Looking only at the surface, you may never notice how things are connected, or from where they originate. Here’s a system of charting reality that takes a deeper look, applied in a unique way to an unconventional topic.

In the mid 1980s Maharishi Mahesh Yogi began guiding the faculty and students at Maharishi International University to develop Unified Field charts for every discipline, such as mathematics, literature, physics, art, psychology, and more.  These charts showed how knowledge of the Unified Field of Natural Law unfolds and is expressed in the various disciplines. 

At that time the MA in Professional Writing program offered a course in Vedic Literature, in which we students were assigned the task of creating a Unified Field chart for any subject we chose.  What follows below is a copy of my efforts.  The guidelines for creating these charts has been refined over the past 40 years or so, as have computer-aided graphics. But the concepts are timeless.

For more about the circumstances under which these ideas were conceived and developed, please refer to my book, Connecting: Return, Revelation and Revival, or the Baha’i and TM page on this site. For some of Maharishi’s thoughts on Vedic Science please visit this link.

A Glimpse of the Bahá’í Revelation through the Window of Maharishi’s Vedic Science

“The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.” – Bahá’u’lláh

A person who lives his religion believes and experiences that the source of all things is God; his love of God and obedience to God’s will guides his every action. He directs his life towards God hoping for some sort of reunion with the Divine. To a religious person the source, course, and goal of life is God.

The Vedic scientist talks in terms of the Unified Field. To him, the source, course, and goal of knowledge is the Unified Field of Natural Law. The knower is called the rishi, the known is called chhandas, and the process of knowing is called devata. These three elements are united in a singularity within the Unified Field, where knower, known, and process of knowing are one. The unmanifest division of the Unified Field into rishi, devata and chhandas values forms the seed of knowledge responsible for creating the universe.

I am a Bahá’í, and I am also a Vedic scientist. My knowledge and experience of the mechanics of the Unified Field has prompted me to explore my religion, the Bahá’í Faith, using the model of the three-in-one structure of the Unified Field as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This paper and its accompanying Unified Field chart represent an initial attempt to catch a glimpse of the Bahá’í Revelation through the window of Vedic Science.

Divinity is linked to Man

The first step in describing the Bahá’í Revelation using the three-fold model is to divide up religion according to rishi, devata and chhandas values. The rishi, or knower, or “I” value must belong to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I assign the chhandas, or known, or body value to mankind. These are the two major elements of religion—God and man. The third is the element that joins man to God. In the Bahá’í Faith this is known as the Covenant.

The Covenant is a promise between God and man. God from His side has promised us that He will never leave us alone. He will always send a Messenger to guide us. From our side, as God’s creatures, we promise to love Him and to obey His will.

This Covenant is a central element in all the world’s great religions. Baha’u’llah has renewed God’s Covenant with mankind, but more on that later. For now, since the Covenant is what links man to God, I believe that it corresponds to the devata value of the Unified Field, the process of knowing, or mind.

So, the rishi, devata and chhandas values of the Unified Field of Natural Law have some correspondence to Divinity, the Covenant, and mankind in the Bahá’í Faith. What, though, does the Unified Field itself correspond to?

The Unified Field of Natural Law as the Manifestation of God

I cannot equate the Unified Field with God. This would go against my understanding of the Bahá’í Writings, and my experience of the Unified Field.

I experience the Unified Field as being nothing other than my own Self, but the Bahá’í Writings state that God is exalted far beyond the mind of man to comprehend. They also say, though, that we can know God, through His Manifestations. Baha’u’llah writes:

“He who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than the proof of His own Person.”

In a lecture in the fall of 1985 Dr. John Hagelin quoted Maharishi as saying that the Unified Field is Lord Krishna. This has a profound meaning for a Bahá’í. Let me explain.

Bahá’ís believe that all the founders of all the world’s major religions are essentially the same. This means that Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, although appearing at different times in history and speaking different languages, all derived their knowledge from the same source. Bahá’u’lláh taught that all these individuals were Messengers of God, and He declared that they all held the same station—the station of the Manifestation of God. These Manifestations of God appeared as men, but their station is exalted far above the reach of even an enlightened man. They represented the Godhead.

When, therefore, Dr. Hagelin said the Unified Field was Lord Krishna, the first thought that flashed into my mind was “the Unified Field is Bahá’u’lláh!” For the purposes of this paper, we can say the Unified Field is the Manifestation of God as described in the Bahá’í writings.

My Unified Field Chart Explained

Now we are in the position to understand my Unified Field chart. This is really an explanation of the Bahá’í Revelation through the eyes of a Vedic Scientist. Please refer to the chart as you read. (The two thumbnails here show the overall divisions. Larger excerpts are provided with the explanation of each layer, and the whole original chart is available at the end of this article.)

The chart is divided into four layers from bottom to top, like a four-layer wedding cake. These are in order: the Twin Manifestation, the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, all of humanity, and the divinely ordained institutions of the Bahá’í Faith. Working from the bottom to the top we find ourselves moving from subtle to gross. The Twin Manifestation corresponds to the rishi value. The Revelation itself is the link between God and man, the devata value. The chhandas is represented by the recipients of the Revelation, the people and leaders of every nation on earth, organized by the institutions which administer the affairs of the Faith.

The chart is also divided into three parts from side to side. Up the left side on each level we find the divine element, corresponding to the rishi value of the Unified Field. On the right we have the human element on each level, corresponding to the chhandas value. In the center this time is the Covenant, that which joins man to God. This is the devata value.

So, to express the idea of God revealing Himself to man, the chart reads from bottom to top. On the other hand, to show man returning to God, the chart reads from right to left. Notice that the path from man’s material nature to his spiritual nature involves traversing all the layers of the Bahá’í Revelation and contacting the Unified Field, the Manifestation of God.

Layer 1 The Twin Manifestation

The first layer of the Unified Field chart shows the first expression of the Manifestation of God in human form. These were actual men who walked the earth. One unique element of the Bahá’í Dispensation is the fact that there were two Manifestations of God who lived on earth at the same time, and who knew of each other. The first was the Báb, whose name means “the Gate”, who was the forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh. The second was, of course, Bahá’u’lláh Himself.

The rishi, devata and chhandas values of the Unified Field are present in each of these Manifestations, as in all Manifestations of God, according to the writings of Bahá’u’lláh. He says that the Manifestations of God are both Divine (rishi value) and human (chhandas value). In addition, they are Messengers of God, connecting God to man (devata value).

The Divine station, or rishi value, is found in this quote of Bahá’u’lláh: “Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: ‘I am God!’ He verily speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His name and His attributes, are made manifest in the world.”

The chhandas value, the human aspect of the Manifestations of God, is made clear in this quote: “Viewed in the light of their second station—the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal imitations, characteristics and standards,-they manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete self-effacement Even as He saith: ‘I am the servant of God. I am but a man like you.’”

The third station that the Manifestations of God occupy simultaneously to the other two, and corresponding to the devata value of the Unified Field, is that of the Messenger of God. Baha’u’llah wrote: “And were any of them to voice the utterance: ‘I am the Messenger of God,’ He also speaketh the truth, the indubitable truth…. Viewed in this light, they are all but Messengers of that ideal King, that unchangeable Essence.”

Layer 2 The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh

The second level of the Unified Field chart is concerned with the Revelation of Baha’u’llah—the outpouring of God’s glory, wisdom, and healing grace to mankind. The key element is the center of the box—the renewal of the Covenant. The Covenant of God is His promise that man will never be left without Divine Guidance. This promise has been made to all the religions of the past. Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists have been looking for the day when the promise will once again be fulfilled, and God’s Representative will walk on earth. Bahá’u’lláh writes:

“The time foreordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in the holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled. Out of Zion hath gone forth the Law of God, and Jerusalem, and the hills and land thereof, are filled with the glory of His Revelation. Happy is the man that pondereth in his heart that which hath been revealed in the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

The renewal of the Covenant, the promise of God to man, is the central pillar of the Bahá’í Revelation. As I said before, the Covenant is the link between God and man, so I put this in the center of the chart.

In addition to renewing the Covenant, Bahá’u’lláh wrote about the nature of God and His Manifestations. He revealed truths which had remained hidden until His time. He upheld the oneness of God (as opposed to any kind of trinity), and he said that all the world’s major religions are God’s religion, because they all come from the Manifestations of God, which are all the same. These writings are remarkably self-referral in nature, so I placed them on the left side of the chart, corresponding to the rishi value of the Unified Field.

Bahá’u’lláh also taught about mankind. His basic message was that mankind is one. We are all members of one family. He gave specific instructions in His Revelation to make this teaching a reality. He advocated the elimination of prejudice of all kinds. He taught that men and women are equal. He upheld the essential harmony of science and religion. He advocated universal education. He offered a spiritual solution to economic problems. He recommended that people adopt a universal auxiliary language. He said that peace could only come about through a world government.

These principles all deal with the affairs of humanity. For this reason, I have correlated them with the chhandas value of the Unified Field.

Layer 3 Humanity

Bahá’u’lláh addressed all of mankind, from the man on the street to the kings of nations. His Covenant gives each person a means to meet God face to face. There is one person in particular who represents all of humanity—His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the first person to recognize the exalted status of His father, Bahá’u’lláh, and offered up his life in service to Him. He took for Himself the title ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which means “The servant of Bahá”, because he felt that service is man’s highest station.

Bahá’u’lláh gave Him other titles as well, and three of these correspond to the rishi, devata, and chhandas values of the Unified Field.

First of all, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the Center of the Covenant. He was the first man in the history of religion who was appointed in writing to be the successor of the Founder of the religion. As I have said before, the Covenant links man to God, so, as the center of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá exemplifies the devata element of the three-in-one structure of the Unified Field.

As the center of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was appointed by Bahá’u’lláh as the sole Interpreter of His Word. Bahá’ís universally recognize that only ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is authorized to explain the Sacred Writings and to comment on them, and His interpretation is considered Divinely inspired. For this reason I classify this station of the Interpreter of God’s Word as a rishi value of the Unified Field.

Finally, corresponding to the chhandas value of the Unified Field, there is another title of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Perfect Man. Bahá’ís can look to Him as an example of what human beings can rise to, what level of perfection we can attain. He closes the gap between God and man by showing us that it is possible to be perfect. He is unique in the history of the world’s religions.

Also on Layer 3 is the rest of humanity. Our lives are, like the rest of the chart, split into two basic areas: spiritual (rishi) and material (chhandas). For those of us who recognize Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God, the purpose of His Revelation and Covenant is to bring us back to God. The Covenant is what joins us to God, and by keeping our side of the promise (to know God and to worship Him), we return (devata value again) to God. We turn our material existence into a spiritual existence. This is done through action—through living the Bahá’í life.

Bahá’ís do many things to forge the link between themselves and God, such as praying regularly, studying the Scriptures, giving to the Bahá’í Fund, attending 19 Day Feast, teaching, and meditating. Yes, Bahá’u’lláh encourages His followers to meditate. We are free to choose whatever form of meditation we wish. The arrows on the Unified Field chart illustrate the path a believer takes, using all the means of spiritual development within the Covenant to traverse all the layers of creation from gross to subtle, until the Unified Field is reached.

Those of us who practice Transcendental Meditation are fortunate to have quick and effortless access to the Unified Field on a regular basis. The habit of transcending makes all of our other activities of living a Bahá’í life enjoyable and fruitful. As Vedic scientists we have a unique window on the process of becoming true Bahá’ís. The Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field can speed the whole process of contacting the Unified Field, enhancing every aspect of living a Bahá’í life. We are grateful to Maharishi for teaching Vedic science in such a profound and useful way.

Layer 4 Bahá’í Institutions

At the top of the chart, representing all of society, are the institutions established by Bahá’u’lláh to administer the Cause of God.

First are the Local Spiritual Assemblies, which are formed whenever nine or more Bahá’ís are found in one locality. Above them are two types of institutions: The Learned and The Rulers.

The Institutions of the Learned are concerned with the “pure knowledge” aspect of the Bahá’í Faith, and are each divided into two areas: protection and propagation. Protection is an inward function designed to keep the Covenant strong, so that the Faith doesn’t split into different factions and sects. Propagation is teaching, bringing the Bahá’í message to those outside the Bahá’í community. These two functions are performed by the Hands of the Cause of God, and by the Continental Boards of Counselors.

The Institutions of the Rulers could be seen as the “organizing power” of the Faith. These institutions are the Spiritual Assemblies on the local and national levels. There are several hundred thousand Local Spiritual Assemblies in the world, and over 140 National Spiritual Assemblies.

Above these institutions is the Universal House of Justice, an elected body of nine members which oversees all the affairs of the Bahá’í world community.

At the pinnacle of the Bahá’í world in the relative sense stands the institution of the Guardianship. The Guardian was called the Center of the Cause by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He is the one individual who oversees all the affairs of the Cause.

Windows of Experience, Purity, and Understanding

The first quote in this essay said that the beginning of all things is the knowledge of God. Bahá’u’lláh tells us how to achieve this. Knowledge is gained through experience, purity of heart, and understanding. He says:

“O MY BROTHER ! Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed tongue, and quaff the stream of mystic holiness from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart.”

Vedic Science gives us a window through which to see and to understand the meaning of these words—an intellectual window of the three-in-one structure of the Unified Field. It also gives us an experiential window through which to see, know, and actually become one with the Unified Field: the Transcendental Meditation program. This experiential window endows us with a way to clean the windows of perception, and to purify the soil of our hearts.

A Bahá’í who is a Vedic scientist is fortunate indeed, for he can view the Bahá’í Revelation through these open windows of Vedic Science.

Full Chart