ALL CHRISTIANS - Has Elijah returned or not?, page-134 - HotCopper | ASX Share Prices, Stock Market & Share Trading Forum

Originally posted by Copperbod: ↑

"Baha'u'llah's Revelation addresses how the use of knowledge, and its just dissemination for the exercising of power is not for the individual, but rather for the collective. Knowledge belongs to all of humanity, not the greedy few. This, in itself, is consciousness raising, because our system of social cohesion is not built around the concept of "one human family" but rather built around "self appointed hierarchies structured around capitalism""

I realise this is a reaction to the abuse of power which is a constant possibility in any human power structure or hierarchy.
However, it is one of the few ways of transmitting and preserving real understanding and knowledge to later generations of seekers.
It is why all schools that try to transmit specific knowledge have teachers and pupils. Democracy would be counter productive.

In this regard and just for your interest, take the statement ...
"Knowledge belongs to all of humanity, not the greedy few."
On the surface it sounds just, reasonable and without question a good thing.

However, consider real knowledge of how to do something as if it was a finite material resource ... which actually it is.

Anyone who has tried to write instructions about almost anything so that they can be used by a wide range of people will know it is almost impossible and requires huge amounts of detailed explanation. The common result is that almost no-one ever reads the instruction manual ! The knowledge is there and available to all but it produces no useful result because people do not want it.

Take the knowledge and skill of a craftsman in how to build a particular type of wooden boat.
He can only pass this practical skill onto a small number of people and they in turn must dedicate themselves seriously to acquiring that knowledge and skill. If the whole City insisted it was their right to also have that knowledge without effort, then nothing would be possible for anyone and the master craftsman would be consumed.

Similarly, dividing a litre of water among 100 people in the desert would only result in death for all. However, that same litre with one or two might enable help to be found for all or at least some.

In other words a small concentration of knowledge can produce real results but if spread too thinly, particularly among those who actually don't want it, it produces no result. It is not a question of hoarding, greed or injustice, it is a question of what can produce results.

Please don't relate this to capitalism or pursuit of power for it's own sake.
I'm speaking of the "oral transmission" of real knowledge of being.

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Hi Copperbod,

I can't disagree with anything you post here
Just want to add that the knowledge that Baha'u'llah has shared with humanity is not related to instructions to build material things, but rather instructions on creating frameworks for social cohesion and individual empowerment. The structures being created within the Baha'i community are intended to have a free flow of knowledge from all parts of the world to anywhere where advances in social cohesion and community progress and human empowerment might be required. You are correct in that this is not in the form of an instruction manual alone, narratives are created containing knowledge related to any of these spheres of interest, but it is through human conversation, or oral transmission, as you put it, that this knowledge is applied in the grassroots setting.

So in this regard, we do not have Baha'i communities in developing countries suffering from disempowered youth, poor education and social disintegration, while developed countries enjoy empowerment, good education and social cohesion. The whole Baha'i world progresses together along a continuum of described milestones towards higher heights of material, social and spiritual progress.

Kam