Sobre o mal e o sofrimento
Suffering should be understood in the context of the purpose of life: Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha have shown us that one of the primary purposes of life is to prepare human souls for the afterlife, the world to come.
As John Hatcher, in his book The Purpose of Physical Reality explained, the Baha'i Writings teach that this world is like a classroom in which all of our experiences either directly or indirectly provide us with opportunities to learn. The main point of the lessons in this classroom is to acquire spiritual virtues, develop spiritual knowledge, increase in the love of God, promote unity, advance civilization and serve our fellow human beings in their endeavor to do the same.
A key aspect of these lessons is that human beings should learn to live fully in this world and yet be detached from it so as to be fully prepared - mentally, emotionally, spiritually - for the transition from this world into the next. As Abdu’l-Baha reminds us, “The earthly life lasts but a short time, even its benefits are transitory; that which is temporary does not deserve our heart's attachment.” Suffering plays a vital role in helping us learn the lessons we need to learn.
Suffering, especially in the path of God and for the sake of service to others, helps us let go of our limitations, develop our innate capacities to the fullest and serve as an example for others.
The Universal House of Justice reminds us that, “an essential characteristic of this physical world is that we are constantly faced with trials, tribulations, hardships and sufferings and that by overcoming them we achieve our moral and spiritual development.”
It is important to note that Baha'is are not taught to suffer needlessly or accept injustices simply because good often can come from suffering. Baha'is are neither masochistic nor ascetic. While the Baha'i teachings make clear that suffering for noble purposes is commendable, suffering needlessly is just simply tragic, and effective efforts should be made to remedy such pointless and harmful sorrows.
As John Hatcher, in his book The Purpose of Physical Reality explained, the Baha'i Writings teach that this world is like a classroom in which all of our experiences either directly or indirectly provide us with opportunities to learn. The main point of the lessons in this classroom is to acquire spiritual virtues, develop spiritual knowledge, increase in the love of God, promote unity, advance civilization and serve our fellow human beings in their endeavor to do the same.
A key aspect of these lessons is that human beings should learn to live fully in this world and yet be detached from it so as to be fully prepared - mentally, emotionally, spiritually - for the transition from this world into the next. As Abdu’l-Baha reminds us, “The earthly life lasts but a short time, even its benefits are transitory; that which is temporary does not deserve our heart's attachment.” Suffering plays a vital role in helping us learn the lessons we need to learn.
Suffering, especially in the path of God and for the sake of service to others, helps us let go of our limitations, develop our innate capacities to the fullest and serve as an example for others.
The Universal House of Justice reminds us that, “an essential characteristic of this physical world is that we are constantly faced with trials, tribulations, hardships and sufferings and that by overcoming them we achieve our moral and spiritual development.”
It is important to note that Baha'is are not taught to suffer needlessly or accept injustices simply because good often can come from suffering. Baha'is are neither masochistic nor ascetic. While the Baha'i teachings make clear that suffering for noble purposes is commendable, suffering needlessly is just simply tragic, and effective efforts should be made to remedy such pointless and harmful sorrows.