is not true. He who has put himself in the wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation left'" (Confucianism. Analects 3.13).

Excess in religious education can become as harmful as no religious education. The rhetoric and theology of religious instruction can become shrill and negative to the degree that it lacks the compassion born of a relationship with God. An individual genuinely sharing a valued treasure does not need to scare or force the receiver into taking the gift. Children who are abused by religious zealotry are not being given a gift. Further barriers to their experience of the bounties of God are being set before them. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves" (Christianity. Matthew 23:15). Character education must proceed from the inside out. It must be chosen by the individual. The student must be attracted to the benefits of spiritual perception and proximity to the remembrance of God.

The advancement of individual capacity and of society are integral to each other. The progress of society is dependent upon the maturation of the individual, which in turn is dependent upon the progress of society.

Briefly, the journey of the soul is necessary. The pathway of life is the road which leads to divine knowledge and attainment. Without training and guidance the soul could never progress beyond the conditions of its lower nature, which is ignorant and defective. (Baha'i Faith. Promulgation of Universal Peace, 296)

Feral children are an extreme example of the impact of a lack of education on an individual. Children who have been deprived of social interaction with other humans, beyond a certain level of physical development, will even be unable to develop adequate language skills. In the normal processes of human social development, we learn to interact within a framework of social conventions and develop our capacities through our personal proclivities and choices. The forces of the individual and those of the social environment contribute to the development of each other. On the one hand, individuals can dramatically impacted society - i.e. celebrated philosophers, scientists, industrialists, entrepreneurs, and educators. On the other, those celebrated individuals could not have developed their potential without the processes of socialization.

Individuals find their purpose in this world in the service of others. "All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization" (Baha'i Faith. Gleanings, 58). The purpose of society is the ongoing development of human capacity. Society progresses by developing the capacities of individuals, who in turn contribute to the progress of the whole. Our efforts to contribute to the unfolding capacities of human society are provided motivation and given direction by our glimpses of the beauty of God. The love of God fortifies and enriches the human heart for service to the world of humanity. "The world stands upon three things: upon the Law, upon worship, and upon showing kindness" (Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 1.2).