tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17346450582717346812024-03-15T01:02:44.680-07:00One Baha'i's approach...... to teaching the Faith, and applying the Laws in my own life. I know there are many other ways to do the same thing, but this is what works for me, and others have said that it is helpful to hear these ideas. Now I'd like to hear yours.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.comBlogger734125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-80053980604873022392024-01-19T16:54:00.003-08:002024-01-19T16:54:56.894-08:00The Blessing of God<p>When I was a child, I listened to the stories of the Tanakh, the Old Testament. As I listened, I had an image that always came to mind: I saw the blessing of God like a glowing ball.</p><p>That's it.</p><p>It was like a glowing ball in my mind, passed from one generation to the next.</p><p>As I listened to the story of Abraham, this ball had been given to Him, and He cared for it. Sometimes, though, it was difficult to keep this precious object. One mis-step and you could accidentally lose it, as the Jewish people did time and time again throughout he stories.</p><p>But back to Abraham. He had this great gift, and was told to sacrifice His son. As the story goes, He was stopped by the angel and told to sacrifice a ram, instead. Ok. No problem. I'm not going to get into the details of that particular story, nor my own reaction to it.</p><p>But then this precious gift, this blessing of God, was passed to His son, Isaac. At least, in the Tanakh it was, so that's what we'll go with here, since that's the version I heard as a child.</p><p>Anyways, Abraham got older, Isaac married Rebekah, and then Abraham left everything to Isaac. Presumably, the blessing of God was included in this. At least, it was in my mind.</p><p>Why? Because in the very next part of the story, Isaac passed on this blessing to Jacob. Of course, he intended to give it to Esau, but Rebekah knew that it should really go to Jacob.</p><p>Long story short, Jacob got the blessing of God, and although difficult, things went very well for him.</p><p>Finally, he passed the blessing on to his favourite son, Joseph. <br /></p><p>This is where it got interesting to me. In every story up to this point, once the blessing was passed on we heard nothing more of the previous generation. Except here, in this story.<br /></p><p>After the blessing was given by Jacob to Joseph, this favourite son was lost, presumed killed. Jacob's health began to fail. Famine hit the land. Everything seemed to do downhill.</p><p>For Joseph, on the other hand, everything went well. Ok, maybe not at first, but we can see the Hand of God at play here if we look. The story focuses on Joseph, but we still hear about his family. We hear about the famine. We know that things were difficult for them, so difficult that they had to seek out Joseph's favour, even though they didn't know it at the time. We, the audience, get a rare glimpse of what happens after the blessing of God passes on. We see it from both sides, the benefits that accrue to Joseph, and the trials faced by his family.<br /></p><p>But I want to go back to Jacob for a moment.</p><p>I have to wonder what it must have been like for him. As I said, we get a rare glimpse of life after God has left us. He must have been used to having God very present in his life. And now, after this blessing passed to Joseph, things go horribly wrong. He has to search elsewhere for salvation. Whereas previously salvation was with him, easily within his reach, it was now beyond him. He had to go somewhere new, somewhere different, to a "foreign land": Egypt.</p><p>Only by recognizing that the blessing had left, and turning his attention elsewhere, could he find it again.</p><p>When I was growing up and going to all sorts of different communities, hopping churches as others hopped bars, I saw the beauty of the teachings of Jesus, but could see so clearly that the blessing of God did not reside within the churches I was visiting. They may have spoken of love and compassion, but I did not see it in their hearts. I saw condemnation for anyone that believed differently than they did. "We're right", they seemed to say, "and everyone else is going to hell."</p><p>I knew that this attitude was not of Jesus, could not be of God.</p><p>The concept that someone could lead a virtuous life, be compassionate to those around them, and help all who crossed their path, and yet still be condemned just because they happened to be born in place where Christianity was not the religion du jour, was just alien to me. It was an idea that did not speak of a loving and compassionate God. It did not speak of a God that was for the entire planet.<br /></p><p>And so I long wondered where I would find a community that showed this love, this compassion; a community that demonstrated by their actions and effects that they were not only living the Law of God, but also blessed by Him.<br /></p><p>There is a recent story of a group of people somewhere in the Middle East who read in the Quran that the people of Muhammad would always be blessed. When they looked around, all they saw were problems. When they compared what they read in the sacred Book with what they were witnessing in their own community, they began to recognize that somewhere along the way the blessing of God had left them. They knew that they needed to search somewhere else. It was then that they found the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and recognized that the supreme blessing now resided with Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i community. It had moved on and landed somewhere they were not expecting, a "foreign land": Persia.<br /></p><p>Today, it seems so clear to me that this great blessing, this glowing orb of my childhood vision, not only resided with Baha'u'llah, but was also passed on to 'Abdu'l-Baha. When I see those around Him who tried to cause a schism, and both the effects they had as well as the fate they suffered, it is perfectly clear to me that this blessing was gifted to 'Abdu'l-Baha.</p><p>From Him, it obviously passed on to Shoghi Effendi, and then to the Universal House of Justice. This is so clear to me upon reading the history, and comparing it to the stories of the Tanakh that I read growing up. Baha'ullah says, in the Book of Certitude, "Consider the past..." By looking at the past, comparing the present to what I already know to be true from my own religious background, there is no question for me.</p><p>And this is also what I challenge so many of my friends to do. Read the stories of the Bible, the New Testament, if you will, and see if the church to which they belong lives up to that example. Are they being taught love or judgement? Compassion or just plain old passion?</p><p>From there, quite a few have given up on religion, deciding that if the church in which they grew was not living up to that high standard, then all religions must be a lie. But that doesn't seem reasonable to me. That's the old "throwing away the baby with the bathwater" problem.</p><p>To be fair, some decided that, yes, their church was living up to that standard, and for that I praise them.</p><p>And some, just some few, decided to look into a "foreign land". Some became Buddhist, finding peace and tranquility for themselves within those divine teachings. Others began to follow their more traditional spiritual teachings, returning to the ancient teachings of their own people, trying to discover a path to the future in the past.</p><p>But some expanded their horizons, and looked for something that would not only benefit them, but bring the world to their heart. They looked to expand their sense of community to all around them, not just those that looked like them or hailed from the same small area that their ancestors did, but to all who walk this earth. They decided that they wanted to be of service to all the world.</p><p>“Let your vision be world-embracing," were words that resonated within their very souls, "rather than confined to your own self.” They know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that "the object of every Revelation (is) to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall manifest itself, both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life and external conditions". And that is why these people became members of the Baha'i community.<br /></p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-49544402669729846662023-01-02T12:22:00.000-08:002023-01-02T12:22:16.197-08:00Questions<p>My most recent article, the one the <a href="http://onebahai.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-virgin-birth.html">Virgin Birth</a>, raised an interesting point in my mind, at least the responses to it did. A number of people were not satisfied with the ambiguity. They wanted a definite answer, a yes or a no. A few people even went so far as to insist that their particular interpretation was the "correct" one, whether it was that it actually happened the way they said, or that it was a mis-interpretation of a particular word, or a metaphor, or whatever particular creed they believed. For many people, and it didn't seem to matter whether they believed in it or not; they just wanted a clear-cut answer.</p><p>Well, sorry to disappoint, but I don't think life works that way. I certainly don't think that religion works that way. Of course, there are some areas in which definitives are useful, but not here. I don't think a healthy religion is about the answers. I think it's about the questions. After all, we tend to learn a lot more by asking questions than we do from getting answers.</p><p>It seems to me that many of Baha'u'llah's writings are about helping people re-phrase their questions. For example, if we look at the Kitab-i-Iqan, some of the questions the uncle of the Bab asked can be summed up as asking why the Bab didn't fulfill the prophecies. Well, the question is based on a false premise. And this is what Baha'u'llah, in a sense, points out. He shows, in the first half of the book at least, that the Bab fulfilled the promises in the same manner as all the previous Messengers did. However, by asking the question the way he did, the uncle presupposed a negative. "Why didn't He?" Simply put, He did. As we learn to re-phrase the question "How did He...", then the answer becomes self-evident.</p><p>When we spend our time arguing over pointless questions, such as the infamous "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin", Baha'u'llah reminds us to exert ourselves in more productive endeavours. "Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in..." Of course, to be fair, the head of a pin does have a point, but that's beside the... point.</p><p>All this to say, it seems to me that learning to ask more meaningful questions is of greater importance than having an answer to a poorly worded one.</p><p>Aside - I was meditating on this issue the other day, struggling to put an order to my thoughts. Then, out of the blue, that wily member of the Concourse on High responsible for so many thoughts shared on this blog dropped a seemingly random thought in my head. I was suddenly reminded of the story of Jacob wrestling the angel.</p><p>Aside within the aside - A number of years ago I was invited to have lunch with the minister of a local church. As we went into the back room of the church to eat, he was visibly embarrassed at the table settings. They were all paper plates and napkins with the "WWF" logo. The World Wrestling Federation, complete with a violent image and all. Oh, was he embarrassed by this. I reassured him that it was ok. "After all", I said, "it is the only sport found in the Bible." It was because of this oblique reference to the story of Jacob that I was phoned a week later and asked to give a sermon. As you, dear Reader, know, this led to a monthly gig that lasted a few years, and even helped me meet my wife. So, yay for wrestling?<br /></p><p>And now back to our regularly scheduled aside - Where was I? Oh yes, Jacob. So there he is, alone at night, with his thoughts. Suddenly, according to the story, he finds himself wrestling this angel. Of course, the angel is unable to beat him, so he wrenches Jacob's hip out of joint. Jacob still refuses to let go, and asks for the angel's blessing. To me, this is like our struggle with truth. It's not easy, and is often quite painful. But it is only through the struggle that we come to get truth's blessing.<br /></p><p>No, I don't think religion is about the answers, for when we think we have the "answers" we stop looking, and the truth really is like an ocean. We can keep diving, over and over, and never come close to fathoming its depths. If we are satisfied with the first answer we get, we should not be content. We should keep looking for more answers.</p><p>While we are encouraged to seek our answers from God, and to not blindly imitate others, sometimes God gives us our guidance through others. It is this continual search that keeps us humble, and keeps us seeking guidance. And as we find the truths that are evident to
others, we get a better and broader perspective of the world around us. This is why I continually talk to people who are not Baha'i about the Writings, not because I think I have anything to teach, but because I have so much to learn.</p><p>In the end, Baha'u'llah has told us to "be free to ask what you need to ask, but not such idle questions as those on which the men of former times were wont to dwell." And so I will continue to ask, and hope that the questions I ask may become better and better.<br /></p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-1729208422687022392022-12-27T21:13:00.004-08:002022-12-27T21:13:49.159-08:00The Virgin Birth<p>
“How would you try to convince an agnostic about the truth of the
Virgin Birth?”</p><p><br />
My initial response was “Why would I want to?” In fact, I responded with that famous
quote from Baha’u’llah, “Be anxiously concerned with the needs
and exigencies of the age in which ye live.” Whenever I am asked to
dwell on these abstract issues of faith, the issues that are really a
matter of personal belief, I am reminded of that quote. It was
initially written in response to a number of such questions, and when
the person lovingly said that his questions were not answered,
Baha’u’llah pointed out that this statement was His answer. If
you read the second letter in The Tabernacle of Unity you will see
what I mean.</p><p><br />
But it’s a serious question, the one about “Why would I want to?” After all, when we
spend so much time and energy on an issue, we really need to ask
ourselves why. I’ve thought about this quite a bit in the past few
days, as the one who asked me wrote back trying to get a more solid
answer about parthenogenesis, the nature of miracles, and so forth.
</p><p><br />
Then, last night, I did what I usually do when faced with such questions. I asked my son
for his input.</p><p><br />
Here, I am going to attempt to capture some of the salient thoughts we shared back and
forth. And you, dear Reader, have had the bounty of seeing his
responses grow and develop over the years, so you already know how
insightful his answers can be.</p><p><br />
To start, let’s
look at the initial question itself, that of the Virgin Birth.
Baha’u’llah says that it is true, so there is that. But if one
does not accept Baha’u’llah’s word as truth, so what? What good
does that do? It’s in the Bible, the Qur’an, and the Baha’i
Writings, but they don’t take any of those as fact, so we cannot
fall back on that argument.
</p><p><br />How about science,
then? Parthenogenesis is a thing. It happens in nature. We have seen
it in insects, birds, and even in mice. So we know it is possible.</p><p><br />
Ok, but so what?
It’s scientifically possible, but not re-creatable, and certainly
not provable in the past.</p><p><br />
The real question
here is what difference does it make in our life today. Some have
said it is the foundation of their belief in Jesus. Ok, but I would
argue that this puts one’s faith on a shaky foundation. After all,
as ‘Abdu’l-Baha said so well, “<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">miracles</span></b>
cannot be a conclusive proof, for even if they are valid proofs for
those who were present, they fail to convince those who were not.”
</p>
<p><br />Beyond this,
Baha’u’llah Himself said, in Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, “We
entreat Our loved ones not to... allow references to what they have
regarded as <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">miracles</span></b>
and prodigies to debase Our rank and station, or to mar the purity
and sanctity of Our name.” To me, this implies that our focus
should not be on what we think of as miracles, but rather on the
teachings, for these are what will bring about a new world and a new
civilization. It is the teachings of Jesus that transformed the
world, not His lineage. By shifting the focus to the miracles, we
often forget the teachings.</p>
<p><br />Another question
that it raises, as implied by the initial quote from Baha’u’llah
about needs and exigencies, is does it change how we treat our
neighbour? Does our belief, or lack thereof, in the Virgin Birth, or
any other miracle, affect our treatment of others? Does it somehow
affect the society-building power of the Faith? If so, please tell me
how, because I don’t see it.</p><p><br />
Moreso, does someone
else’s belief, or lack, affect how you treat them? Does their
stance on that point somehow alter the way the Faith goes about
building this new civilization?</p><p><br />
When I was reading the Kitab-i-Iqan, that seminal work of Baha’u’llah’s in which
He carries the Uncle of the Bab from not recognizing his Nephew to
being a confirmed believer, there was a simple quote early in the
book that caught my attention. In the course of His argument,
Baha’u’llah is briefly talking about the Messengers of God the
Uncle already recognizes. He refers to them in a simple manner and
quietly shows what they all have in common. For example, when He
refers to Noah, He never mentions the Flood. He talks of Noah’s
sufferings, instead, for that is what is common between them all. But
then, in middle of that paragraph, He says, “Finally, as stated in
books and traditions, there remained with Him only forty or
seventy-two of His followers.” “Forty or seventy-two”? Why
doesn’t He state which one it was? Surely He knew, right? But then,
as I asked myself these questions, I realized that it doesn’t
matter. It literally makes no difference whatsoever. But some people
firmly believe one, and some firmly believe the other, depending on
their “books and traditions”. If He stated one or the other as
correct, He’d be putting a barrier between the others and His
truth. Baha’u’llah very simply sidesteps the whole issue by
acknowledging that both are “stated in books and traditions”.
</p><p><br />The more I consider
this simple evasion of a potentially contentious issue, the more
wisdom I see in it.
</p><p><br />The number of Noah’s
followers is so completely irrelevant to anything today that we
should not waste any time even considering it. Your belief of one of
those numbers over another has no effect whatsoever on my
relationship with you, or at least it shouldn’t. And if it does,
why? If we believe differently on this point, does it mean that
either of us is less compassionate? Does it mean that either of us is
any less worthy of respect? Could it possibly mean that the prayers
of either of us are any less important than that of anyone else on
the face of this planet?</p><p><br />
To me, this is how I see the issue of the Virgin Birth. I do not think I have ever said to
anyone, my wife included, whether or not I believe this particular
point. I have repeated what I have read in the Bible. I have pointed
out to others what Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha say about it.
But I don’t think I have ever conclusively told anyone “This is
what I believe about it”, for I think it is a personal issue and
has no bearing at all on anything else.
</p><p><br />Now, given all that,
why on earth would I want to even consider trying to convince anyone
else one way or another? Their belief in it is their own, and I will
accept it as is. If it helps them appreciate Jesus more, great. Now
let’s focus on His teachings.
</p><p><br />One last point to
consider.
</p><p><br />If I found a bit of
gold in an area, I would continue to look around for some more. The
best place to find gold is in a gold mine. But if someone said
someplace was a gold mine, and I found no gold there, I would
question it.
</p><p><br />Modern society has
done a lot to demonstrate the complete irrelevance of religion. So
much of what passes for religion has no bearing on our daily life,
like the issue of the Virgin Birth. It has gotten to the point where
the countless arguments about religion have become a source of
ridicule. “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”
</p><p><br />We have successfully
managed to forget that these ancient Books have taught so many such
great wisdom and morality throughout the ages. These ridiculous
arguments have overshadowed all else that many are convinced that
there is no gold in these mines, so to speak.</p><p><br />
My job, I believe,
is to remind people of the great learning to be found in these texts.
And I’ll tell you, pointing to these irrelevancies defeats that
purpose.
</p><p><br />Rather than trying
to convince someone of some obscure point of theology, an
interpretation of a single word in the sacred books, a point that in
my mind falls squarely under the category of “beginning with words
and ending with words”, I would far rather direct their attention
to the countless gems of wisdom that lie within the Writings. I would
prefer to spend my time talking with them about the issues that will
help build a new and more vibrant civilization. It is of far greater
importance to me to explore the teachings about human behaviour and
the needs of society.
</p><p><br />By directing their
attention to the powerful teachings of the Faith that can impact the
direction of our society, perhaps they will help me uncover aspects
of the teachings I had never seen. And maybe, just maybe, we will
both come to appreciate the Writings a bit more.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-37787743522961062412022-12-05T09:09:00.003-08:002022-12-05T19:58:58.518-08:00A Matter of Perspective<p>"But what about Heaven and Hell?"</p><p>The question was was a good one. Most of us, when we hear people talk of heaven and hell, think of places. Heaven we may see as a delightful place amongst the clouds, while hell would be a fiery pit of torture beneath the ground. Some may think of heaven as a beautiful field with brightly coloured flowers, animals playing and perhaps a sweet water river flowing gently throughout. Hell would be a desolate desert with people dying of thirst and vultures flying overhead. Many think of heaven peopled with winged angels, adorned with halos and harps. Hell would be filled with devilish red demons with tails, pitchforks, and maybe a banjo. Well, maybe not a banjo, but I think it's a distinct possibility.</p><p>For most of us, the imagery we have of heaven and hell is often inspired by popular culture handed down from Medieval Christianity, built from concepts dating back to earlier days of desert tribes, filtered through European Renaissance paintings, and on and on. This vision of both heaven and hell as two distinct and dichotomous places influences so much in our society, whether or not we are consciously aware of it. The very concept of salvation versus damnation has set the stage for our "right and wrong" way of viewing things.<br /></p><p>The Baha'i Writings, on the other hand, are not as clear cut. First, neither are viewed as a place. They are seen more as a matter of perspective. "But
the paradise and hell of existence", says 'Abdu'l-Baha, "are found in all the worlds of God,
whether in this world or in the spiritual heavenly worlds." Shoghi Effendi more simply states "Heaven and hell are conditions within our own beings."</p><p>What are we to make of this? How can two such extremes be merely a matter of our own perspective? And how can this concept affect our life?<br /></p><p>Let's begin with a simple set of examples.<br /></p><p>If I wanted to describe heaven, I would probably say a place of joy and peace, where I learn more about the world around me, somewhere where I have a meaningful job to do and I strive to accomplish it with tremendous enthusiasm. And the more I sit here and try to write more about it, the more I realize that I really am describing my own feelings, rather than a place itself.</p><p>So how about if I try to visualize an actual location? What would be a truly amazing place for me, a veritable heaven on earth? Well, to be honest, a bookstore, or maybe a library, in which I could sit and read to my heart's content. There would be people around, too, with whom I could talk about what we are all reading. Oh, and with a free coffee bar. That would probably be asking too much, though, wouldn't it? Well, it is my heaven, after all, so free lattes. But in the end, it would not just be sitting and reading. I would find that a bit boring. No, I would need to be reading about things that I could put into action to help make the world a better place, and then be able to go out and actually do it. That would be heaven, to me.<br /></p><p>Now imagine if I was stuck in a sports arena, watching sports all day, served nothing but hot dogs and beer. Well, I'd probably be given soda pop, instead. But no, I'm describing my own hell. I'd be served warm beer. And it wouldn't even be the good ale I enjoyed before I was a Baha'i and living in Europe. It would be American beer. Warm American beer, and hot dogs with ketchup. I'm from Chicago originally, so hot dogs with ketchup is already a horrible concept. Oh, this would truly be hell for me.</p><p>But I can easily imagine some of my friends for whom this would be reversed. The bookstore would be a boring hell, while they would love to be in that stadium.</p><p>All of a sudden we can easily see how one person's heaven could be another person's hell.<br /></p><p>Now, imagine if your life revolved around food, and all of a sudden you lost your sense of taste. Or if you spent all your time accumulating stuff, and then found that you had nothing. Just imagine if you spent your whole life collecting a pristine set of, I don't know, Spiderman comics. And then, all of a sudden, this prized collection was suddenly dispersed to the winds. It's easy to see how the loss of what you treasured would be a form of hell.</p><p>You see how we can now make sense of this notion that heaven and hell are more due to our own perspective, right? But again, how does this impact our daily life?</p><p>Let's be clear that we do not take our body with us when we die. That's a starting point for me, a given. But let's also be clear that we are still conscious, aware of our surroundings, of our sense of self. Some may call it a soul, or our spirit. I'm not concerned either way, but just that it impacts what comes next.<br /></p><p>We no longer have a sense of taste, for we no longer have a body with which to taste things. We have the memory of taste, but that's likely as satisfying a being diabetic and having to content oneself with the aroma in a wonderful bakery. Hell? Yup.</p><p>Can we relish in our collection of stuff? Nope.</p><p>But what if our greatest treasure was the expression on someone's face as they succeeded in accomplishing a difficult task? What if our most prized possession was working with someone in coming to a deeper understanding of a difficult topic? What if our greatest joy was found in the accomplishments of others?</p><p>These are things that we can appreciate in the next world, without need for a body.</p><p>When we begin to find the deep soul-felt solace in contemplative prayer and meditation, when we learn to treasure those hard won accomplishments of others, it feels to me as if we are training ourselves for our life in the next world.<br /></p><p>But when we dedicate our life to those fleeting things of this world, it is as if we are spending our time striving to move backwards, back into the womb of our earthly existence.</p><p>Everything in our spiritual life seems to be encouraging us to move forwards, to learn to appreciate those things to come, and detach from those things we must necessarily leave behind.</p><p>So yes, heaven and hell do seem to be a matter of perspective, and yes, we can train ourselves to be prepared for that world to come. We can train ourselves to find that perspective that will allow us to see what comes next as an anticipated heaven.</p><p>And if I do happen to find myself in that stadium, perhaps I will learn to appreciate the struggle of competition on the field, and relish in the hard-won victory of the winning team.</p><p>But I'll still give a hard pass on the hot dogs and beer, thanks.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-88560304890490563982022-10-27T15:44:00.002-07:002022-10-27T15:44:36.868-07:00Hidden Words, #44<p>All right. All right. I hear you, dear Reader. I know it's been a while since I've posted. I'm sorry, but it's been a very busy past few months.</p><p>That's not why you're complaining? </p><p>The title? Oh, my mistake. Which Hidden Word #44? Arabic or Persian? Why, yes, I'm glad you asked.</p><p>Well, let's see shall we? We'll start with the Arabic.<br /></p><p><b>"O Son of the Throne!"</b></p><p>That's a nice beginning. It is like a reminder of that other Hidden Word half the book ago, # 22: "Noble have I created thee..."</p><p>But then there is the Persian #44:</p><p><b>"O Companion of My Throne!"</b><br /></p><p>Hmm. I notice a trend. Probably just a coincidence, right? Let's move on with a bit of each, Arabic and Persian, and see what happens.</p><p><b>"Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith." "Hear no evil..."</b></p><p>Now wait a second. My Spidey sense is tingling. <br /></p><p><b>"Thy
sight is My sight, do thou see therewith..." ...and see no evil..."</b></p><p>Okay. There's something going on here.</p><p>Now He asks us to take it a step further, moving from our passive senses to our actions.</p><p><b> "...that in thine inmost soul thou
mayest testify unto My exalted sanctity." "...neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and
magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear
great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be
not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a <b class="highlight">fleeting</b>
moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts
pure, and thy nature sanctified..."<br /></b></p><p> Finally, He hints at what will be our reward.</p><p><b>"...and I within Myself may bear
witness unto an exalted station for thee." "...so that, free and content, thou mayest
put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and
abide in the eternal kingdom forevermore."</b></p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Alright. Let's go back to the beginning and I'll share some thoughts. Of course, these thoughts are nothing official. They're only my personal thoughts, so you can take them or leave them, as you will.</p><p>First, as mentioned above, we are given the reminder in both of these Hidden Words that we are inherently noble. This is a fact of our creation. The question, though, may be why we don't always act like it. And for that, we need to continue reading.</p><p>Actually, we can go back to that other Hidden Word, #22, where it continues "yet thou hast abased thyself." It is we, through our own actions, that have brought ourselves down. Of course, it's also stated there in the Persian Hidden Word, "...abase not thyself..."<br /></p><p>But now, with these other two, we can see a solution, a way out, a way back up to our noble station. Our hearing is God's hearing, "here thou therewith". But how do we do this? "Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee..."</p><p>That seems simple enough, but as I'm sure you know, it's far more difficult in practice.</p><p>For me, it means simply walking away when people begin backbiting or gossiping, and being careful to which media and arts I subject myself. Of course, I'm certain it requires far more than just that, but this is a beginning. I could easily go on with quotes from the Guardian about the importance and implications of chastity, as found in The Advent of Divine Justice (page 24, if you really want to know), or even Baha'u'llah's statement in The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf about the purpose of the arts, "productive of good results... and... conducive to... well-being and tranquility". But I am sure I've said enough about it already. Be careful what you expose yourself to, for it has an influence on your spirit.<br /></p><p>I'm more curious about what it would be like to see the world through His eyes. What does it mean to "see no evil"?</p><p>I believe we get a hint from 'Abdu'l-Baha when He speaks of the scorpion and snake, in Some Answered Questions, 74.5. "...(S)corpions and snakes are evil, but
only in relation to us and not to themselves, for their venom is their
weapon and their sting their means of defence. But as the constituent
elements of their venom are incompatible with those of our bodies... the venom is
evil, or rather, those elements are evil in relation to each other,
while in their own reality they are both good."</p><p>Imagine if we could see the world like this. How differently would we view the world when we understood purpose? We would understand how those pesky mosquitoes feed the birds, and while we would still not want them to take a drop of our blood, we might not vilify them as much.</p><p>Of course, there are those who are purposefully evil, such as the tyrant or the thief. 'Abdu'l-Baha cautions us, in Selections 138: </p><p></p><blockquote>Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately all
humankind—except for those who have some selfish, private motive, or
some disease of the soul. Kindness cannot be shown the <span class="highlight">tyrant</span>, the deceiver, or the <span class="highlight">thief</span>,
because, far from awakening them to the error of their ways, it maketh
them to continue in their perversity as before. No matter how much
kindliness ye may expend upon the liar, he will but lie the more, for he
believeth you to be deceived, while ye understand him but too well, and
only remain silent out of your extreme compassion.</blockquote><p></p><p>Here we find that balance between justice and compassion. But when we understand where they are coming from, why they are lying or whatever, we can see them more as an unruly child. It doesn't change the punishment meted out to them, but rather removes the burden of hatred from our own soul.</p><p>After the parts in those Hidden Words about sight, we then get to that reminder of our own noble station. It is as if by viewing the world with His eyes, and coming to an understanding of the motivation of others, that we return to the "exalted station" mentioned in the 44th Arabic Hidden Word.</p><p>When we turn to the Persian Hidden Word, it picks up where the Arabic has left off. We are being shown our reward for striving to act in this lofty manner. We will be "free and content", as that aforementioned burden is removed.</p><p> In that same Persian Hidden Word, we are also reminded of the "fleeting moment" that is our life. Why would we want to waste any of that short time carrying around such a burden? Wouldn't we rather be free of it? Light of heart and soul?</p><p>I think the word "unsullied" is also very purposeful. It brings to mind Baha'u'llah's story of the bird, found in Gleanings, #153: </p><blockquote>Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty
wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of
the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly
to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped
in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight
to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden
weighing on its <span class="highlight">sullied</span> wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust.</blockquote><p></p><p>When we listen with God's ears, and strive to see with His eyes, we shake off that dust. We are far less likely to become sullied, or burdened, with our own limited and obscured vision.</p><p>Just imagine how liberating it would feel to have no hatred for anyone, no anger in our life. We would still grieve at the injustices of the world, but we would not be weighed down with our own unworthy reaction. Can we not imagine ourselves soaring easily without that weight on our soul? Perhaps it is with this freedom that we can go on to "the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore."<br /></p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-70679895670305704102022-03-30T20:59:00.000-07:002022-03-30T20:59:18.512-07:00Preparing for the Conferences<p>As I'm sure you know, the Universal House of Justice has called for a number of conferences this year, and many of them have already happened. These are not just your ordinary conferences, where you attend as a passive individual, watching a series of presentations. No, quite the contrary. They are part of an on-going conversation, in which we engage in learning about Baha'u'llah's vision for humanity, and how we can take practical steps to bring this vision into existence here in our own neighbourhoods.</p><p>Before sharing a number of thoughts about this, I want to first mention the five themes that are to be addressed at these conferences.</p><p><span> 1. Baha'u'llah's vision for humanity</span><br /></p><p><span><span> 2. The distance traversed</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> 3. Building vibrant communities</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> 4. Educational endeavours and the training institute</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> 5. Contributing to social transformation</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p>As you can see, these themes are fairly broad, deeply applicable, and build upon each other. The question, though, to me, is what does it mean for them to be part of an on-going conversation? Well, dear Reader, that is what I want to explore today.</p><p>When these themes were first presented to us, I considered them, meditated upon them, and realized I knew very little about them. So, as is only natural for me, I asked others what they thought. But then, as I was putting that first theme down in a post on facebook, I realized that it wasn't really framed in a way that would elicit a variety of responses. I had written, "What do you think about Baha'u'llah's vision for humanity?" Well, I think my average friend would have said, "Uhm, not much. I have no idea what it is. In fact, who is Baha'u'llah?"</p><p>It was then that I realized I needed to get a better understanding of the intention behind that theme. By looking at the quotes offered to begin the discussion, I reframed the question as "What do you think is the purpose of religion?" Of course, I had to clarify this by explaining that I wasn't interested in a discussion on the recognized abuses of religion. What I wanted was something that either Jesus, or Buddha, or White Buffalo Calf Woman would have agreed with. What was its essential purpose, not how could it be used to manipulate people.</p><p>Once that was framed in a way that would elicit what I considered useful answers, I was astonished at the responses I received. Even my die-hard atheist friends offered insights that were profound and beautiful. And, interestingly, there was also a great similarity between most of the responses, showing that many of us have a common vision of the purpose of religion, whether or not we followed one. All of a sudden, I saw a connection, a point of unity, a basis for beginning a fruitful discussion among my friends from a wide variety of backgrounds. And when I threw in the idea that most of what was said could be summed up as "working for the betterment of the world" and "helping us live together in concord and harmony", it was seen as a beautiful summary of what had been stated by this varied group of people, instead of as me pushing a quote from Baha'u'llah upon them. Baha'u'llah had, from my perspective, summed up what my friends were trying to say, and by reflecting this back to them, it opened up doors.</p><p>Following this, I have had a lot of discussions with these friends about this summary. Most of these conversations have revolved around the idea of "If this is what it is all about, what can we do to help move our own communities in this direction?" Boom. Practical. Wow.</p><p>Ok. That was the first topic touched on to varying degrees of depth. On to the second topic.</p><p>How, I wondered, did it follow on the first? I mean, if the Universal House of Justice gives us five topics to discuss, I can only presume that they would build upon each other. I mean, it's possible that they don't, I guess, but I didn't believe that, so let's check it out.</p><p>One aspect of the purpose for religion is for us all to live together in harmony. To do so, we need to eliminate prejudice. The second topic, you may recall from above, is to consider the distance traversed so far. Sounds good. Let's try that.</p><p>If we consider any of these issues, whether it is human rights, women's rights, race unity, care for the environment, global peace, or even the more generic "unity", how far have we advanced in the past 100 years? or 20 years? or even 5 years? What has changed in regards to race unity since 1920? How have we evolved in our understanding of women's rights since 2000? How has the conversation about the environment evolved in the past 5 years?</p><p>It was recognized by all I asked that we have made huge leaps forward in every single one of these areas. We still have a long way to go, obviously, but the trajectory was undeniable. The progress was unquestionable. The improvements in every single area were impressive.</p><p>Hope was re-kindled.</p><p>My friends began to recognize on a more conscious level that they were part of a growing community that was very concerned about these exact issues. And they should be! They were the ones who brought them up, not me. By looking at the true purpose of religion, they identified areas of concern for religions to discuss. Once those areas were identified, I merely asked how far we had advanced in just a few generations. And where they had been lamenting about how far we had to go, they were now celebrating how far we had come, without losing sight of the still-distant goal.</p><p>And now I saw the connection to the third theme, that of building a vibrant community. Now that they saw themselves as part of this emerging community focused on gender rights, or this like-minded community evolving around a concern for the environment, they were ready to address the question of what makes a community vibrant. While at first it seemed like a tangent, they quickly saw the relevance to the issue that was in their heart. Without that vibrancy, the community would never rally together. The cohesion would quickly disintegrate. But with vibrancy, there would be an attractive force to them which would allow them to grow and become more effective in achieving their goals.</p><p>By asking the question "What make a vibrant community", they were able to identify elements of community life that they found attractive. And this, of course, led to the natural question, "What can we do to help instill these elements in our community?"</p><p>"After all," I pointed out, "you are part of that community and have a vested interest. It is not up to anyone else to do this for you. It is up to you, and I want to help you, for that vision you have shared is a good and noble one." And as we discuss this, I naturally talk about the importance of consultation, inclusion, love and respect, diversity and unity. In other words, I bring the Baha'i principles to the table as part of my experience and share how it can help them advance in their own work, which was shared as part of their experience.</p><p>And that, dear Reader, is where I currently am. I have a number of on-going conversations of this nature with my friends and neighbours, about issues that they raised in response to these simple questions. These are issues that are dear to their heart, and I am watching as more and more of them are interested in taking these next few steps.</p><p>Where will this go? I have no idea.</p><p>Will these friends come share their experiences at the conferences in this area? Again, I have no clue.</p><p>I mean, if we pitch it as a "Baha'i" conference in which we can learn about Baha'u'llah's vision, probably not. But if it is offered as a conference in which we will be looking at these issues from a shared perspective, then more likely.</p><p>And I suspect that as we identify some of the necessary components that make up a "vibrant community", questions will arise about what they look like, or how we can begin to develop them. And this will naturally lead to discussions about study circles and the offer of components from the Ruhi curriculum that they may find useful in exploring these ideas, which is, of course, the fourth theme offered by the Universal House of Justice.</p><p>Now, please understand, this is where I am right now.</p><p>If someone says that they want to learn more about consultation, then I will certainly offer them that unit in Ruhi Book 10. But this will need to be done in the context of their work, and will require the necessary time to explore it in action. And where will it go from there? It's too early for me to tell.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Some additional points that I want to bring up which don't quite fit in above:</p><p><br /></p><p>1. It is worth noting that in the last few paragraphs, I talk about offering components from the Ruhi curriculum. You will note that I am not talking about offering full courses, or entire books. While I am ready to offer that, I suspect that my friends are not ready to dedicate the necessary time. Instead, I am prepared to offer a few sections for discussion. Most of these friends are probably not ready to dedicate 2 - 4 hours a week for a number of months to taking an entire course. They are, however, more than ready to go for coffee and discuss a single section that is relevant to what they are doing. This is part of effective training. If they then see the relevance and importance of these courses, then I am certain they will commit the time, for we are all willing to commit the time to those things we deem important.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. I also want to point some of the language I used up above, just to raise it to the level of conscious awareness. There are many sentences in this short article that begin with the word "And". Why? It's actually purposeful, and not just a disdain for the rules of English that are solely based on outdated Latin grammar. When we use the improv theatre technique of "Yes, and...", showing that there are no bad ideas, and that all ideas can lead to new developments, it has a peculiar effect on our brain. It fires up our creativity in ways we do not expect.</p><p>Story time: Back in the 1990s, when they were first developed PET scans, the scientists involved knew they needed to start by calibrating the machine to a brain at rest. They placed a young lady in the machine and told her to relax so that they could get a base reading of the brain, before asking her to do the various things they wanted to test. To their surprise, huge parts of the brain suddenly started to show great activity. "Relax" they said, "and try not to think of anything." Well, that didn't work. She was relaxed, she said. So, thinking that it may be something to do with her age or gender, they hooked up an elderly man. And again, to their shock, when he said he was relaxed, large parts of the brain started showing great activity. It was then that they realized they were on the verge of discovering something.</p><p>They mapped out the active areas of the resting brain when the person was relaxed and discovered that those areas didn't correspond to any known, previously mapped areas of the brain. In fact, it was this mapping that helped them discover a new neural network that stretched from the front of the brain across the top, to the back, down to the bottom, and across both sides. It encompassed a huge part of the brain, over a greater area than any other part they had ever discovered before. And its primary purpose seemed to be to play.</p><p>It is through this mental play, in a network that touches numerous other brain areas, that we make some of our greatest and most insightful connections. And one of the easiest ways to access this incredible power is through the "Yes, and..." method of improv, encouraging our brains to make these wild leaps of insight.</p><p>That is why so many of the sentences I wrote above begin with "and".</p><p>We are embarking on a great social project that will require major leaps in our learning, and as a writer, I want to do all I can to help encourage this.</p><p>As we discuss these issues with our friends, many of us will find ourselves wondering at some crazy idea, or weird understanding. And while it would be so easy to stamp it down with a "No, you're wrong", we can encourage these leaps to greater truths with a simple, "Yes, and..."</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-9662340688743434352022-02-14T19:19:00.000-08:002022-02-14T19:19:25.919-08:00The Importance of Planning<p> I was reading from the Universal House of Justice the other day, when I ran across the following:</p><p></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"></p><blockquote>(...A
sustained entry by troops) cannot be achieved by a mere series of
spasmodic, uncoordinated exertions, no matter how enthusiastic.
Confidence; unity of vision; systematic, realistic, but audacious
planning; acceptance of the fact that mistakes will be made, and
willingness to learn from these mistakes; and, above all, reliance on
the guidance and sustaining confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh will
advance this process. (Ridvan 153, to the Baha'is of Europe)</blockquote><p>Interesting. And what an incredible list to study, especially as we get ready to embark on the first of a series of plans coming up later this year.</p><p>You may recall in the letter to the Counsellor's conference, dated 30 December 2021, we read the most advanced clusters are seeing "the mobilization of a sizeable number of Bahá’ís who are creatively and intelligently applying the Plan’s framework for action to the reality of their own circumstances wherever in the cluster they live." We also read that the friends in these areas "must be able to read their own reality and ask: what, in light of the possibilities and requirements at hand, would be fitting objectives to pursue in the coming cycle or series of cycles?"</p><p>Going back to that first quote, the one to the Baha'is of Europe, I just want to take a look at those requisites a little bit more. They listed five things that would "advance this process".</p><p><b>1. Confidence</b> - Well, that makes sense. After all, if we don't believe we can do something, we will not put all our effort into it.</p><p></p><b>2. Unity of vision</b> - Hmm. That's an intriguing one. I have seen communities where some people believed this meant that everyone needed to do the same thing. Well, that's uniformity of action, not unity of vision. In fact, if we go back to the Ridvan 1990 message, we read "A unity in diversity of actions is called for, a condition in which different individuals will concentrate on different activities, appreciating the salutary effect of the aggregate on the growth and development of the Faith, because each person cannot do everything and all persons cannot do the same thing. This understanding is important to the maturity which, by the many demands being made upon it, the community is being forced to attain." A unity of vision would encompass the long range goal, and require an appreciation of the varied steps needed to achieve it. It would allow each person to play to their strength, lending the greatest share they could to the achievement of the goals.<p></p><p><b>3. Systematic, realistic, but audacious planning</b> - Ok. This is probably my favorite. But to really appreciate it, I find that I need to break it up into its component parts.</p><p>First, we need to be <b>systematic </b>in our planning. This means that we need a plan, and we need to be methodical in the development of said plan. Given that our plans are outlined for us by the World Centre, we pretty much have this down. And given that we have been guided to look at the various cycles of growth, each roughly 3 months in duration and based around the natural activities in our community, we are doing fairly well in this, provided we actually take note of those natural cycles in our community. When we ignore that, our vision tends to be more inward looking, rather than outward focused. I have seen more than a few communities stumble in this when they plan their cycles around an arbitrary calendar, usually the Baha'i calendar, which only a handful of people in a given community follow. But when they truly begin to focus their attention on the greater community, and learn to recognize the natural cycles there, they flourish.</p><p>From what I have seen in my own community, for example, this tends to revolve around the school year. New activities start in September, when the children begin their school year. Community centres have their fall activities starting. Dance studios begin their sessions. Many extra-curricular sports teams start their seasons, too. Three months later, in December, the children are getting ready for their winter break, and they have to register for a whole new set of after-school activities. Then, in March, they change over to their spring activities, which also last about three months. Finally, when the school year ends in June, everyone registers for their summer activities. Three month cycles. And if we try to begin our children's classes outside this cycle, say in October, which would lead to January three months later and then on to Ridvan, most of the children are already busy, having already started their fall activities.</p><p>The second step here, though, is that our plans need to be <b>realistic</b>. We may be systematic, but if we are not realistic very little will come of it. The reason that most plans fail is not because the people involved are unaware of the lofty goals, or lack enthusiasm, but because they do not see the next practical step that they can take. This is where realism comes into play. If the next proposed step is too far, or outside their vision, most people will not even try to take it.</p><p>The third part, though, is that we need to be <b>audacious</b>. We may be realistic, but if we only take tiny, cautious steps, we will never achieve the great strides necessary to bring about a change of culture. Audacious not only means bold and daring, but also implies that we are not restricted to the old way of doing things. It suggests being original, trying new things, which leads us to the next part.</p><p><b>4. Acceptance of the fact that mistakes will be made, and willingness to learn from these mistakes</b> - We will make mistakes. This is a given. If we are audacious and daring, we can be certain that we will sometimes fall on our face. But hey, falling on our face implies forward movement. The trick, though, is to learn. Over and over in the recent messages, we read about the culture of learning, a dozen times in the 30 December message alone. "...(T)he friends should be occupied", they write in but one instance, "in an ongoing process of learning about what is most effective in the place where they are." Making mistakes is inevitable, and we should embrace that.</p><p>Many people are afraid of making mistakes, though, for it lays open our vulnerability. But you know what? This is also how we earn trust. When we recognize our own vulnerability and put ourselves out there anyways, people tend to trust us more than if we only show strength, and do only that which is safe. It exposes us, and shows that we trust those around us to help us if we fall. It reminds us to be humble and shows others that we are human, too. It means that even though the Writings have all the answers, we do not pretend to know those answers. It proves we are willing to allow others to help us learn how to find and apply them.</p><p>When we make mistakes, and strive to learn from them, we discover new things, see nuances we may have missed earlier. It can make the invisible visible. It can more easily show us where the problems may lie, and help us to overcome them more quickly. Mistakes can help us see more creative solutions, and reveal new insights. They tell us about our skill levels and help us see what is, and what is not, possible at any given time. They also help us prioritize, and recognize the new priorities as circumstances change.</p><p>Mistakes help us learn to ask more effective questions, and questions are so important that we even have a month named after them. Effective questions lead to more effective answers.</p><p><b>5. Above all, reliance on the guidance and sustaining confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh will advance this process</b> - "Above all". No, really. "Above all". We are not the ones doing this. Everything we do is completely at the mercy of Baha'u'llah. It is our blessing to be able to serve, and we should never forget this.</p><p><br /></p><p>So now, as I begin to make my own personal plans, and as I consult with those around me on our community plans, I feel this guidance may help us be a bit more focused. It also seems that with these points in mind, we may all feel a little more comfortable challenging ourselves. After all, as the Universal House of Justice said to the Counsellors back on 9 January 2001, "Fear of failure finds no place. Mutual support, commitment to learning, and appreciation of diversity of action are the prevailing norms" in the community we hope to build.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-86532696294295662052022-02-01T15:06:00.004-08:002022-02-01T17:36:36.914-08:00CyclesMy family and I have been down with, presumably, covid for the past few days. Fortunately we're all vaccinated, so the symptoms are not as severe as they could be, for which we are all very grateful. But lying there, on the couch, with my cat by my side (more for the non-moving warmth than out of any sense of love, as far as I can tell), I've had a lot of time to think, while reading. Oh, that's one of the things about me. Even when I'm ill, and feeling a little miserable (not too miserable, but thanks, dear Reader), I will still find time to read. Of course, given the muzziness of my brain, I'm only reading a little bit at a time, and slowly, at that, but still I'm loving "When the Moon Set Over Haifa". Nothing like reading about the passing of the Master, I guess, to make me feel like my own cold is insignificant. Anyways, where was I? Oh yes. We've all been down with this, and when I have the energy, I get up and do some work until I feel my energy is about to go again, and hence, here I am, writing to you, my Friend.<br /><br />Normally, when we think about "cycles" in the Baha'i community these days, we are thinking about cycles of growth, generally three-months in duration. But nope, that's not what I am referring to.<br />I'm thinking about lager cycles than that. After all, in case you haven't noticed from the date, today is the Chinese New Year. Xīnnián hǎo. Or "san nin hou", if you prefer Cantonese. (Thank you, Chinese friends for teaching me these.)<br /><br />So yeah, I'm thinking about the cycles of years today.<br /><br />I'm first reminded of the quote, “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”<br /><br />To me, this makes sense in so many ways. It's like religion. The new Manifestation arises in response to humanity's waywardness and leads people aright. But it's not easy. As we always say, the early Christians did not expect to be celebrated. They expected to be crucified. And so, it took a great deal of spiritual strength to be Christian in the face of that tremendous persecution. Later, once the spiritual integrity and power of that movement became more apparent, more people joined and declared their faith, too, and Christianity moved from its spiritual springtime to its great summer. Eventually it became the norm. A new culture was born, and civilization was transformed. At that point, it was no longer necessarily a sign of spiritual strength. Other forces started to dominate. The great movement was heading towards its autumn, and its eventual winter. Moral suasion gave way to intimidation and fear.<br /><br />We can also look to politics for another example of cycles. People are generally unhappy about something, and it doesn't really matter what it is. Come the election, things will swing one way as people are swayed by a particular argument. Their lives do not miraculously get better, so the middle majority vote in the other direction the next election. Back and forth we watch this pendulum move.<br /><br />But in the overall scheme of things, given the grander vision of Baha'u'llah, we're not all that concerned. It's akin to the difference between weather an climate. Any given day, in any particular part of the world, we may see hotter or colder days. We know this. It's to be expected. That's the nature of weather, so to speak. If it's raining, we bring an umbrella. If it's hot, we wear lighter clothing. We dress according to the weather.<br /><br />Climate, on the other hand, is a bit different. It's when we average it all out and see the greater trends around the globe, over many years, that we see the disturbing news of global warming. It is because of climate that we change our behaviour. It is because of climate that we raise the concern.<br /><br />Imagine how silly we would look if we based our global decisions regarding climate on whether or not it was raining today.<br /><br />It is through the teachings of Baha'u'llah that I have become more cognizant of the cycles effecting humanity, as opposed to the daily variances. When studying the Kitab-i-Iqan, we read so much about these cycles. And I'm not just referring to those opening paragraphs where He mentions the various Manifestations and shows what They have in common. I'm really thinking about those paragraphs in part 2, in which He points out that the Return is not just of the immortal Sovereign, the Manifestation, but also of the circumstances surrounding the Manifestation, including the enemies and the companions, the oppressions and the triumphs.<br /><br />And as all this, all these various points about cycles, run through my cold-addled mind, I return to the Chinese New Year, this new Year of the Tiger.<br /><br />I wonder, is there a cycle in these traditional years of the Chinese calendar? Do they point, in some way, to the cycles through which humanity naturally moves? Are they like the climate, describing not the specific individuals but the general trends? Did the Year of Rat, with its onset of a global pandemic give rise to a people that needed to learn to adapt quickly to new circumstances? Well, yes. Those that adapted quickly are the ones who weathered that difficult year the best. This was followed by the Year of the Ox, with its attribute of dependability and reliance. Those were the exact attributes we needed to best see ourselves through the second year of a global pandemic. The ones who patiently plodded along are, again, the ones who have survived it best.<br /><br />Now, with this Year of the Tiger, and all the things that are happening in the world, it seems evident that resourcefulness will, once more, be a much-needed resource. Versatility, another tiger attribute, will also allow us to move forward in this "new reality" in which we find ourselves.<br /><br />And then, as the pandemic likely winds down at the end of another year, if it follows historic tradition, we will be entering the Year of the Rabbit, with its quiet elegance.<br /><br />Yeah, it seems to me that we can learn from these various traditions found around the world. The Chinese calendar is but one of them.<br /><br />And if we use the lens that Baha'u'llah has given us, and focus it on these other traditions, I bet we can learn a lot.<br /><br />I wanted to say more, but I'm feeling feverish, so I think it's time to re-fill my tea, and lie down once more.<br /><br />As usual, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these feeble thoughts of mine today.<br /><br />Oh, and don't worry about my health. I'm sure I'll be better soon but thanks for your thoughts of prayers. They are very much appreciated. I'm sure there are many more, though, who are in far greater need of them for their health. Pray, instead, for my continued steadfastness. I figure, if Hand of the Cause William Sears felt the need to always ask for that, I must really need them.<br /><br />We'll talk again soon, I'm sure.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-4492571714133936782022-01-24T09:40:00.001-08:002022-01-24T09:40:23.937-08:00A Change in Community<div>I've been thinking about the growth of the Baha'i community a lot in recent days. It's only natural, as we stand at the cusp of a new series of plans which, the Universal House of Justice writes, is "generational in its scope and significance". What will the Baha'i community look like by the end of it? Well, simply put, I don't think we can really guess, at this time.</div><div><br /></div><div>But hey, that's never stopped me before.</div><div><br /></div><div>And to be fair, they do say that the capacities we will acquire by the end of all this "can scarcely be glimpsed at present", which means that we can get just a tiny little peek of them at this time, so, why not?</div><div><br /></div><div>To try to wrap my head around all this, though, I decided to look backwards to see where we have come from, so as to get a better understanding of where we may be heading.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Aside - You know, dear Reader, it's been a while since I've done an aside, hasn't it? I feel they make these articles a bit more conversational, and allow me the freedom to toss in these odd little observations. They're like the ADHD of writing. But here I wanted to draw attention not to my meandering thoughts, but more to my lack of regard for "proper grammar". Have you ever noticed how many times I begin sentences with conjunctions? Or end sentences with prepositions? Oh wait. I meant to say, "But have you ever noticed how many prepositions I end my sentences with?" (I can see my English teachers rolling in their collective graves.) But, despite the number of times I do this, I still get people "correcting" me on it. For them, I just want to point out that I am not writing in Latin, and do not, therefore, need to follow the grammatical rule of that language, no matter what Winston Churchill has said (oh he of the "This is the sort of language up with which we will not put" fame). The House of Justice, in paragraph 9 of the 30 December 2021 message, to cite but a single example, begins a sentence with "And in areas where..." So if they can do it, I feel fine with it, too. Anyways, back to my actual point for writing this article.</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Looking back, I got to thinking about the differences in the Baha'i world before the 10-Year World Crusade, and after. Then I thought about the changes in the Baha'i world before and after various other Plans.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm no expert, nor a trained historian, but it seems to me that before the Crusade the Baha'i world, though united in their love for the Central Figures and in their obedience to the Guardian, was still a collection of individual national groups each doing their own thing. There were 12 National Assemblies, and the only one on the African continent was Egypt and Sudan. By 1963, 56 countries had National Assemblies. (Google is my friend.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Prior to 1953, there were numerous national or regional plans, but there was not a lot of work between the various countries. A little, but not a lot. By the end of the Crusade, they were all working together in a unified global endeavour.</div><div><br /></div><div>Similarly, before the start of the recently completed series of Plans, in 1996, the Baha'i world was unified, but each country had their own focus. While the various goals in the Plans united them, each country seemed to have its own focus. One would look at firesides, while another would focus on the development of schools. They were all moving forward, but when you visited each one, you had to learn about the focus of that particular country. And although our Feasts were all laid out similarly, it was hard to recognize that they were all Baha'i communities. Now, to be fair, this is not a fault. It showed the great diversity of cultural expression within the Faith. It just made it awkward, at times, to try and help another community in their work.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the end of the recent series of Plans in 2020, every country in the world was focused on the same things, each from their own cultural perspective. You could go to any Baha'i community around the planet and know that they were doing the same activities, whether it was devotional gatherings or children's classes. You could visit a new community and help with their activities right from the git-go. And wherever you went, you would be certain to learn about how they applied their own culture to those same activities, and maybe bring some new ideas home with you.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, again, pre-1953, all the friends were looking to the Writings and the World Centre, but doing their own thing. From 1953 - 1963, we had learned how to collaborate on a global level. Between 1963 and 1996, we were collaborating on a global scale, but each individual community was doing what it felt was most important. Today we are all working on the same projects, and coming to appreciate the diversity of ways in which these projects can be accomplished.</div><div><br /></div><div>One more thing to consider, and that is how we developed in our abilities.</div><div><br /></div><div>My favorite example of this is the Tablet of the Divine Plans. Shoghi Effendi brought them to our continued attention, and helped us recognize that they were the basis for all global plans that would come. When we examine the Tablets, we notice a definite systematic movement within them. The first one refers to various states and how within those same states some cities have believers and some do not. We are asked to go to those that don't. The second Tablet pushes the concept forward by saying that there are few believers in the southern States, and that we should either go there ourselves, or send someone there on our behalf. In the third Tablet we are taught even more about how to distinguish between places and set priorities. Some states, we are told, have believers while others do not. Prioritize those that do not. The fourth Tablet talked about going to the western states to teach or sending others. The fifth broadened it to Canada and Greenland, while the sixth expanded the vision to the whole world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step by step, the Master helped us learn to prioritize, and the Guardian slowly moved us towards being more systematic.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the previous series of Plans, the Universal House of Justice patiently built upon this base as they guided us towards a better understanding of the importance of action and reflection. During this reflection period, we learn more about how to recognize and set priorities, based on the results of the actions taken.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can only imagine that this learning will greatly increase in the years to come.</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking at a little bit of what is happening around the world, it is evident that many work day in and day out just to earn the right to have a roof over their head. But as we come together as a community, and learn to help support each other, we can allow more people to dedicate their time to the needs of the community. My wife and I decided any years back that one of us would work a job that allowed the other to dedicate more time to the Faith. We also gave up a lot things that some people consider essential, like cable television. We did all we could to cut down our expenses to ensure that the hours we would have needed to work for those things was spent in service instead. I can easily see a time when more people come together to do just that. Three or four sharing a place, allowing them to do greater service for the community. We're already seeing this happening with some animators of junior youth groups. And as rental prices increase more and more in urban areas, I am confident we will see more people having to come up with innovative ways to allow others to serve effectively.</div><div><br /></div><div>This new series of Plans will no doubt change the way we interact with the greater community around us. It will see a shift in our priorities. It was witness a new approach to how we live. For without these changes, we will only try to continue doing what we have always done. And we know that the approach we are used to is not enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I, for one, look forward to a community that continually reflects on each step it takes, making sure that the next step is as effective as possible.</div>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-22555009917925119972022-01-20T11:45:00.000-08:002022-01-20T11:45:06.056-08:00Our Own Reality<p>Reality is our friend. By understanding our circumstances, and knowing where we are on the path we wish to walk, our life is made easier.</p><p>Years ago I was working as a math tutor. Quite often people would come to me for help in algebra, concerned about their struggle in the subject. I would explain that mathematics are very systematic, and if the foundation of one level is not firm and solid, the next level would be wobbly and difficult. Before helping them with the requested algebra, I would assess where they were. Every single time it would turn out that their grasp of arithmetic was just not as strong as it needed to be. And so, that would be the focus of our studies. By helping them get a stronger grasp of arithmetic, it would turn out that they no longer needed the help with the algebra. The problem would sort itself out.</p><p>This process works similarly to the development of a cluster.</p><p>I remember one cluster in which they were told that they were at a certain level of development. When reading the guidance, they saw what the next steps were supposed to be for clusters like that. But when they tried to put those next steps into action, things got messy. They found those next steps extremely difficult. They were unable to sustain certain activities. Momentum was being lost. For years they struggled to seemingly no avail. But then, when they went back and re-examined the Writings and the guidance from the World Centre, they realized that they were not actually working based on their own reality.</p><p>Recently a group of us in my cluster were looking at the 30 December 2021 message and read paragraph 7, in which they refer to the three milestones of the developmental path. "Where", we asked ourselves, "were we?"</p><p>We had been told that we were at a certain level, but many of us felt uncomfortable with that assessment. And so we looked at the criteria that the World Centre offers for each of them, so that we could verify this for ourselves.</p><p>In the 28 December 2010 letter, the Universal House of Justice writes of those clusters that have passed the first milestone, "...devotional gatherings, children's classes and junior youth groups are being maintained by those progressing through the sequence of institute courses..." When we looked at our cluster we all agreed that this was, indeed, happening. Then the House of Justice continues by saying that the friends in such a cluster are "committed to the vision of individual and collective transformation they foster." Again, we all agreed that this was the case.</p><p>Later, the International Teaching Centre added "one or more friends in a cluster must be able to help individuals study the institute's sequence of courses and accompany them as they initiate core activities... (T)hese individuals must be able to attract others to participate in the core activities." Again, when we looked at our cluster, the people involved, and the activities that were going on, we all agreed that this was the case. We could strengthen the second part of that quote, but still, it was happening.</p><p>First milestone passed. Check.</p><p>Then we turned our attention to the second milestone.</p><p>In that same 28 December message, the Universal House of Justice describe a cluster in which "a steady stream of friends is proceeding through the courses of the training institute and engaging in the corresponding activities". Here we looked at the numbers and decided that this wasn't really happening. Well, it was kind of starting, but we weren't seeing a "steady stream".</p><p>They continued by describing how this stream will help "increase the number of fresh recruits into the Faith, a significant percentage of whom invariably enters the institute process". Nope. We are not seeing that in our cluster.</p><p>Second milestone? We can safely say that we have not yet passed it.</p><p>Going on to the third milestone, to help us get a broader vision of the whole process, a cluster at that level of development is described as one in which "the believers encounter receptivity within distinct populations"; "greater demands are being placed on the organizational scheme of the training institute"; "the Area Teaching Committee is rising to a new level of functioning"; "the Local Spiritual Assembly is enhancing its capacity"; "a mode of learning... permeates the whole community"; and there are "the stirrings of social action". We are definitely not there. We just don't have enough activities happening to be able to discern, yet, a receptive population within our area, nor are there enough activities to demand greater organization. We don't have an Area Teaching Committee, so it cannot rise to a new level of functioning. We are, however, seeing the Assemblies in our cluster enhancing their capacity, so that's good. And while there are pockets of friends who embrace this mode of learning, we do not feel it permeates the entire community yet. And social action? Well, there are some activities, but they really are more random than arising from the intimate concerns of the friends for the well-being of their loved co-workers in this great endeavour.</p><p>So now, in our cluster, this small group of friends who went through this fairly simple exercise have a very clear understanding of what our next step needs to be. We need to work on strengthening our ability "to attract others to participate in the core activities" and encourage this "steady stream of friends" to move through the institute courses.</p><p>Invitations. That is what we need to work on at this time.</p><p>If we merely tried to work on the steady stream, it would be like trying to work on the algebra before really grasping the arithmetic on which it rests. By looking back at the guidance, we could clearly see that one of the elements of the first milestone was a bit weaker than the rest, and this was causing difficulties for us now. </p><p>"They must", writes the House of Justice in that 30 December message, "be able to read their own reality and ask: what, in light of the possibilities and requirements at hand, would be fitting objectives to pursue in the coming cycle or series of cycles?"</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-80786174350003136912022-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:002022-01-17T14:16:20.155-08:00The Study of Messages<p>As you know, I was compiling a list of questions to help us look at the 30 December 2021 message from the Universal House of Justice. However, it was recently brought to my attention that such guides often lead to a "school room" attitude, and the search for the "right answer". Of course, there are no "right" answers. There is only learning, and the application of that learning. What is more useful, it was suggested, is a guide to how to look for meaningful questions.</p><p>So, instead of continuing on with the study guide from last week, I will, instead, post some thoughts about the questions I was selecting to include, and why they were there, as opposed to some others. Hopefully this will assist you in your community in asking questions that will be more effective in your own studies.</p><p>To start, we need to recognize that there are no bad questions. Some questions will be fairly simple, and apply at the basic level of comprehension. In other words, do you understand what is being said. Some questions are more complex and require a degree of insight and experience. Some questions are more useful than others, and some may be more timely than others. But all questions can be good.</p><p>First there are <b>trivia</b> questions. For example, in paragraph 7 we could ask "How many clusters are expected to launch intensive programmes of growth by the end of this current Plan?" The answer, of course, is "over 6000". And let me be clear, I am a lover of trivia. I think it's a ton of fun. However, in a study of the implications of this message, and a consultation on how we can act on it in our own local community, such a question can be distracting. At a Feast, during the social portion, I think it would be a lot of fun. But I would tend to avoid it during an actual study of this message, unless it was needed to break any tension.</p><p>Second, there are <b>hunt and repeat</b> questions. Some people refer to these as "recall" questions, but I prefer thinking of them as "hunt and repeat" as it more accurately describes what tends to happen with them. These are questions that require the participants to find a particular phrase in the letter and repeat it back. For example, in paragraph 2 we could ask "What is the purpose for which mortal men have been created?" "The purpose", we would respond, "for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony." While these questions may help us memorize a quote, or draw our attention to a particular detail, they can get wearisome if we do not further explore the implications of these quotes. There is a reason that the Ruhi curriculum does not use them to a great degree after the first few sections in Book 1. They are useful, but their use is also limited and should be used sparingly, or with caution, for tedium can ensue.</p><p>Now, it should be remembered, of course, that all this is only my own thoughts on it. It is nothing official, and only an attempt to help us become more effective in our studies.</p><p>A third type of question would be <b>general</b> questions. These are questions that are more abstract, and do not rely on personal experience or a knowledge specific to your locality. For example, in paragraph 3 we could ask "Who are the three protagonists of the Plan that will pursue this overall aim?" In a general sense, we would answer "The individual believer, the local community, and the institutions of the Faith." A more specific question would add the phrase "in your locality", with the response requiring a knowledge of both the communities in your cluster, as well as the actual Baha'i institutions in your community. To respond "the Baha'i institutions" would not actually suffice with such a question. We would expect a response of "the Local Spiritual Assembly of such and such", or "the so and so Area Teaching Committee".</p><p>I was actually in a meeting where this question was asked, and when prompted, we all began to name the various institutions. We got the basics, like the LSAs, but as a group we forgot the assistants to the Auxiliary Board, as well as a few of the committees in the area. It was a good reminder to us all, and brought our attention to them.</p><p>Finally, there are the <b>specific </b>questions. These are the ones that go into specifics, drawing on experience, and requiring a follow-up action. One example would be from paragraph 2. We could ask "How can help people feel more welcome to labour alongside us in our work?" This would require a knowledge of how we currently do that, an awareness of whether or not people feel that sense of welcome, and what we could do to further enhance the feeling of being welcomed. It is important in this example to understand that this feeling of being welcomed is a two-sided thing. We may believe that we welcome others, but if they do not feel it, then we are not effective in that sense. Sometimes asking people if they feel comfortable offering suggestions is necessary. If they say that they are not, then we can ask them what we could do to help them feel that comfort. If we believe that our internal attitude is enough, we may be missing may signals and opportunities.</p><p>Now, it needs to be repeated that this is only my own take on it. There are many others who define numerous other types of questions, such as yes / no, closed, funnel, loaded, leading, and so forth. As I am concerned with the study of this message, or any other pieces from the Writings, I am limiting myself to the ones that I feel are applicable here. And it is, of course, just my own opinion, nothing official.</p><p>In general, you will note in the questions I put forth in my own <a href="http://onebahai.blogspot.com/2021/12/30-december-2021.html">study guide</a> I tend to focus on the questions that are more specific to the locality in which the study happens. When we keep the questions more general, we often miss how to apply the answers we uncover.</p><p>Looking at paragraph 10, for example, we could ask the general question, "What are some effective ways of teaching the Faith?" But here we would likely devolve into the theoretical and share beautiful and wonderful stories from all over the world, while not necessarily applying any of them.</p><p>We can re-phrase the question in this manner: "What effective ways have you found to teach the Faith in your community? What methods have you found that place barriers in front of people?" When we do so, we are now drawing on specific experience to the locality. In some areas, the very word "religion" is a barrier, and many friends have noticed this. They often choose to use the word "spiritual", instead. In some localities, opening with the phrase, "Baha'u'llah is the return of Christ" elicits great interest. In other areas, not quite as much.</p><p>By being aware of our own situation, knowing the dynamics of our community, and being more conscious of the interests of those around us, we can be more effective in our teaching of the Faith.</p><p>What I have given here are just a few thoughts. What I put in the previous article was just some ideas of questions we may want to ask. In the end, the greatest learning will come as we find our own questions, and apply them in our own situation.</p><p>Remember, the question we ask will often determine the answer we receive. And sometimes the best questions are the ones that require us to struggle to find an answer.</p><p><br /></p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-15428683262353283442022-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:002022-01-11T09:25:29.503-08:00The Personality of Institutions<p>Reading the 30 December message, I noticed the references to the institutions of the Faith. I mean, how could you not? They are one of the main protagonists of the Plan. But as I was re-reading those passages, I was thinking about something my wife said. What if, she wondered, we were to see these institutions as their own entities? After all, Baha'u'llah refers to Mount Carmel as an actual being, as well as various cities in some of His Tablets. What if we imagine an actual spiritual reality to them? To be clear, this is just my own personal thought experiment, and nothing official.</p><p>Now, this may sound pseudo-mystical, wondering if they have their own individual identity, but please bear with me. When we step back and consider it, there may be a sound basis for it.</p><p>In the business world, we are already familiar with the concept that corporations are considered legal entities, or people. This is already an established legal reality in many jurisdictions. And the House of Justice further alludes to this concept when they refer to the community as "distinguished from the individual and the institutions" and having "its own character and identity". In other words, we already recognize the "individuality" of these entities.</p><p>Thinking about it in terms of the business model, it means, for example, that the institution of Coca Cola, Inc would be its own entity, have its own reality. It would be like a mega-person whose primary goal is to take its carbonated sweetened excretions and feed it to the peoples of the world. In exchange it would feed off their continued supply of money and other necessary resources for its growth. The shareholders would, in this analogy, be like parasites, drawing off some of its resources for their own benefit. When I consider the corporation of Coca Cola, Inc in this light, its varied actions make more sense. We often ask how these big corporations could act with so little regard for the environment, for example. To me, this helps explain it.</p><p>So, what about the institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly? What happens when we consider the concept that the Assembly is more than just a collection of nine individuals? To be clear, I am not concerned about the "reality" of this assertion, but more concerned about the implications of considering it. (Why do I feel it important to continually reiterate that?)</p><p>For starters, it gives me a slightly different understanding of the phrase from the Universal House of Justice when they talk about how understanding "the proper application of the principles governing the operation of the Assembly will (allow) this institution to grow and develop toward its full potential." </p><p>This reminds me of a young child learning to ride a bicycle. They will try and likely totter and fall over. This is not a failure on their part, but a necessary aspect of the learning. By allowing them to fall over, and encouraging them to try again, they will learn to ride far more quickly than if you never allow them to fall over in the first place. To me, this is like a nascent institution making a decision that may not be the wisest of acts. It is only through the full obedience of the friends, and effective reflection, that any learning will occur. As said in a letter written on behalf of the Guardian, "This is not something which can be learned without trial and test..." As with riding a bicycle, patience is needed.</p><p>Another point occurs to me. When meeting with an Assembly, I have always felt the joy of being with the nine members of that institution, but this idea would imply that there would be a tenth being there, the Assembly itself. All of a sudden, when I read the phrase "(a)t this meeting they should feel as if they were entering the Presence of God", it makes me think of how I can sense the "Presence of God" in the soul of another person. When we are told "'Abdu'l-Baha is constantly engaged in ideal communication with any Spiritual Assembly", it becomes a far more real thing, like a literal conversation between two dear friends. Even more so, when I read the passage from Baha'u'llah in which He refers to the members of the Universal House of Justice as "the Trustees of the House of Justice", it reads as if they are the ones who are caring for this entity, ensuring its health and well-being to the best of their ability.</p><p>All of a sudden, this concept feels more than just merely anthropomorphizing an institution. As my wife says, "This principle makes me feel as if I am championing this institution." It means that we can arise to its defense, take care of it, nurture it, ensure that it reaches its healthy maturity.</p><p>To bring in another analogy, we could picture the Assembly as a car. We can easily imagine the members of the institution as the tires of the car, with their connection to the ground. The car would go nowhere without the active involvement of its members. But while we may see the Assembly itself as the car, perhaps with this insight it would be more like the driver. The driver may have a destination in mind, but if the tires go their own way, it will never get there.</p><p>Now, to shift the focus again, let's imagine ourselves serving on this august institution, the Local Spiritual Assembly. We have all read the numerous passages about service, and the importance of detachment in consultation. This principle, of thinking of the Assembly as its own being, has a profound implication on the consultative process.</p><p>In the past, when I have had the bounty of serving on an Assembly, an item would come before us for consultation. Me being me, I have asked myself how I would respond to such and such a given issue. I would offer my ideas, without concern whether or not they were accepted. I would listen to the input of others and strive to help improve any ideas coming forth. But in the end, when I consider my own internal state of mind, the question I was asking myself was really "How would I respond?"</p><p>The real question, though, is how would the institution want to respond? I know that I can be quite terse, at times even too direct or abrupt. I recognize that this can put some people off. But I know, deep in my heart, that the institution of the Spiritual Assembly would not want to respond that way. Of course, I know that my soul doesn't want to respond that way either, but I have a lot of work to do in that area.</p><p>How would the Assembly want to respond?</p><p>That is such a beautiful question. It makes me far more eager to try to hear the voice of that institution, to try and find that response it wishes to offer, that suggestion it wants to make. It makes me long to hear the guidance it wants to offer. And I think it takes not only offering our suggestions to sense that voice of the Assembly, but also quieting our own egos to allow ourselves to hear it more clearly.</p><p>One last point for now, though. Going back to the example of Coca Cola, Inc, it raises further questions. If we consider these various institutions as their own entities, then we should consider all institutions as entities. However, the Universal House of Justice makes it clear that there is a difference between individuals and institutions. So perhaps these corporate institutions should not be given all the rights of individuals. And maybe this is one of the points of struggle in these strange times. We know that one of the greatest tests today is to try and find an equitable balance between the rights of the individuals, the institutions, and the community. Perhaps we also need to better understand the prerogatives and limits of each.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-45333893805502584982021-12-30T16:09:00.008-08:002022-01-06T13:12:54.745-08:0030 December 2021<p> Well, it's that time of the... Plan?</p><p>Here we are, on the cusp of a new series of Plans, and the Universal House of Justice is, once again, giving us the guidance for where we are heading. It is so refreshing and encouraging. Now, if you have been reading my blog for a number of years, you know that I love to explore the new messages as soon as me out. I really enjoy diving deep into them and seeing what nuances we can find.</p><p>This time, however, I am doing something a little different. Instead of just diving right in, all on my own, I'm asking for your help, dear Reader. What I want to do is compile a series of questions, based on paragraph numbers, that will help us learn how to apply the lessons and guidance in this message to our daily life within our own community setting. In this post, I will not be posting answers we have found, but rather just questions that we can ask within our own communities.</p><p>And so, if you have questions that have arisen from this message that you think will help others, please leave it in the comments or message me, and I'll add them in. For now, what I have put below is just a cursory beginning.</p><p>Thanks.</p><p>______________________________________</p><p>Part 1 - Introduction: Paragraphs 1 - 4</p><p><span> Paragraph 1</span><br /></p><p><span><span> </span><span> 1. How do you see the relationship between learning, growing, and the capacity to serve humanity in your community?</span><br /></span></p><p><span> P</span>aragraph 2</p><p><span> <span> </span></span>1. What have we learned about what it means to be an "outward looking" community?</p><p><span> <span> </span>2. What have we been learning about how to apply the teaching to our "social reality"?</span><br /></p><p><span><span> </span><span> 3. How do we help people feel welcome to "labour alongside" us in our work?</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span><span> 4. How are we adjusting our style of discourse to more effectively "influence the direction" of change in our community?</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span> Paragraph 3</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. What is the "single aim" of this current series of Plans? And what was the singular aim of the previous series? How are they related?</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. We know that we need to further strengthen the "dynamic relationship" between the individual believer, the local community, and the institutions of the Faith. How can we more effectively do this?</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> <span> 3. How can we further enhance "the qualities of cooperation and mutual assistance"?</span></span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 4. What does it mean that this principle "endows the body of the Cause with moral vigour and spiritual health"?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 4</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. Why do you think the Universal House of Justice calls to our attention the qualities of "trustworthiness, cooperation, and forbearance" at this time?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. What can we do to help stabilize the social order in our community? And what does this look like?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 3. What does it mean to "champion rationality and science as essential for human progress"? And how does this inform our conversations with our friends?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 4. As we engage in sharing our beliefs, what does it look like to be "respectful of the freedom of conscience of every soul"?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 5. What do you feel we "still need to learn" in this process?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Part 2 - The Movement of Clusters: Paragraphs 5 - 10</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 5</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. What are some of the "measurable outcomes" of the work we are doing?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. </span></span></span>How does the recognition of the spiritual nature of this undertaking effect the "measurable outcomes" of the work?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 3. Does your community, or neighbourhood, have an established intensive program of growth? If not, what elements can you help put into place to more effectively establish it?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 6</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. What defines a "cluster"?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 7</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. What are the first three milestones along the path of development for a cluster?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. Where is your cluster, or neighbourhood, on this path?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 3. What can be done to effectively help your cluster move to the next milestone?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 8</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. Has your cluster passed the third milestone?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. If yes, how can you help assist other clusters near you to advance?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 3. If no, which cluster near you has? What assistance would be useful to help your cluster advance?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 9</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. Which spiritual themes are of the most concern in your cluster?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. Are you comfortable raising these themes in conversations with your friends and acquaintances in your community? If not, what effective steps can be taken to help raise the comfort level?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 3. What does it mean to you that an individual's declaration of faith is but "a singular moment in a person's spiritual development"?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 4. Are you comfortable encouraging "those who stand at the threshold" to join the Baha'i community? If not, what is it that makes you feel uncomfortable? What would make you feel more comfortable in extending that invitation?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 5. Describe the mindset you feel is needed to allow "families, groups of friends, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>and even clusters of households" to feel comfortable embracing the Faith, as distinct from individuals declaring on their own. It is, of course, important to recognize that both are necessary, and both will occur in the future.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Paragraph 10</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 1. What effective ways have you found to teach the Faith in your community?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 2. What methods or words and phrases have you found that are not effective? It is worth remembering that we can learn from negative examples, too.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> 3. How is your community recording and sharing what is most effective in your community?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-22117261483362998282021-12-21T12:19:00.003-08:002021-12-21T14:22:36.862-08:00Four Kinds of Love<p> I know I haven't been writing much here lately, dear Reader, and I do apologize.</p><p>I've been working on a full-length commentary on the Kitab-i-Iqan, and that has taken up most of my time. It's sure taken up most of my energy. It's been sent off to the publisher, so a prayer that it is good enough for them would be appreciated.</p><p>In the meantime, another project I've had the pleasure to work on is reading aloud the text for a recording on 'Abdu'l-Baha's "The Four Kinds of Love", which has just been released. It can be found here: <a href="https://bahaimusicstore.com/nancy-lee-harper-four-kinds-of-love">https://bahaimusicstore.com/nancy-lee-harper-four-kinds-of-love</a></p><p>I hope you enjoy it. Perhaps someday soon I will write my thoughts about it. In the meantime, I would love to hear what you think.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-75630073296697571662021-08-10T16:45:00.001-07:002021-08-10T21:08:31.656-07:00The Road to Hell...<p>They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.</p><p>For years this adage bothered me. I had understood it to mean that
if you begin something, you need to finish it. In other words, if you
intend to do something, but do not follow through, that will pave the
road to your own hell. It seemed like a massive guilt trip for
procrastinators.</p>
<p>But the more I think about it, I believe there is another and more
profound truth within it. I think it is a caution. After all, you
don't pave a road unless you intend to use it.</p>
<p>What do I mean? I'm glad you asked, dear Reader. I don't know what
I would do without you.</p>
<p>In recent days, or weeks (I kind of lose track of time these
days), the question of intention, or motivation, has come up many times. Over and
over again I hear or read of people presuming an intention behind
another's actions. The truth, though, is that we can't really know
anyone else's intentions. Most of us don't even know our own
motivations, so how can we believe we understand anyone else's?</p>
<p>"Why did so-and-so do such-and-such?" I don't know. I
can guess, but in the end, I'm not a mind-reader. I can presume, and
further actions on their part may make the case more likely, but I
really cannot be certain. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why
Baha'u'llah reminded us that we should "Let deeds, not words, be
(our) adorning."</p>
<p>Personally, if I have to guess, I like to believe good intentions
on the part of others. I have a hard time believing anybody would get
up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, "I think I'll do
something horrible today." No. I truly believe that people have
good intentions. But this is not necessarily a good thing.</p>
<p>What brought this to mind is the on-going discussion about
Residential Schools here in Canada. This was a time when First Nations'
children were taken from their homes and put into so-called schools
to try and make them more European.</p>
<p>First, let me state that I believe this was a horrible thing to
do. It caused untold suffering. The suffering that has been shared is
only a tiny part of the suffering that actually occurred. I truly
believe this was a horrible practice, and am glad to see the
government beginning to make reparations. It has a long way to go,
but at least a beginning has been made.</p>
<p>That said, do I believe the motivation behind the original
suggestion was good? Actually, I do. Now, please, bear with me for a moment. Hear me out. Forget, for a moment, the
horrors that resulted from the abuse of this action, but let's look at the ideas
that motivated it in the first place. The people of the day sadly believed that there was a hierarchy of civilizations, as well as a hierarchy of peoples. They truly believed that some people were
inherently superior to others, and that some cultures were naturally
better. Now, again please don't get me wrong. I think these beliefs
are not only incorrect, but downright awful. I am in no way defending
them, but just stating what was a mistaken belief at the time.</p>
<p>Given this tragic error, there were people out there who truly
thought that it was in the best interest of the children to try and
raise them to be more European. They honestly thought it was good for
the children to be removed from the "evil" influence of
their culture and given one that was "closer to the divine". As one person horrifically said, they wanted to "kill the Indian in the child".</p>
<p>One of the many problems was that they did not take into account
the importance of diversity. They also didn't acknowledge the beauty
and majesty of another culture. They never dreamed that another
culture, especially one that they mistakenly thought of as primitive,
could have anything of value to offer the global body of humanity. These lapses are indefensible, and rightly severely criticized.</p>
<p>Even though their motivation may have been good, the improvement
in the life of the child, they were horribly mistaken in how to
achieve that noble end. (It's amazing how often I am using the word
horrible, but it says something about the nature of this topic.)</p>
<p>Even if the abuses, physical, emotional, sexual, cultural, and
spiritual, did not occur as they did, this still would have been a
great tragedy to all the people involved, the children as well as the
families affected. All this other stuff just further compounded it and made it even worse.</p>
<p>Their intention may have been good, and the fact that they put so
much time and energy into implementing it shows that they believed it
was a good thing, but because of their mistaken beliefs, they walked
far along that road to hell. And this resulted in the suffering of
many generations of people.</p>
<p>You will notice, of course, that I'm not talking about the greed
that was probably involved on the part of some who financially
benefited from some of these things, for I believe that is a side
issue. I am only focusing on what I perceive to be the good
intentions of the majority of those involved. Because, really, it is
these good intentions that get noticed and allow these movements to
gain public support. No movement ever gained ground by someone
saying, "Hey, I'm going to get rich out of it" or "I'm
going to become so powerful and influential". No. They gain ground
by saying, "We'll improve the economy and you will benefit from
more jobs" or "The children will be grateful once they know
better". The people get so caught up in what they think is a
good thing that they often overlook the inherent problems.</p>
<p>So, to me, this phrase about the "road to hell" being
"paved with good intentions" is a caution. It tells me to
carefully examine my goals, and look at them from all angles. It warns me to consider the issue from a larger perspective than my just my own self-interest.</p>
<p>Whether we are talking about the movement of immigrants into the country, or the mandatory vaccination for those able to get inoculated, or even a global response to the changing climate, it is really easy to get people riled up in one direction or another. Unfortunately, in many cases political and social support goes to those who only look at a narrow cross section of humanity, without due consideration to the larger picture.</p>
<p>Do I believe the Residential Schools initially had a good goal? Well,
educating children is a noble deed, but not without the respect that
is due all people and cultures, nor at the expense of diversity.</p>
<p>Do I believe there was suffering from this action? Absolutely.</p>
<p>But more importantly, what have I learned from looking at this
issue? That I better be certain that any goal I set my sights on is
leading us towards a divine civilization, and not inadvertently
leading us towards a hell. For it is through our deeds, not our words, that we shall be judged.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-47309530168008967802021-03-06T08:14:00.002-08:002021-03-06T12:52:39.403-08:00Prayer for the Fast, part 5<p>Ten years ago I wrote a a few articles on this prayer and only recently re-read them. And you know what I learned? It doesn't matter how often you read a particular prayer, it unfolds itself in new ways every time. I also learned that I cannot recall writing these articles at all. They read, to me, as if someone else is speaking in my voice. And so, dear Reader, I wondered what I would say today if I were to write these articles again.</p><p>Of course, as soon as I asked myself this, I opened my prayer book, said a short prayer in my heart, and then began to read.</p><p>Now, I feel I must interrupt the flow of this particular stream of thought to admit something to you before I begin. After all, I know I can trust you. We're friends, and you would never laugh at me, except when appropriate, right?</p><p>So, when I go to say a prayer, I always say a short personal prayer in my heart before turning to the Writings. Why? I don't know. It just feels right to prepare myself before approaching something so sacred, like we are told to do with the Feast. Today, I did that, as usual, and then began to re-read this wonderful prayer for the Fast. I started to feel the rhythm of the prayer, the flow of the spirit as it washed over my own soul, noted a passage that stuck out at me and gently flagged it. This, by the way, is something that my hand just does naturally without any specific conscious thought on my part. It's just a tiny dot of the pencil that touches the prayer book and later, when I'm done with the reading / praying part of the prayer, I go back and look at those dots.</p><p>Today, however, I was about halfway through the reading part of it when I realized I was reading the wrong prayer. I was reading the one that begins "Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God!" Oops. Oh well. It's still a good prayer, right? Oh, and that's a personal joke with me. Whenever a friend asks which prayer they should read, I almost always say, "Choose a good one." It's like when some friends and I were talking about the Hidden Words, and one of them was trying to remember a particular one that the other loved to chant. He couldn't recall which one they were referring to and asked, "How does it begin?" I said, "O Son of..." And there was a long pause before they both fell over laughing. Anyways, maybe I'll look at that other prayer later on during this Fast. Perhaps it was a hint from up top.</p><p>Back to today.</p><p>It is one hour after sunrise, 6 March 2021. And "I beseech Thee, O my God".</p><p>This morning there are a number of dots on the page, more than usual. Certainly more than I can write about in a single article here. Rather than try to write about the thoughts that traipse through my mind on each of them, I'll just do one at a time, in order, and maybe tackle the others tomorrow.</p><p>Of course, I should also point out that each and every word in the sacred Writings is holy and filled with layers upon layers of meaning. To focus on one is not to say that the others are any less meaningful, not at all. Instead, it is to see them as gems that catch my eye at a particular moment in my life. Focusing on an extract, a single piece of the Writings, is nothing new. After all, there are single lines taken from the verses and placed on the walls of the temple in Wilmette. We look at a single verse at a time in the first sections of the Ruhi books. Baha'u'llah, Himself, extracted a number of single lines in His great work, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. So I feel there is nothing wrong with focusing on a single line, phrase, or word, within the context of the entire piece.</p><p>Today, the first phrase that caught my attention, that moved me enough to rock forward and place that dot on the page, was "the shadow of Thy mercy".</p><p>Why is mercy a shadow in this context? If God is the Light of the world, and Baha'u'llah is the Most Glorious, why would being in a shadow be a mercy? Wouldn't this block His light from reaching us? Isn't that what a shadow does, block the light?</p><p>Perhaps, and I don't really know for this is only my own opinion and nothing official, God's light is so intense that the shadow really is a mercy, allowing us to see the light without burning up underneath it. As I write this, I am thinking of how I wear sunglasses while driving on a bright day. It protects me, and allows me to see more clearly. Maybe this is what the shadow of His mercy does.</p><p>Many times Baha'u'llah said to the friends that if He were to reveal His true glory, they would all swoon away. By standing behind a veil, so to speak, they could begin to catch a glimpse of Him.</p><p>There is also the story that He told to one of the Pilgrims about the training of a parrot. When the trainer wishes to teach the parrot to speak, they hide behind a mirror. This way, the parrot sees another parrot but hears the voice of the speaker. The bird thinks that the voice is that of another bird, and thus they begin to speak, in imitation. This, Baha'u'llah is reported to have said, is how the Manifestation teaches humanity. If the parrot were to see the human speaking, they would be frightened away, but by seeing something familiar, they learn.</p><p>Now, in the context of the prayer, it seems to me that we are standing outside the gate of the city God, waiting to be allowed to enter. When I imagine myself in that context, standing outside a city of old, waiting for the guards to let me in, I see myself standing out in the sun. Heat stroke would be a distinct possibility at certain times of the year. The shadowing cloud protecting me from the hot rays of the sun would be a distinct mercy, for which I would ardently pray. Of course, if it were raining, then a canopy would be most welcome, which is, you will note, the very next phrase.</p><p>At this point, I would love to keep writing, exploring more of this wonderful prayer, but my cat is insisting I spend time with him. And my wife and I need to go to the farms to get more fresh veggies for juicing during this Fast.</p><p>Thank you for joining me this morning, and I truly look forward to hearing what phrases catch your attention in this prayer. Hopefully I'll be able to explore a bit more tomorrow.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-90629742725470329422020-11-02T10:30:00.000-08:002020-11-02T10:30:32.267-08:00The Streaming Waters of Holy Utterance<p>Yesterday, I received a wonderful e-mail from a friend who is studying the Kitab-i-Iqan. They asked what the following sentence, found in paragraph 65, meant to me: "Verily, I say, so fierce is the blaze of the Bush of love, burning in the Sinai of the heart, that the streaming waters of holy utterance can never quench its flame."</p><p>What a great question.</p><p>I must have read this sentence at least a dozen times, and it never occurred to me just how... mystic? mystifying? puzzling?... it can be. I feel as if I had just skimmed past it, taking it in stride as a simple poetic metaphor, but never actually questioning what it could be a metaphor for.</p><p>In an attempt to come to some understanding of it, I found that I needed to look at this
quote in the context of the book itself. It occurs at the end of the section in
which Baha’u’llah examines the phrase, “the powers of the earth shall be
shaken”. After all, Part 1 is mostly an exploration and explanation of the
quote from Jesus found in paragraph 24. As you know, He goes through this quote
phrase by phrase, explaining it to the uncle of the Bab to help him get a
better foundation of why he is a Muslim, which he can then apply to his relationship
to the faith of the Bab.</p><p>Here, Baha’u’llah is at the end of this
particular phrase’s explanation, and has just alluded to the Bab for the very
first time, when He said, “How severe the persecutions inflicted upon Him...”
at the end of paragraph 63.</p><p>Paragraph 64 seems to be a celebration of
this mere allusion to the Bab. In it He refers to “the sweet savours of
God” wafting “from the day-spring of Revelation”, and talks about all the
wonderous and marvelous things It does. For a full page He goes on about the
glorious nature of this bounty.</p><p>Then, in paragraph 65, He offers another
interlude. “The universe if pregnant”, He says. When will it give birth? When
will we be able to attain the presence of the One Whom God shall make Manifest,
as promised by Bab? This, to me, is the implied question in paragraph 65. I mean, I may be wrong, for this commentary is nothing official, but just my own personal opinion, but still. That seems to be the implie question.</p><p>As of the writing of this Book,
Baha’u’llah has not yet revealed Himself, so He can legitimately ask “In the
soil of whose heart” will all these things be born? “From the garden on whose soul”
will we see all these great bounties? These are question that must have been
asked by all the Babis alive at that time. “Who is He Who is promised?”</p><p>Then Baha’u’lllah seems to answer that
very question. “Verily, I say, so fierce is the blaze of the Bush of love,
burning in the Sinai of the heart, that the streaming waters of utterance can
never quench its flame.” He continues on in a similar vein with the next few
sentences, with His references to "this Leviathan" an "this Phoenix", with emphasis on the "this"es, but let’s unpack this one sentence, as my friend requested.</p><p>To begin, He is alluding, very obviously,
to the Burning Bush in which God spoke to Moses, and He is further elevating
the station of the heart, His heart, to that of the Sacred Mount. And remember,
He has just referred to this story a few paragraphs earlier, in paragraph 57,
in which He described this Burning Bush as “the King of glory from the ‘Tree
that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West’.” Within that flame, “He
heard the soul-stirring Voice of the Spirit speaking from out the kindled Fire,
bidding Him to shed... the light of divine guidance.” In the story, He, Moese, is being asked to give
to the peoples the Word of God.</p><p>Now, earlier in the Book, in paragraph
27, Baha'u'llah refers to “the overpowering majesty of the Word of God” and how it can
“prevent them from attaining unto the ocean of His names and attributes”, and
even “deprive them of recognizing the Lamp of God”. Of course, in that reference, He is talking about how the majesty of the Word of God as revealed by Moses or Jesus or Muhammad is so powerful that its light can blind people to accepting the light from the next Revelation.</p><p>In fact, as my wife pointed out, these "life-giving waters", the holy Word of previous Revelations, can be seen as the ocean in which He was swimming in His father's dream. Baha'u'llah, in that dream, moved as He willed, and was unharmed by any turmoil around Him.</p><p>It seems to me that He is saying, in
paragraph 65, that these “streaming waters” of the Words of God cannot stop Him
from giving His message. So strong is the light that He is shedding that
nothing can prevent it from shining forth to all peoples. And even the next few
passages give further emphasis to this point, but no need to go on here.</p><p>So, given the context, in which this sentence is found, it seems as if He is talking about His own heart, and the light blazing within it, the light of the Love of God. And nothing, no tests, no trials, not even the overpowering Word of God, can ever cause that light to fade.</p><p>And to continue this, He goes on and seems to talk about how we can also emulate this strong, unconquerable love. "Therefore, O brother! kindle with the oil of wisdom the lamp of the spirit within the innermost chamber of thy heart, and guard it with the globe of understanding, that the breath of the infidel may extinguish not its flame nor dim its brightness." For here, He is now telling the reader to kindle this same flame within their own heart. How? With wisdom. And we are to guard this precious flame with understanding. Isn't this why He is explaining so much of the prophecy of Jesus here? So that we can better understand the profound wisdom of the past? After all, this is why He has "illuminated the heavens of utterance with the splendours of the Sun of divine wisdom and understanding". It is so that our "heart may find peace", and that we may "be of those who, on the wings of certitude, have soared unto the heaven of the love of their Lord, the All-Merciful."</p><p>Not only is He describing His own love, but also helping us understand what our love should be like.</p>Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-91181603415241733022020-04-30T11:28:00.001-07:002020-04-30T11:28:36.163-07:00YouTube channelDearly loved Friends,<br />
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Some of you have been following me for quite some time, and may have noticed that I've been slowing down my writing. This has been due to my need to make a living. But even then, I've still tried to keep up as much as I can.<br />
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Recently, however, with the global pandemic, my summer market season has been shut down, and I find myself with a lot more time on my hands. Rather than writing, though, I've taken up to recording myself, first with a podcast on castbox, but more recently on YouTube.<br />
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To follow me on YouTube, please go to: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiwMzPGh9PVJYqriHWnUdOg/">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiwMzPGh9PVJYqriHWnUdOg/</a><br />
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And as usual, please feel free to comment. I would love to hear your thoughts and insights.<br />
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Oh, and also please do hit the "like" button there. This makes it easier for others to find the channel.<br />
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Thank you so much for your continued support over the years,<br />
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With love and prayers,<br />
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MeadMeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-20255840287340742762020-03-27T18:37:00.000-07:002020-03-27T18:37:11.768-07:00Naw Ruz 2020For many years we would receive letters from the Baha'i World Centre for Naw Ruz, with only the occasional Ridvan letter. And then, perhaps in recognition that it is Ridvan that is the Most Great Festival, or maybe because it is when we elect our Spiritual Assemblies, we started receiving Ridvan messages more regularly. This year, however, we received another Naw Ruz message, which I must admit took me by surprise. I mean, it wasn't that surprising, what with all that is happening in the world. I knew it was just a matter of time before the Universal House of Justice offered their loving guidance and encouragement. I just didn't expect it to be in the form of a Naw Ruz message. Why? I don't know, but there you go.<br />
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Today, I thought I would take a closer look at it and see what hidden gems lie within. Care to join?<br />
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Of course you do. I mean, that's why you're reading this, right?<br />
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Hmm. How to do this? Copy and paste a paragraph at a time? Sure. Why not? After all, it's only 5 paragraphs, after the "Dearly loved Friends".<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We feel compelled by current events to write to you at this time and not wait until Riḍván. As you will be all too aware, over recent weeks and months, an apprehensive world has been coming to terms with a rapidly evolving health crisis affecting the people in many countries, the consequences of which for society cannot yet be estimated with any certainty. We are sure that you, like us, have felt great concern for the well-being of humanity, especially for those who are most vulnerable. Seldom has it been more evident that society’s collective strength is dependent on the unity it can manifest in action, from the international stage to the grassroots, and we know that you are giving your support to the essential efforts being made in this regard to protect the health and welfare of all.</blockquote>
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Well, the first thing that catches my attention is that they are admitting right at the beginning that this is unusual. They are writing this now, instead of waiting for Ridvan, as is their norm. And they are not just moved to do this, they are compelled. They are forced by a sense of obligation to write us at this time. Honestly, I cannot think of another time when they have felt "compelled" like this.<br />
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Then, in a single sentence, they let us know why. The world is apprehensive, fearful and anxious. We are aware that things are moving rapidly, affecting people all over the world, and we cannot foresee the consequences of it.<br />
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And finally, they remind us of our obligation. We, obviously, feel great concern, especially for those that are most vulnerable, and need to remind people that unity is what is needed most right now.<br />
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Do we need to self-isolate in this time of crisis? Yes, but in unity. Do we need to stay home? Yes, but while supporting those most vulnerable. Should we be concerned? Of course, but this concern should not disrupt our unity.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Inevitably, the current situation will have an impact on the administration of the Cause of God in many places, and in every case the relevant National Spiritual Assembly will advise on the appropriate measures to be taken. In some countries this will include cancelling National Convention, with arrangements being made for the National Assembly to be elected by other means. Similar arrangements might also need to be made, in certain places, for the election of Local Spiritual Assemblies. However, in circumstances where even this proves unfeasible, it would be permissible this year for the existing membership of a Local or National Assembly to continue on into the next administrative year. Naturally, any National Assembly giving thought to approving such a step will seek the advice of the Counsellors at an early stage.</blockquote>
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We need to be aware, and admit, that this will affect us, too. We already know that most Naw Ruz celebrations were cancelled in person, and held virtually, instead. We all felt the impact of that. And likely most Feasts were cancelled in person, too. Throughout the Baha'i world we saw communities arise to find new and innovative ways to both hold our Feasts, as well as celebrate our new year. But this is just the beginning. Those methods we found last week are the same methods that we are now using for study circles, junior youth groups, children's classes, devotional gatherings, and all of our activities.<br />
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We are also certain that this will impact our Ridvan celebrations, as well as our elections. It is good to admit that now, prepare, and find ways to continue on, while being mindful of the current state of affairs in the world.<br />
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Oh, and where necessary, we also need to consult with the Institution of the Learned, our beloved Counsellors and Auxiliary Board, a well as their assistants.<br />
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Circumstances are different this year than they were in the past, we the Faith moves with it. We can react quickly, and sensibly, when the need arises.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
At a time of another crisis, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offered these words of counsel: “In a day such as this, when the tempests of trials and tribulations have encompassed the world, and fear and trembling have agitated the planet, ye must rise above the horizon of firmness and steadfastness with illumined faces and radiant brows in such wise that, God willing, the gloom of fear and consternation may be entirely obliterated, and the light of assurance may dawn above the manifest horizon and shine resplendently.” The world stands more and more in need of the hope and the strength of spirit that faith imparts. Beloved friends, you have of course long been occupied with the work of nurturing within groups of souls precisely the attributes that are required at this time: unity and fellow feeling, knowledge and understanding, a spirit of collective worship and common endeavour. Indeed, we have been struck by how efforts to reinforce these attributes have made communities especially resilient, even when faced with conditions that have necessarily limited their activities. Though having to adapt to new circumstances, the believers have used creative means to strengthen bonds of friendship, and to foster among themselves and those known to them spiritual consciousness and qualities of tranquillity, confidence, and reliance on God. The elevated conversations that have occurred as a result, whether remotely or in person, have been a source of comfort and inspiration to many. Such efforts on your part provide a valuable service at this hour when many souls are perplexed and dismayed, unsure of what will be. However difficult matters are at present, and however close to the limits of their endurance some sections of societies are brought, humanity will ultimately pass through this ordeal, and it will emerge on the other side with greater insight and with a deeper appreciation of its inherent oneness and interdependence. </blockquote>
"At a time of another crisis..." This is not the first time we have faced a global crisis, and in the past, we have arisen and overcome. Remember, the world moves in cycles of crisis an victory. When a crisis occurs, we need to keep our eye on the victory that is coming. We may not know exactly how it will all play out, for "the consequences...cannot yet be estimated with any certainty", but we know the path towards that promised victory. We need to arise with firmness, steadfastness, with illumined faces and radiant brows. We need to show forth hope and strength of spirit.<br />
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And you know what? We have been training for this for years. They tell us exactly what is needed right now, all over the world. Unity. Fellow feeling. Knowledge and understanding. A spirit of collective worship and common endeavour. Isn't that what all the core activities are about?<br />
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As we have learned to rely on God and prayer, and have learned to consult together in small teaching teams, as well as in larger reflection groups, we have grown in our awareness of the spirit. We have become more tranquil and confident, two qualities that really stand out at this time. Over the past few weeks, as I've posted more on social media, expressing my personal feelings and questioning the assumptions of others, I have noticed an increase in personal messages of thanks and admiration. The very qualities the Universal House of Justice is mentioning are those exact qualities that have been mentioned by others. And I know that for every message or comment I've read, there are many more that have not been sent.<br />
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In the end, we can say with confidence and faith that we will come through this crisis, and that part of the victory we will see will be this "deeper appreciation of (our) inherent oneness and interdependence." There is no doubt of it. And as we point it out to others, they, too, will see it more clearly. ll we need to do is draw their attention to it.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is not the moment in which to describe in any detail the accomplishments of the Bahá’í world over the past year, or the extraordinary progress made in multiplying communitybuilding activities worldwide and strengthening programmes of growth, work which continues in earnest wherever circumstances permit. Suffice it to say that, four years into the current Plan, the tireless supporters of the Cause have brought the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh to the strongest position in which it has ever been in its history. Everything you have done and are now doing is preparing the global Bahá’í community for the next stage in the unfoldment of the Divine Plan. </blockquote>
Now is not the time to look at ourselves, to sit on our laurels and be satisfied with all that we are doing. Now is the time for looking to the needs of others. In some ways it is like the inverse of Pilgrimage, during which we don't teach for our focus should be on our own relationship with our Creator. Today, our need is to look to others, to help them in their time of distress. We know we are on the right path, and that should suffice.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For now, our thoughts and our prayers are focused on the health and well-being of all the friends of God and all those among whom you dwell. We pray earnestly, also, for the Almighty to bestow upon you assurance, stamina, and staunch spirits. May your minds be ever bent upon the needs of the communities to which you belong, the condition of the societies in which you live, and the welfare of the entire family of humanity, to whom you are all brothers and sisters. And in your quiet moments, when no course of action other than prayer seems possible, then we invite you to add your supplications to our own and ardently pray for the relief of suffering. We turn to these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Whose whole existence was an example of selfless commitment to the well-being of others:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
O Thou Provider! Assist Thou these noble friends to win Thy good pleasure, and make them well-wishers of stranger and friend alike. Bring them into the world that abideth forever; grant them a portion of heavenly grace; cause them to be true Bahá’ís, sincerely of God; save them from outward semblances, and establish them firmly in the truth. Make them signs and tokens of the Kingdom, luminous stars above the horizons of this nether life. Make them to be a comfort and a solace to humankind and servants to the peace of the world. </blockquote>
</blockquote>
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Their focus is on our health and well-being, two things that are at the forefront of many people's minds today. And is our job easy? Of course not. It's simple, in that we already know what to do, but it requires a lot of effort, and a constant focus. Perhaps this is why they pray for our "assurance, stamina, and staunch spirits." They also remind us that this is the time to really look to the needs of our community, for they truly do need us. There are many out there who cannot go out to get their simple daily needs, and the require our help. Of course, this will differ from place to place, but help is needed everywhere.<br />
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And then, when we are sitting in the quiet of our homes, taking a few moments to reflect and pray, they offer us a prayer to use. Take a moment, dear Reader, and read this prayer again. Think of your neighbours as you say it. Think of the elders in your community. Think of those who are downcast and at risk. For surely, there are no greater words than these to truly express what we are all feeling in our hearts.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-35792621239833165662020-03-16T09:48:00.002-07:002020-03-16T09:48:19.674-07:00Pandemics and QuarantineWhat an interesting time in which we live.<br />
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I'm torn between writing about Shoghi Effendi's "Promised Day is Come" and the current pandemic spreading around the world.<br />
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Maybe I'll start with the current context, just in case you're reading this at some point in the future. How's that for optimism?<br />
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As of today, many places around the world have gone into quarantine mode, trying to stem the tide of covid-19, a new virus that is rapidly spreading throughout the world. It's in the corona strain of viruses, meaning it's related to the common cold, not the flu. But two things stand out with it. First, it's a new strain, so we have no natural immunity to it, yet, which is why it is spreading so quickly. Second, the death rate from it is reasonably high, all things considered, especially in those with compromised immune systems, or who are over 60.<br />
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In regards to it being related to the common cold, just to be clear, that is like saying a lung infection is related to a stuffy nose. While true, it can also seem mis-leading.<br />
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The current steps that are being taken to mitigate the spread of this new virus are to try and slow down the spread, not stop it. It is fairly obvious that it is spreading, and there's not much we can do about that. The only trick, now, is to slow down how fast it spreads. Why? So that the emergency medical systems are not totally overwhelmed. We already know that at least half of the population of the planet will contract this virus. As of this writing, about 7% of active cases world-wide require hospitalization, while 8% of closed cases have resulted in death. As you can see, this means that 92% recover.<br />
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The real issue, though, is to try and spread those 7% needing hospitalization out over time. I mean if 7% of the population of your hometown showed up at your local hospital needing a ventilator, there is no way your system could handle it. And this is not even counting all the regular issues that hospitals have to deal with, such as heart attacks or births.<br />
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So today, many communities are staying home, and minimizing social contact, which makes the upcoming celebration of Naw Ruz quite interesting.<br />
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Oh, and for those who are confused about what it is called, it is covid-19 not corvid-19, as I have seen many write. Covid is an abbreviation of "corona virus identification", 19 referring to the year in which it started, while corvid is related to crows. This has nothing to do with a gathering of crows, which, incidentally, is called a "murder", nor does it have to do with a beer from Mexico that is best served with lime, the fruit, and not Lyme, the disease, and which Baha'is are not allowed to imbibe, the beer, not the fruit, and we also try to stay away from the disease, like covid-19. I hope that clears it up.<br />
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So, given the death rate, and the contagion rate, am I scared? Nope. Not at all.<br />
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Am I concerned? Of course.<br />
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People are panicking, and there will be many deaths in the near future.<br />
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But overall, I think this is a good thing, for it gives us a taste of how to prepare and react to a more deadly pandemic. This is a test of our health-care systems, our safety protocols, and how well we follow our mother's instructions to wash our hands before we eat.<br />
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Aside - I can't believe that I didn't put any of the above as an aside, but there you go. Anyways, the recommended way to wash your hands is with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you recite the medium obligatory prayer three times per day, the first part is to recite the first paragraph while washing your hands.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.</blockquote>
This, incidentally, takes about 20 seconds. Coincidence? Hmmm.<br />
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To sum up, we are currently experiencing a global pandemic with a low to medium mortality rate, and this is forcing many communities to come up with new ways of celebrating Naw Ruz, such as a teleconference or much smaller family gatherings.<br />
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It is also heightening the sense of receptivity in many places around the world.<br />
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In Italy, for example, where the people have been quarantined for over a week already, the Baha'i youth and junior youth are being of great service to the elders, who are requiring much assistance. They are engaging in many conversations, offering service, and beginning many new activities within the scope available to them under these circumstances. The stories are truly uplifting, and many thanks go to the Regional Baha'i Committee of Northern Italy, who has shared these stories with the world.<br />
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It is as 'Abdu'l-Baha said, "When calamity striketh, be ye patient and composed. However afflictive your sufferings may be, stay ye undisturbed, and with perfect confidence in the abounding grace of God, brave ye the tempest of tribulations and fiery ordeals."<br />
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By patiently continuing on with what we are doing, with the education of children, the spiritual empowerment of the junior youth, the studies with the youth and adults in our communities, service to all who are in need, and community-wide prayers, all in a manner in which current circumstances allow, we attract the attention of those around us. As the Guardian wrote, "Self-sacrifice, courage, indomitable hope and confidence are the characteristics they should show forth, because these very attributes cannot but fix the attention of the public and lead them to enquire what, in a world so hopelessly chaotic and bewildered, leads these people to be so assured, so confident, so full of devotion? "<br />
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So perhaps this is what I really wanted to mention today. Most of the world is focused on the message in the first few paragraphs of The Promised Day is Come, scared, lost and hopeless.<br />
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They are becoming more aware of the warnings in those opening lines:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The time for the destruction of the world and its people,” Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic pen has proclaimed, “hath arrived.” “The hour is approaching,” He specifically affirms, “when the most great convulsion will have appeared.” “The promised day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: ‘Taste ye what your hands have wrought!’” “Soon shall the blasts of His chastisement beat upon you, and the dust of hell enshroud you.” And again: “And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake.”</blockquote>
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But it is the closing lines to which we, the followers of the Most Great Name, must keep our focus:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Not ours, puny mortals that we are, to attempt, at so critical a stage in the long and checkered history of mankind, to arrive at a precise and satisfactory understanding of the steps which must successively lead a bleeding humanity, wretchedly oblivious of its God, and careless of Bahá’u’lláh, from its calvary to its ultimate resurrection. Not ours, the living witnesses of the all-subduing potency of His Faith, to question, for a moment, and however dark the misery that enshrouds the world, the ability of Bahá’u’lláh to forge, with the hammer of His Will, and through the fire of tribulation, upon the anvil of this travailing age, and in the particular shape His mind has envisioned, these scattered and mutually destructive fragments into which a perverse world has fallen, into one single unit, solid and indivisible, able to execute His design for the children of men.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ours rather the duty, however confused the scene, however dismal the present outlook, however circumscribed the resources we dispose of, to labor serenely, confidently, and unremittingly to lend our share of assistance, in whichever way circumstances may enable us, to the operation of the forces which, as marshaled and directed by Bahá’u’lláh, are leading humanity out of the valley of misery and shame to the loftiest summits of power and glory.</blockquote>
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We may not know what is coming in the next few months or years, but we know where it is going. And we have the guidance of the World Centre to help us keep to the path that will get us there.<br />
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Today, it is a minor pandemic, with a relatively low mortality rate, but we can already see countries coming together in unity and compassion to help each other out. What, we may wonder, will the next trials bring?Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-73698775366559480472020-03-09T13:43:00.000-07:002020-03-09T13:43:26.872-07:00The Artistic Dimension"All art", said 'Abdu'l-Baha, quoted in The Chosen Highway, "is a gift of the Holy Spirit." And like all gifts, it should not be squandered, but used and treasured.<br />
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Sometimes, to our surprise, the arts transcend what we think of as the norm, and not just in the way they are presented. Sometimes the very message goes far beyond what we, perhaps as the artist, ever dreamed.<br />
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There is a beautiful story in The Dawn-Breakers of Mulla Husayn visiting the Bab in the prison of Mah-Ku. They were looking over the river Araxes, when the Bab said, "That is the river, and this is the bank thereof, of which the poet Hafiz has thus written: `O zephyr, shouldst thou pass by the banks of the Araxes, implant a kiss on the earth of that valley and make fragrant thy breath. Hail, a thousand times hail, to thee, O abode of Salma! How dear is the voice of thy camel-drivers, how sweet the jingling of thy bells!' <span style="background-color: white;">The days of your stay in this country are approaching their end. But for the shortness of your stay, we would have shown you the `abode of Salma,' even as we have revealed to your eyes the `banks of the Araxes.'"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Nearby the prison was another town called Salmas, which was the reference in the poem.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Continuing on, the Bab further remarked, "</span><span style="background-color: white;">It is the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit that causes words such as these to stream from the tongue of poets, the significance of which they themselves are oftentimes unable to apprehend. The following verse is also divinely inspired: `Shiraz will be thrown into a tumult; a Youth of sugar-tongue will appear. I fear lest the breath of His mouth should agitate and upset Baghdad.' The mystery enshrined within this verse is now concealed; it will be revealed in the year after Hin." This, of course, is a reference to Baha'u'llah, and His time in Baghdad.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">As an artist and a writer, I find this idea that the artist is unaware of the significance of what they are doing intriguing. But that is part of the beauty of being open to the worlds of the spirit.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> "Treasures lie hidden beneath the throne </span><span style="background-color: white;">of God; the key to those treasures is the tongue of poets."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Another beautiful example many of us are familiar with is that marvelous song, Battle Hymn of the Republic. Julia Ward Howe heard the tune as part of a regimental military review. It was suggested to her by Reverend James Freeman Clarke that she write new lyrics for the piece. I can only imagine what the old lyrics were, but I suspect they were less than appropriate. That night, 18 November 1861, while Baha'u'llah was in Baghdad, she had the following experience, which she described later:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I went to bed that night as usual, and slept, according to my wont, quite soundly. I awoke in the gray of the morning twilight; and as I lay waiting for the dawn, the long lines of the desired poem began to twine themselves in my mind. Having thought out all the stanzas, I said to myself, "I must get up and write these verses down, lest I fall asleep again and forget them." So, with a sudden effort, I sprang out of bed, and found in the dimness an old stump of a pencil which I remembered to have used the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the paper.</blockquote>
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How often have we heard of artists who, upon suddenly having a vision, rush to put down what they have seen, only to look back in wonder at the profundity of it.<br />
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Here are some of the words she wrote down that wondrous morning:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;<br />He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;<br />He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:<br />His truth is marching on.<br />(Chorus)<br />Glory, Glory, hallelujah!<br />Glory, glory, hallelujah!<br />Glory, glory, hallelujah!<br />His truth is marching on.</blockquote>
Over and over we read of such incredible happenings, such profound, and yet unrecognized, insights into the spiritual realm. It reminds me of those words at the end of the Book of Daniel where the prophet wrote down all these beautiful visions, but had no clue what they were about. "Go thy way, Daniel", said the Lord, "for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."<br />
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So why, you may be wondering, am I writing about this today? What triggered this article?<br />
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I'm glad you asked.<br />
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For those of you who don't know, mathematics is one of my first loves. My father used to say that I could count before I could speak. I probably would have been a maths teacher if it were possible to teach in the current educational systems in North America, but that's another issue altogether.<br />
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Anyways, one of the books that has long fascinated me is Flatland, by Edwin Abbott. I've known about it for a long time. I also loved the explanation Carl Sagan gave of it in the original Cosmos series. But the other day, as I was talking with my son, I realized that I'd never read it myself. So I went to the library and got a copy.<br />
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The story, as you probably know, is about a square in a two-dimensional world. His name, astonishingly enough, is Square. Since the whole world is just 2-d, everyone in it is also 2-d. You have the lines, the various triangles, the squares, and on and on up to the highest of classes, the circles. He gives a marvelous description of the society, even though it is quite sexist by today's standards, and a detailed analysis of how they all see each other and interact.<br />
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One night, Square has a dream in which he is talking to someone in Lineland, a one-dimensional world. He tries to describe width to these people who can only experience length, and, of course, they just don't get it. In fact, they get angry with him for talking such nonsense.<br />
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When he wakes up, he thinks about this experience a lot, and is still puzzling over it that evening, when they are getting ready to celebrate the new millennium. The book, written in 1884, is set in the year 1999.<br />
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At the end of the day, as he's getting ready to head off to bed, he is visited by a stranger, a circle that miraculously appears and then gets bigger and bigger. It turns out that he is being visited by Sphere, a mysterious creature from the third dimension.<br />
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Now he finds himself in the same position that the people in Lineland were in when he visited them in his dream.<br />
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A conversation ensues, and by this point, I am beginning to see this entire book as a metaphor for Baha'u'llah visiting this world.<br />
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But when I turn the page, as Square is angry with Sphere for spouting such nonsense, and even goes to attack him, I read something that stops me in my tracks. I read it again, and then I go find my wife to read it to her.<br />
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Sphere, wondering how to convey the truth to Square, says, "I had hoped to find in you - as being a man of sense and an accomplished mathematician - a fit apostle for the Gospel of the Three Dimensions, which I am allowed to preach once only in a thousand years: but now I know not how to convince you. Stay, I have it. Deeds, and not words, shall proclaim the truth."<br />
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From that point forward, I was fairly convinced that Abbott had been inspired by someone in that Concourse on High to write this book.<br />
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Sphere goes on to talk about how he can see, not only the outlines of the people as Square can, but into the very hearts of the people, too. He can reach into seemingly locked boxes and remove their contents, as if it were a miracle. He even lifts Square off the page, allowing him to get a glimpse of this miraculous new perspective, that of three dimensionality.<br />
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By looking down, from this new vantage, Square is momentarily able to see his whole planet from above, instead of from the side. He, too, can see inside what were previously viewed as borders. He, too, would be able to life things up and out of sealed areas, if he were to stay there.<br />
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But, alas, he doesn't. He has to go back to his own 2-dimensional plane and try to share what he has learned with others.<br />
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So what happens? Well, as you can guess, he is not believed, arrested, and put into prison for life, knowing this greater truth, but only able to share it with those that are truly pure in heart and open to radical new concepts.<br />
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Shoghi Effendi, in numerous Pilgrim notes, encouraged us to read a variety of literature, both fiction and non-fiction, spiritual and secular. He said that it would help us get a broader and more comprehensive view of the Writings and how they apply to the world.<br />
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I knew for years that I had wanted to read Flatland, but I never dreamed that it would give me that significant a new perspective on the world. You never know which artist has been inspired by the light cast by Baha'u'llah, to what degree, and how their perspective will add to your own.<br />
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"The light which these souls (the Prophets and Messengers of God) radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its people. They are like unto the leaven which leaveneth the world of being and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest." Baha'u'llah - Gleanings, page 157Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-32031682468380743502019-12-26T10:32:00.003-08:002019-12-26T12:31:06.540-08:00RepresentationI have been thinking about the Conference of Badasht for some time now.<br />
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It's interesting. I mean, this seems like a strange connection, but 'Abdu'l-Baha, in The Secret of Divine Civilization, says that "The primary purpose, the basic objective, in laying down powerful laws and setting up great principles and institutions dealing with every aspect of civilization, is human happiness..." And the Conference of Badasht, although ostensibly organized to discuss how to rescue the Bab from His imprisonment, was actually there to make a complete break from Islam. Every day, as you probably know, discussed some new law of the Bab's and put it into effect.<br />
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Present at the conference were 81 Babis, including Baha'u'llah, Quddus, and Tahirih. In a sense, this conference also allowed the friends to explore the apparent dichotomy that was occurring within the community, namely the one between those who wanted to remain Muslim in character, and those who wanted to break from Islam. Quddus, in effect, represented those Babis who wanted to continue to follow the laws of Islam and maintain a definitely conservative attitude within the Babi faith, while Tahirih represented those who seemed to want to separate completely. In many ways, it was similar to those early Christians who wanted to keep the laws of Judaism, and those who wanted a complete break.<br />
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Baha'u'llah, of course, was the moderator of it all, and at the end of each day showed how the two sides could be reconciled.<br />
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Ok. Now what about "happiness"?<br />
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It has occurred to me that while these two philosophical sides were represented, there was more representation going on that just that.<br />
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Tahirih, the only woman present, in effect represented fully 51% of the human race: the women. Out of 81 people, she was the only female there, thus representing all the women on this planet.<br />
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As you probably know, the station of women at that time, and still today in some areas, was considered far below that of men. The ostensible reason for this was the interpretation of religious ideas. Here, at this conference, they were discussing these various ideas and moving them from a staid and dusty past into a vibrant future. And the "primary purpose, the basic objective" of all this was, in the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, "human happiness."<br />
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Tahirih, that heroine of Qazvin, was the only one there who was representing the happiness of women.<br />
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Today, a century and a half removed from that historic event, we generally only think of one thing when we consider that conference. We don't know anything about the discussions of the various laws. We don't know any of the arguments. We don't know any of the resolutions that occurred at the end of each day.<br />
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All we really know revolves around a singular act.<br />
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We know that Baha'u'llah was ill, and was in His tent talking with Quddus, while others gathered around them. We know that Tahirih summoned Quddus, who refused to go to her. She summoned him again, and again he refused. The messenger said that he was determined to have Quddus join him, and if he didn't, Quddus would need to take his life, for he was not leaving without Quddus. To the surprise of some, Quddus drew his sword and looked ready to comply.<br />
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It was at that moment, when Quddus was holding his sword, looking angry enough to kill this man, with many stunned witnesses looking on, that Tahirih entered the tent. Without her veil.<br />
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We can all picture this scene. We have heard it told numerous times, and probably seen many renderings of it, as imagined by various artists over the years. We know of the confusion, the anger, the panic. We know of the man who cut his throat, because he had seen her face unveiled. We can imagine the frantic scene of turbulent rage, as this one man's blood sprayed around. It is a scene of horrified, spiritual panic.<br />
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Amidst this all, though, we envision the serene countenance of Tahirih, announcing the arrival of gender equality at this point in human history.<br />
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Imagine this. Out of weeks of intense theological discussion, with such incredible perspectives by Baha'u'llah, Quddus, and Tahirih, all we remember is this one moment.<br />
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The reaction to it is also quintessential. The masculine response was classic. Historic. It was what we would expect. It was, in essence, the epitome of what we consider masculinity.<br />
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But, again, as 'Abdu'l-Baha has said, "The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with the feminine ideals, or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced."<br />
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It is only natural that this defining moment would exemplify this observant quote so well. In an age when men so dominated the scene, a singular woman, who was representing more than half the human race, who was helping shift the entire direction of all of civilization, would define the only moment we would remember.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-25730042805837178982019-07-04T19:35:00.002-07:002019-07-04T19:35:52.746-07:00A True Teacher"Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by man to Almighty God is the education and training of children...", writes 'Abdu'l-Baha. "It is, however, very difficult to undertake this service, even harder to succeed in it."<br />
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What, I have often wondered, makes a good teacher? And why is it so difficult? I have taught children's classes and have experienced many ups and downs, joys and heartaches. It has been the most rewarding of all things, and at times the most painful of all things.<br />
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And you know what, dear Reader? I wouldn't miss it for anything. The greater the pain, they say, the greater the joy. The joy of teaching children is one of the greatest joys imaginable.<br />
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So what is it that I have learned?<br />
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Well, let me give you a story by way of example.<br />
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There was once a teacher by the name of Shaykh Abid. He was a gentle soul, learned and wise.<br />
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One day, a man enrolled his 6-year old nephew in Shaykh Abid's school. During one of the lessons, the students were asked to recite the opening words of the Qur'an. Now, you have to understand, this is not just some simple lesson like reading a few words off the page. These children spoke Persian, and the Qur'an is written in Arabic. While they could sound out the words, they probably had little or no idea what they meant. But like good Muslim children, they were expected to merely recite the sounds of the words.<br />
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This child, this 6-year old child, said that he would not recite them unless he was told what they meant.<br />
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Shaykh Abid, for some reason, pretended that he didn't know. It's possible that he was just tired and didn't want to explain, or perhaps he wanted to set an example for the children. He told the young boy that he himself didn't know what they meant, and so he may have been demonstrating that it was ok to recite them even if you didn't know their meaning.<br />
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Either way, whatever the reason, something special happened that day.<br />
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The young child said to his teacher, "I know what these words signify, by your leave, I will explain them." And so he did.<br />
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Shaykh Abid later recalled the incident, saying, "He spoke with such knowledge and fluency that I was struck with amazement. He expounded the meaning of ` Allah,' of ` Rahman,' and ` Rahim,' in terms such as I had neither read nor heard. The sweetness of His utterance still lingers in my memory."<br />
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This young child, as you probably know, was the Bab.<br />
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So what, you may wonder, is the lesson here for us today?<br />
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To me, it is a beautiful story showing us the wondrous gifts we open ourselves up to when we show humility as a teacher.<br />
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It would have been so easy for Shaykh Abid to recite the words in Arabic, and then add, "And they mean 'In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate'." So easy. So quick.<br />
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But he didn't.<br />
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When he declined telling the students what these words meant, for whatever reason, he opened the door for this student to do so. He could have told this student to be quiet and sit down, but he didn't. Like a good teacher, he encouraged this young Man. "Ok," I can hear him say, "let's hear what you think they mean."<br />
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By allowing the Bab to speak, even though He was only 6 years old, he demonstrated a humility that is worthy of any good teacher.<br />
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In return, he was given a priceless gift.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-82670310683961439662019-06-05T09:23:00.003-07:002019-06-05T09:23:53.482-07:00The Journey of PrayersThe desert was, no doubt, hot and dry. And yet, it had to be crossed.<br />
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The Bab was on His way to Mecca with His beloved disciple, Quddus, and His servant, Mubarak. They were going to fulfill all the rites of Pilgrimage.<br />
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As with any journey across the desert at that time, they would start early in the morning, before the sun was even up, and then rest during the pounding heat of the day. Of course, throughout the day, they would also say their prayers, for the Bab truly understood the importance of prayer.<br />
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It was during this journey that the Bab revealed many beautiful prayers and writings, almost all of them transcribed by Quddus. Many of these were stored in a saddlebag that was likely carried at the side of the camel that He rode.<br />
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But one morning, as they were all saying their prayers, a man crept up quietly upon them and ran off with the saddlebag that had been left there.<br />
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Mubarak started to run after him, but the Bab quietly waved him back without interrupting His prayers.<br />
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Later, after the prayers had been said, the Bab told him that this was a great bounty, for this man would carry His writings deep into the desert, to places and people that would never receive them otherwise. "Grieve not, therefore, at his action," He said, "for this was decreed by God, the Ordainer, the Almighty."<br />
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There are many times in our life when things happen that we initially think are a catastrophe. It is as Baha'u'llah says, "Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God". Or like the story in the Valley of Knowledge, where the lover is chased by the night watchmen and only in the end, when he is united with his lover, praises them.<br />
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There are so many times when we can lament what occurs to us, but in retrospect see the great bounties that accrued because of those tests and trials.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1734645058271734681.post-17141015844866714672019-06-04T09:24:00.000-07:002019-06-04T16:05:52.788-07:00A White Bird'Abdu'l-Karim was a very interesting person.<br />
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He lived in Persia in the middle of the 19th century, and was passionate about his study of religion. He knew that if he wanted to know more about God and His Messengers, he would need to study for years and years. And so he did.<br />
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At this point I could talk about the great teachers he studied under, or the places he traveled in his search for more knowledge, but really, I can't. He didn't. Well, he did, but not quite as we would imagine.<br />
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He read a lot, and talked with many people about his passion, usually late into the night, but he only studied formally for a couple of years.<br />
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At the end of those few years, his teachers proclaimed him a mujtahid, a teacher of the Qur'an. As you can imagine, this was very sudden, for it normally took a lot longer than that to receive such an acclamation.<br />
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His family was thrilled, and wanted to celebrate this great achievement, but he asked them to wait, for he did not feel ready. He knew the wisdom that the mujtahids were expected to have, and he did not feel worthy. He knew that they were to have great insights into the wonders of the Book of God, and he did not feel that he had anything like that. He knew, deep in his heart, that he was not yet ready to receive such a title.<br />
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And so he did what he knew anyone should do when facing such questions like that in their heart: he prayed. He prayed for many hours, long into the night, and during that time he was given a vision. He saw a great man speaking to a large throng of people, giving them all wise counsel. When he turned to this man and began to walk towards him, he awoke.<br />
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Upon enquiry the next day, he learned that the man in his vision was Siyyid Kazim, in Karbila.<br />
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From there, as you can guess, he sought him out and became one of Siyyid Kazim's students. He studied with him in Karbila for some time, learned of the imminent appearance of the Promised One, and then returned to his home in Persia.<br />
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It was during this time, while he was back home, praying every night for guidance, that he received a second vision.<br />
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He saw a bird, pure as the snow, flying above his head. This bird landed on a tree near him and, in a beautiful, gentle voice, asked, "Are you seeking the Manifestation, O 'Abdu'l-Karim? Lo, the year sixty."<br />
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This vision thrilled him, and filled him with great joy, for the year sixty was only a few years away.<br />
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Over the following months, this vision continually filled his mind, and thrilled his heart.<br />
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Finally, a few years later, in the year 1260, he heard of the message of the Bab and hastened to Shiraz to meet Him. When the Bab saw him, He said, "Are you seeking the Manifestation, O 'Abdu'l-Karim?" And the voice, just in case there was any doubt, was that same sweet voice of the bird.<br />
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* * * * *<br />
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I love this story, not only for its simple fulfillment of promise, but for the humility of its main character.<br />
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'Abdu'l-Karim was, by any reckoning, a prodigy. He could easily have been full of himself, haughty with his own learning, proud of his accomplishments. He would, no doubt, have gathered a large following for himself, and become quite famous in his time.<br />
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But he was too honest for that.<br />
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He knew that he had not yet risen to his own standard of worth. He was aware of how little he knew, in comparison to what he felt he should know. He knew that the praise of his contemporaries was worth nothing if he did not feel worthy of that praise. More importantly, he knew that this praise should never sway his own opinion of himself.<br />
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This is such an important lesson for all of us.<br />
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When we are told to "know thyself", it is a very important statement to follow. We not only need to know ourselves, but we need to be honest with that knowledge, too. 'Abdu'l-Karim knew of his passion for religion, but was aware enough to know that he had not yet fulfilled his own personal expectations.<br />
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As we embark on our own quest for truth, there are those around us who may praise us for our wisdom or understanding, but only we will know how far we actually have to go.<br />
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And if we follow 'Abdu'l-Karim's example, and not allow the opinion of others to sway us, we may, just like him, discover treasures far greater than we ever imagined.Meadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02046847133963919765noreply@blogger.com1