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The Seven Valleys (Persian: Haft-Vádí) is a book written in Persian by Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet-founder of the Bahá'í Faith. The Four Valleys (Persian: Chahár Vádí) was also written by Bahá'u'lláh, and the two books are usually published together under the title "The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys". The two books are distinctly different and have no direct relation.
Seven Valleys
The Seven Valleys was written around 1860 in Baghdad, in response to questions posed by a certain judge, who was a follower of the Qádiríyyih Order of Sufism. About the time of writing to Bahá'u'lláh, he quit his job, and spent the rest of his life wandering around Iraqi Kurdistan.
This work has been called by Shoghi Effendi his "greatest mystical composition", and in the West was one of the earliest available books of Bahá'u'lláh, first translated directly to French in 1905, and English in 1906.
The style of The Seven Valleys is highly poetic, though not composed in verse. Nearly every line of the text contains rhymes, and plays on words, which are mostly lost in translation. In addition to these subtleties there are also historical and religious connotations that are equally difficult to translate. It was a common practice for Sufis to communicate by using only one or a few words to refer to Qur'anic verses, traditions, and well-known poems. The language of The Seven Valleys refers to this wealth of knowledge possessed by its recipient without stating its meaning verbosely. As a result, those reading the text who have no background in Islam or Sufism will find many of its references confusing, and some of the sentences perhaps devoid of meaning.*
The book follows the path of a wayfarer on a spiritual journey passing through different stages, as described by the 12th Century Sufi poet Attar in his Conference of the Birds. In the introduction, Bahá'u'lláh says "Some have called these Seven Valleys, and others, Seven Cities." The stages are accomplished in order, and the goal of the journey is to follow "the Right Path", "abandon the drop of life and come to the sea of the Life-Bestower", and "gaze on the Beloved".
In the conclusion of the book, he mentions:
- "These journeys have no visible ending in the world of time, but the severed wayfarer—if invisible confirmation descend upon him and the Guardian of the Cause assist him—may cross these seven stages in seven steps, nay rather in seven breaths, nay rather in a single breath, if God will and desire it."
- (p. 40-41)
The Valley of Search
One must search and purify the heart from distracting desires. Patience is required to traverse this valley.The Valley of Love
Love focuses desire on God and burns away the self. Pain is required here, otherwise the journey will never end.The Valley of Knowledge
Knowledge, or understanding, teaches one to see God's guiding hand — providence — everywhere.The Valley of Unity
The correct perception of God's unity teaches one to see God's being everywhere, but reject monism and pantheism. It is called the last limited valley.
The Valley of Contentment
In the station of contentment one needs nothing but God.The Valley of Wonderment
Here the mystic is rendered majnun, or insane, by the awareness of God: this relates to the state of bewilderment and amazement experienced by many mystics, what Chögyam Trungpa has termed "crazy wisdom."The Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness
This is the state of annihilation of self in God, but not an existential union: the essences of God's self and the mystic's self remain distinct, in contrast to what appears to be a complete union in other traditions.See also
References
External links
"Seven Valleys"