24 August, 2019
Mankind's Universal Prayers
This is the final chapter, chapter 12, of John Amos Comenius's Universal Awakening, or Panegersia. I have removed the chapter numbering system used in the translation by Dobbie and I have introduced some paragraph breaks. Reference: John Amos Comenius, Panegersia, p. 74-75, 12:1-36
My blog post for today is the entire final chapter, chapter 12, of John Amos Comenius's Universal Awakening, or Panegersia. It consists of a prayer on behalf of all humankind.
From my introduction:
I think this prayer is significant, and especially for Baha'is. In Baha'u'llah's Writings, especially the Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, we witness the answer, both implicit and even explicit, to Comenius's "universal prayers" here. The format of a plea on behalf of all mankind is significant because Baha'u'llah's stance of answering the needs of all humans, especially in his universal approach in his later works, such as the Tablet to the World and the Tablet to Maqsud. For example, both Comenius and Baha'u'llah often ask us to think of ourselves as doctors and humankind as a sick patient. That is just why God sent his manifestations to the world, to cure the sick body politic of what ails it. Comenius uses the same language, here for instance:
"The whole body of mankind is diseased. From top to toe there is no health in it, only a wound and a bruise and a painful swelling. It has not been bandaged nor treated by medicine nor soothed with oil... Alas! since we feel powerless without the help of the hand that created us, we pray Thee in Thy mercy not to prevent us from seeking a cure for our misery nor to desert us in the process."
Both Baha'u'llah and Comenius see great hope if we can only unite. In unity all good will be better and even the bad will be made good. Comenius writes here,
"For Thou hast created all things to stay alive and Thou hast made the nations of the world to regain their health. Thou dost pity them all since Thou art omnipotent, and Thou dost overlook the sins of men so that they may have the sense to reform. For Thou lovest everything in existence, and Thou dost not hate any of the things that Thou hast created, since Thou wouldst not have created them if they had been hateful."
In this prayer of Comenius we see the dillemma of our time, that we are one, yet we are not.
"Cast Thy light and Thy blessing upon us all! That is our united prayer. For we are one, and yet we are not one, because we grievously disagree."
Only with the Revelation of Baha'u'llah do we have absolute assurance from God that in unity we definitely will find oneness.
"Wilt 'Thou forever look upon our darkness without dispelling it? We know that we are to blame for losing Thee, who art our light, by our pursuit of vanities. But please, return to us, Lord, that we may return to Thee!"
Translations of Comenius by HMR Dobbie:
Panegersia, Ch. 12
Mankind's Universal Prayers to God.
Worshipful Lord of the world, saintly God of gods, the one and only true and living God before whom there is none other, God of all the earth, who art adored even by those who do not know what adoration means, we all turn to Thee and praise Thy blessed name for all the benefits which Thou hast bestowed upon us.
Thou hast created us, and the earth on our behalf, and Thou hast wondrously preserved us for so many generations and thousands of years within this dwelling-place of ours. But alas! O, Lord, we have fallen into such unhappiness as Thou seest, verily, into so many abominations which Thy spirit detests. For we are all corrupt. The whole body of mankind is diseased. From top to toe there is no health in it, only a wound and a bruise and a painful swelling. It has not been bandaged nor treated by medicine nor soothed with oil.
Although sorely offended by our sins, Thou that allowed all nations to go their own ways, but Thou hast never ceased from blessing us and sending the rains from heaven and giving us food and filling our hearts with gladness. Pretending to overlook our moments of ignorance, Thou dost proclaim to all men the need for repentance.
Therefore, Lord, we are preparing to seek Thy face and the reform of our ways.
Alas! since we feel powerless without the help of the hand that created us, we pray Thee in Thy mercy not to prevent us from seeking a cure for our misery nor to desert us in the process. O eternal light, grant us to see what is useful! Grant us to follow what is good! Grant us at last to succeed according to Thy pleasure!
We are Thy children. Have mercy upon us! Do not allow any endless disagreements or errors or backsliding to come between us! Canst Thou take delight in our darkness, our sickness or our death?
Away with such sinful thoughts about Thy goodness! As Thou hast not invented death, so dost Thou take no delight in the ruination of the living. For Thou hast created all things to stay alive and Thou hast made the nations of the world to regain their health. Thou dost pity them all since Thou art omnipotent, and Thou dost overlook the sins of men so that they may have the sense to reform. For Thou lovest everything in existence, and Thou dost not hate any of the things that Thou hast created, since Thou wouldst not have created them if they had been hateful.
Look, therefore, upon those of us who are scattered all over this world of Thine!
Behold, O Lord, Thou hast multiplied us according to Thy promise until we have filled Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and all the islands of the sea. But Thou hast not yet multiplied our share of joy.
Therefore I pray Thee to have mercy upon us. Cast Thy light and Thy blessing upon us all! That is our united prayer. For we are one, and yet we are not one, because we grievously disagree.
That we are one is due to Thee, our one Creator. That we disagree is due to some cunning impostor, hostile to Thee as well as to us. Wilt Thou tolerate this impostor forever? Wilt Thou continue to allow Thy family, whom Thou hast begotten for Thyself and not for him, to be alienated from Thee? Wilt 'Thou forever look upon our darkness without dispelling it? We know that we are to blame for losing Thee, who art our light, by our pursuit of vanities. But please, return to us, Lord, that we may return to Thee!
O eternal light, send forth Thy powerful rays so that the fog of our darkness may be lifted! Our sole request, O Lord, is to serve Thy glory, that we may all be one in Thee, as Thou art our one Creator, and that we may all gather together to acknowledge Thee alone, before whom there is no other god, and to serve Thee with one accord beside whom there is no other Lord.
If some of us now see the light in Thy light, grant that the others also may see it and rejoice!
O Father of Lights, purify in us all the light of our minds that we may all see Thee and Thy creation and Thy creatures exactly as they are! O lover of souls, grant that our souls may be kindled towards Thee so that we may all pursue Thee with one pure love! O ruler of the universe, correct our transgressions and ensure that at last we may all live together under Thy universal sceptre in this earthly kingdom of Thine! O Lord, grant us true philosophy, pure religion and peaceful politics, that we may live wise and saintly and peaceful lives in the world today until we are admitted to a place by Thy side to live with Thee in Thy happy and endless eternity! O Creator of all, be Thou also a source of mercy unto us!
Thou who dost outwardly shine upon all with the rays of Thy sunshine, pour upon us inwardly the rays of Thy mercy!
O Love! O Goodness! Grant that we may share in Thy goodness! Grant that we may seek Thee in simplicity! Grant that we may find grace!
Lord, forever grant us Thy mercy! Please do not despise the work of Thy servants!
Amen, Amen, Amen.
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