Born again.

 

22. Born again: The act of being born again is a term and condition, a philosophical ideology most commonly thought to be related to the study of the Christian Faith. Jesus said we must be born again to receive eternal life and most people just leave it at that. But I thought to myself, if this is such an all important step we must go through to open the doors of heaven to us, then the other religions of God must also teach of this. BAHA’I FAITH: “Jesus Christ said ‘Ye must be born again’ so that divine Life may spring anew within you. Be kind to all around and serve one another; love to be just and true in all your dealings; pray always and so live your life that sorrow cannot touch you. Look upon the people of your own race and those of other races as members of one organism; sons of the same Father; let it be known by your behaviour that you are indeed the people of God. Then wars and disputes shall cease and over the world will spread the Most Great Peace.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 82)

This teaching of being born again, I discovered, is also a teaching and belief taught in the Bahá’í Faith.

BAHA’I FAITH: “Until man is born again from the world of nature, that is to say, becomes detached from the world of nature, he is essentially an animal, and it is the teachings of God which converts this animal into a human soul.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 289)

 BABI RELIGION: “To be born again and to believe and lead a holy life are most essential to salvation.”

(Moojan Momen, The Babi  and Baha’i Religions, p. 195)

This teaching of Christ is definitely a teaching found in the Bahá’í Faith, but I thought what of the other religions of God. If this teaching is such an important teaching, than this teaching, of being born again, must be taught in the other religions of The Creator as well; and I found this to be the case. I found this ideology was there in the writings of the other faiths, as-well, only we just need to take into account that, as other faiths go, there are large amounts of time that has passed between the different manifestations, giving man more time to manipulate the scriptures. We also need to bear in mind the different cultures, languages and regions these religions came to. The teaching was there, but not in a form we would most readily recognize at first, and we may need to dig deeper into the writings to recognize the teaching for what it is, from the different forms of the words and writings.

 JUDAISM: Isaiah: 38:16 “O LORD, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt Thou recover me, and make me to live.” Psalms: 30:3 “O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive,” Exodus: 35:21 “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing.” ADAM: “The oil of mercy shall be for generation to generation for those who are ready to be born again of water and the Holy Spirit to life eternal.” (Other Apocrypha, The Books of Adam and Eve) CHRISTIANITY: 1 Peter: 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently;” 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” John: 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” John: 3:5 “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John: 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

 ISLAM: 29:19 “Go through the earth, and see how He hath brought forth created beings. Hereafter, with a second birth will God cause them to be born again; for God is Almighty.”

        (The Qur’an (Rodwell tr), Sura 29 – The Spider)

 “The Prophet said, Whoever performs Hajj for Allah’s (God‘s) pleasure he will return as if he were born anew.”

        (Hadith, Bukhari Vol 2, Book 26, # 596)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 11. “I would thereby preserve Right and Good Thought for evermore, that I may instruct, do thou teach me, O Mazda Ahura (God), from thy spirit by thy mouth how it will be with the First Life.” (and) “Never shall the false Teacher destroy the Second Life.” (rebirth)

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 28 and 45)

 HINDUISM: “Twice-born men (reborn), were free from passion, lust of gold and impure greed, Faithful to their Rites and Scriptures, truthful in their word and deed.”

(Hindu, Ramayana (R. Dutt, abridged tr))

 “Twice-born men, i.e. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas. Haradatta says that some believe the term ‘twice-born’ to have been used in order to indicate that the three occupations may be lawfully followed after the second birth.”

(Hindu, The Dharma Sutras, Gutama 10)

 16. “For he causes him (the pupil) to be born (a second time) by (imparting to him) sacred learning. This (second) birth is the best.” (born again)

(Hindu, The Dharma Sutras, Apastamba Prasna I, Patala 1, Khanda 1)

 BUDDHISM: “Wherever one is reborn; and wherever this action ripens, there one experiences the fruits of this action, be it in this life, or the next life.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 SABEANISM: “Praised be the First Life’ and Praised art thou, Second Life, Life that is from Life.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 71 and 74)

 BABI RELIGION: “Therefore it behooveth you to return unto God even as ye were brought forth into existence, and to utter not such words as why or nay, if ye wish your creation to yield fruit at the time of your return. For none of you who have been born in the Bayan shall gain the fruit of your beginning unless ye return unto Him Whom God shall make manifest. He it is Who caused your beginning to proceed from God, and your return to be unto Him, did ye but know.” “The Holy Spirit operating upon the heart produces this new birth.” “The new birth by the Holy spirit.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 148 and The Babi and Baha’i Religions pp. 195 and 221)

 “New birth is necessary to salvation and good works as an evidence of it. That the Holy Spirit operating upon the heart produces this new birth.”

(Moojan Momen, The Babi  and Baha’i Religions, p. 211)

“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, pp. 51 and 52)

“Until man is born again from the world of nature, that is to say, becomes detached from the world of nature, he is essentially an animal, and it is the teachings of God which converts this animal into a human soul.” “His true second birth occurs when he is freed from all material things: for he only is free who is not a captive to his desires.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 87 and Baha’i World Faith, p. 289)

“If he possesses the knowledge of God, becomes ignited through the fire of the love of God, witnesses the great and mighty signs of the Kingdom, becomes the cause of love among mankind, and lives in the utmost state of sanctity and holiness, he shall surely attain to second birth, be baptized by the Holy Spirit and enjoy everlasting existence.

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 64)

As I said the wording and terms may be a little different from religion to religion, but the essence of the teaching is the same teaching. Though it needs to be understood that, the term born again is a symbolic truth, not signifying that one must be physically born again, but this rebirth is of a spiritual nature indicating a spiritual opening of the eyes and heart of man to the words and truth of God’s message to mankind and his spiritual awakening to the love and influence of God.