Online Reporter
Flora Teckie
Bahá’í Perspective
Parenthood is both a great responsibility and a priceless privilege.
Beyond providing for our children’s physical needs, we are entrusted with nurturing their minds and characters. Our role is to help them realise their potential, guide them through life’s challenges, and empower them to transform obstacles into victories.
True education is about drawing out the God-given potential that exists within each child. As Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, states: “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom”.
Therefore, we as parents, should recognise and value these hidden gems, encouraging their development, and lovingly guiding each child to develop their inherent potentialities. It is important to see each child as a unique individual and skilfully bring out the best in them.
The aim of education should be the development of personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities of children to their fullest potential. Such an education should equip children not only to advance their own lives but also apply their knowledge, skills and abilities in service to others, contributing to building better communities.
A loving family, an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding
It is important for a child to grow up in a loving family and in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and understanding. A caring and supportive environment is necessary for the full and harmonious development of the child’s personality.
The training which our children first receive at home constitutes the strongest foundation for their future development. Mothers, in particular, have a special role to play in the early training and education of children, especially during the first few years of life when the basic values and character of the individual is formed.
“Children are even as a branch that is fresh and green; they will grow up in whatever way you train them” the Bahá’í Writings state, and urge us to “Take the utmost care to give them high ideals and goals, so that once they come of age, they will cast their beams like brilliant candles on the world, and will not be defiled by lusts and passions … but instead will set their hearts on achieving everlasting honour and acquiring all the excellences of humankind”.
Intellectual education, spiritual guidance, and proper discipline
Intellectual and spiritual education are both essential for our children to develop to their full potential and for them to be equipped to contribute socially and spiritually to the advancement of society.
There is a need to infuse in children the love of God, and guide them spiritually, to help instil in them good behaviour. The Bahá’í Writings state: “… from the very beginning, the children must receive divine education and must continually be reminded to remember their God. Let the love of God pervade their inmost being, commingled with their mother’s milk”.
Moral and spiritual education lays the foundation for a good character and eliminates the need for constant scolding or harsh punishment. When children have love for God and are guided by spiritual values, they develop qualities such as kindness, honesty, self-discipline, love, and respect for others.
The spiritual gifts which are potentially within a child can flourish or remain dormant; they can be used or misused. For example, a child’s natural tendency for high energy, and desire to have more of everything, can be channelled to enthusiasm, determination, and a sense of purpose.
But if he/she is mislabelled and criticised constantly, it can lead them to have a negative self-image. Children tend to believe their parents’ words as the truth and live up to those labels if they hear them often. We should try to speak to our children using the language of virtues.
Combining science and religion, belief and reason, will help free our children from fanaticism and superstitions. Placing emphasis on learning to think, rather than following adults out of fear, to reflect and reason, rather than to imitate, will motivate them to apply the spiritual laws with understanding and conviction.
Education should lead children to build a better future
The education we provide our children should prepare them to function effectively in an integrated world society. It should equip them with values needed to live in harmony and peace, in an atmosphere of understanding, dialogue, and respect for others. They should learn to embrace diversity, and work for advancement of their communities and well-being of humanity.
Moral and spiritual education can play an important role in facilitating a spirit of cooperation and harmony, as well as of service to others.
The Universal House of Justice, the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith, says: “Children must be so raised as to regard every soul, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or any other affiliation, as a fellow human being and to hold dear the words (of Bahá’u’lláh) that capture the spirit of the age: “The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch”.
Feedback: [email protected] or [email protected]. Website: www.bahai.org
