Kamál, 18 ʻ’Izzat (Might), 180 B.E.
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
Quotes for Reflection:
…backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. — Bahá’u’lláh 1
Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. — Bahá’u’lláh 2
Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great — Bahá’u’lláh 3
How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? — Bahá’u’lláh 4
Question for Consideration:
With the above quotations in mind, decide whether the following statements are true:
– When we talk about someone’s real faults, we are not backbiting.
– When we talk about a person’s praiseworthy qualities and his faults at the same time, we are not backbiting.
– Backbiting has become a common practice in our society, and we should develop the discipline to avoid it.
– If the listener promises not to repeat what we say about another person, there is no harm in backbiting.
– Backbiting is one of the greatest enemies of unity.
– If we acquire the habit of talking about other people all the time, we can easily fall into backbiting.
– When the capacities of different people are discussed in a Local Spiritual Assembly meeting in order to name the members of a committee, this is backbiting.
– When we feel the urge to backbite, we should remember our own faults.
– When we know a person is doing something that harms the Faith, we should discuss it with members of the community.
– When we know a person is doing something that harms the Faith, we should only inform the Local Spiritual Assembly.
– It is not wrong for a married couple to talk about other people’s faults since they should not keep secrets from each other. 5
Google Bard Response:
Here is my assessment of the statements you provided:
Statement: When we talk about someone’s real faults, we are not backbiting.
Assessment: False. Backbiting is talking about someone’s faults behind their back, regardless of whether the faults are real or perceived.
Statement: When we talk about a person’s praiseworthy qualities and his faults at the same time, we are not backbiting.
Assessment: False. Backbiting is still backbiting, even if you say some nice things about the person too. The focus should be on the person’s positive qualities, not their negative ones.
Statement: Backbiting has become a common practice in our society, and we should develop the discipline to avoid it.
Assessment: True. Backbiting is a common problem in society, but we should strive to avoid it. It is important to remember that we all have faults, and we should focus on our own shortcomings rather than the shortcomings of others.
Statement: If the listener promises not to repeat what we say about another person, there is no harm in backbiting.
Assessment: False. Backbiting is harmful, even if the listener promises not to repeat what you say. It can damage the reputation of the person you are backbiting, and it can create a negative and gossipy atmosphere.
Statement: Backbiting is one of the greatest enemies of unity.
Assessment: True. Backbiting can lead to division and distrust. When we backbite about others, we are creating a barrier between ourselves and them. This can make it difficult to build strong relationships and create a unified community.
Statement: If we acquire the habit of talking about other people all the time, we can easily fall into backbiting.
Assessment: True. The more we talk about other people, the more likely we are to say something negative about them. It is important to be mindful of our speech and to avoid gossiping about others.
Statement: When the capacities of different people are discussed in a Local Spiritual Assembly meeting in order to name the members of a committee, this is backbiting.
Assessment: False. Discussing the capacities of different people in a Local Spiritual Assembly meeting is not backbiting. It is important for the Assembly to have a good understanding of the skills and abilities of its members so that they can be appointed to committees where they can best serve the community.
Statement: When we feel the urge to backbite, we should remember our own faults.
Assessment: True. When we feel the urge to backbite, it can be helpful to remember our own faults. This can help us to be more compassionate and understanding of others.
Statement: When we know a person is doing something that harms the Faith, we should discuss it with members of the community.
Assessment: It depends. If the person is doing something that is harmful to the Faith, it is important to take action. However, it is important to do this in a loving and compassionate way. It is also important to avoid gossiping about the person or spreading rumors.
Statement: When we know a person is doing something that harms the Faith, we should only inform the Local Spiritual Assembly.
Assessment: True. If you are concerned about someone’s behavior, the best thing to do is to inform the Local Spiritual Assembly. They are trained to deal with these situations in a loving and compassionate way.
Statement: It is not wrong for a married couple to talk about other people’s faults since they should not keep secrets from each other.
Assessment: It is important for married couples to be honest with each other, but it is also important to be mindful of the way they talk about other people. It is important to avoid gossiping or spreading rumors. It is also important to remember that we all have faults, and we should focus on our own shortcomings rather than the shortcomings of others.
I hope this is helpful!
- Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá’í Reference Library. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah/7#568533901. ↩
- Bahá’u’lláh. The Hidden Words. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá’í Reference Library. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/hidden-words/2#605082403. ↩
- Bahá’u’lláh. The Hidden Words. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá’í Reference Library. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/hidden-words/3#697759113. ↩
- Bahá’u’lláh. The Hidden Words. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá’í Reference Library. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/hidden-words/2#568477331. ↩
- Ruhi Institute. Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. 4.1.2.PE May 2020. Vol. Book 1. 6 vols. Embarking on a Path of Service. Cali, Columbia: Ruhi Institute, 2020, 10-11. https://www.ruhi.org/en/walking-a-path-of-service/#RLS ↩
Frameworks for Understanding the World 
Remarkable! That suggests a future in which a personal AI device in our ear could listen to our conversations or questions, if so asked, and be an advisor/mentor of sorts, if so asked, to keep us mindful of our actions and help us improve each day. Once we overcome the obstacles to privacy or control the avarice corporate interests to mine our data for profit, we may actually benefit from these personal assistants. There is a possible future in which AI augmented personas that reflect our better vision of ourselves can encourage us to live up to that vision in ways that some of our friends may not be able to do. Sadly, the opposite could be true as well in which a personal AI could be scripted to do quite the opposite. At some point the pendulum will swing in much the opposite direction and we will grow to rely on connections with other souls on a spiritual path of continuous deepening, meditation, reflection, and consultation to help us grow and make decisions.
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