I know, I know…I promised that the next post would be about the history and tenets of the Baha’i faith, but I’m reading an essay (many Baha’is might consider it scripture) called The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys written by Baha’u’llah, the central figure of the religion, and I think it’s worth taking a moment to explore. 

Here is an electronic copy of “The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys” for your convenience. 

I won’t give you a full synopsis here (no spoilers here. You’ve got to read it for full impact), however the overall theme of this piece of Baha’i literature is the spiritual journey one takes toward God. As described by Baha’u’llah himself, 

And further: The stages that mark the wayfarer’s journey from the abode of dust to the heavenly homeland are said to be seven. Some have called these Seven Valleys, and others, Seven Cities. And they say that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self, and traverseth these stages, he shall never reach to the ocean of nearness and union, nor drink of the peerless wine. 

Project Conversion is in fact a journey with manifold intentions. Sure, its personal. I know little to nothing about these various faiths, so my exploration is in fact due to a great deal of curiosity on a spiritual as well as scholarly level. The other half of my intention is to both bring awareness to each faith through my discoveries and to inspire others to think for themselves and research an issue before forming a conclusion. 

So, where is Project Conversion within the context of The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys? Which valley am I in personally? I think it’s obvious that the answer to both is the first, that of Search. Remember, this is a graduated scale reaching from the ground up; from the dust kicked up by exploration to the settled calm of the Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness. For one who reaches this goal, they realize the true focus of love and relationship with God. 

I’d love to hear of your journey. Read through the Valleys at the link above. It’s a short work so don’t worry. Which Valley are you in? Or are you about to traverse the mountain between two of them? Maybe you aren’t on the journey at all. Everyone is different, and that’s the spice of life.