Lessons on Detachment in the Tablet to Pope Pius IX
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Cynthia C. Shawamreh, Lessons on Detachment in the Tablet to Pope Pius IX, bahai-library.com.
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Lessons on Detachment in the Tablet to Pope Pius IX

Cynthia C. Shawamreh

1998-11

I. Question Presented.

What lessons of detachment for individual Bahá'ís are contained
within the majestic summons proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh in the
Tablet to Pope Pius IX?

II. Thesis Statement.

Stunning lessons for detachment abound within the Words of
Bahá'u'lláh in the Tablet to Pope Pius IX. This Tablet is rich
with meaning and wisdom applicable to the lives of individual
Bahá'ís. As Bahá'u'lláh commands the Pope to "rend
the veils asunder," He also offers us individually an opportunity to glimpse
more deeply the many levels and meanings of detachment.
Bahá'u'lláh's Words to the Pope serve as a clear warning and the
Pope's subsequent history serves as a chilling example of the imperative
necessity of cultivating the art of detachment in our lives.

III. Body.

Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to Pope Pius IX, Revealed in Arabic in the
city of 'Akká circa 1869, proclaims unequivocally His station as the
promised return of Christ, and summons the Pope to arise and serve His Cause.
Bahá'u'lláh warns the Pope to "beware that thou dispute not with
Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him (Jesus) without a clear token or
proof . . . ," calling to mind the historical example of the rejection of Jesus
by the religious establishment of the time. Bahá'u'lláh vividly
establishes the contrast between temporal sovereignty and true spiritual
sovereignty with the Words:

"Dwellest thou in palaces whilst He Who is the King of Revelation liveth in
the most desolate of abodes? Leave them unto such as desire them, and set thy
face with joy and delight towards the Kingdom . . . "

The emptiness of the Pope's lifestyle in palaces, surrounded by pomp and luxury
is again invoked, and the Pope is called upon to exhibit uncompromising
detachment in the lines:

"Sell all the embellished ornaments thou dost possess, and expend them in the
path of God . . . Abandon thy kingdom unto the kings, and emerge from thy
habitation, with thy face set towards the Kingdom, and, detached from the
world, then speak forth the praises of thy Lord betwixt earth and
heaven."

The sad consequences of the Pope's rejection of Bahá'u'lláh's
Message sends us all a powerful example of the failure to detach ourselves from
the material world. The historical image of the Pope portrayed by the Guardian
of a man, humiliated, routed by his enemies, forced to his knees in the Scala
Santa, utterly divested of his temporal sovereignty, and left bewildered,
powerless and unaware of the true cause of his predicament, is both moving and
chilling in its ramifications. Through the passage of time, the inevitably
fleeting nature of temporal power is dramatically exposed in the Pope's
crushingly bitter end. What, then, is it which has prevented the Pope from
responding to Bahá'u'lláh's summons, and how can we learn from
his example?

Bahá'u'lláh writes:

"Call thou to remembrance Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) Who, when He came,
the most learned of His age pronounced judgment against Him in His own country
whilst he who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take heed, then, ye men of
understanding heart!"

Although the Tablet is directed to the Pope individually, the warning above is
addressed in the collective. Bahá'u'lláh warns us all to beware
of the danger of arrogance which learning and power can bring. Cultivating
detachment from worldly things such as our reputations, our learning or our
status in the world is our only hope for obtaining true knowledge. The Pope,
despite Bahá'u'lláh's clear Message and the clear example of the
historical treatment of Jesus by the learned of His age, chose to ignore His
Summons. Given the repeated warnings by Bahá'u'lláh not to allow
temporal power to veil the Pope from God, one can conclude that it is precisely
that attachment to temporal power which is the root cause of his rejection of
Bahá'u'lláh's Message. To have accepted, or even truly
investigated Bahá'u'lláh's Claims, would have threatened the
Pope's outer glory, his reputation among his peers and his temporal
sovereignty. The historical outcome of the Pope's decision dramatically
underscores the fleeting nature of those things for which he lost that
priceless opportunity.

Individual Bahá'ís might be tempted to dismiss the lesson
provided by the Pope, since we claim to have recognized the Station of
Bahá'u'lláh. However, the lessons of detachment in the Tablet to
Pope Pius IX are multi-layered. Becoming detached is a process, a goal towards
which we strive all our lives. How often is our ability to serve the Faith
hampered by attachment to the very same obstacles as that which deterred the
Pope? The cancer of materialism in the national life of the United States
surely afflicts the American Bahá'í community as well. We are
constantly struggling to shake off the bondage of apathy, materialism, and
comfort with our lives and our reputations as they currently stand in order to
arise to serve the Faith. Bahá'u'lláh's Command to the Pope is
threefold: (1) recognize His Station as the Promised Manifestation of God; (2)
detach himself from worldly effects and concerns; and (3) arise to serve the
Cause of God. It would appear from this breakdown, then, that one of the
primary barriers to our ability to truly arise in the service of the Faith is
our reluctance to relinquish our attachment to the world. Our comfort, our
homes, our jobs, our time, our reputation and prestige both internal and
external to the Bahá'í community often seem to matter to us more
than that which lasts, paralyzing us from bold and daring action in service to
the Faith. In this way, the Pope's example can serve to help us to shake off
our sloth and worldly attachments, and remember the fleeting nature of the
earthly days in which we are living.

IV. Conclusion.

In conclusion, the Tablet to Pope Pius IX is a majestic summons from
Bahá'u'lláh to the head of Christendom to embrace the Cause of
God. The failure of the Pope to respond to this Command is a significant event
in Bahá'í history with dramatic results for the Pope individually
as well as for the state of the Papacy as an institution. In addition, the
lessons of this event can be applied to our own lives as individuals to draw
out deeper levels of detachment and service. The example of the Pope's
downfall underscores the fleeting nature of temporal attachments.
Bahá'u'lláh's words to the Pope chillingly evoke the nature and
effect of time, which is in the Hands of God alone, "Who causeth the night to
return upon the day, and the day to return upon the night." This Tablet is a
beacon of light summoning us all to prioritize our lives according to that
which is eternal and will last beyond the short span of our own lives on this
earth.

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-- Lessons on Detachment in the Tablet to Pope Pius IX (Used by permission of the curator)