Whether you are a Facebook user or not, you can sign a petition to encourage Facebook to remove the group at this link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/clean-up-facebook

Instead of using our prayers for such hateful purposes that cause division between us, we could instead prayer for the unity of mankind.

The purpose of the creation of man is the attainment of the supreme virtues of humanity through descent of the heavenly bestowals. The purpose of man’s creation is, therefore, unity and harmony, not discord and separateness.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 4

So calm, and serene is the main gathering hall which is also shown on this website.  I long for the peacefulness that I felt there, and seeing these pictures brings me about as close as I can to actually returning.

http://www.p4panorama.com/panos/lotustemple/index.html

After we had finished nourishing our bodies, we moved to an intimate corner in order to nourish our souls. Moving around the circle, most everyone contributed a prayer, or read from the sacred writings. Much of what was read dealt with uniting mankind and the advancement of humanity. This set the mood for what was to follow…

In an effort to find more ways to strengthen the community, an open meeting was held to discuss ways in which to make the community more social and gregarious. Movie nights, a café, music concerts, and book clubs focusing on non-Baha’i books were all discussed. Furthermore, action was made that day by agreeing on principal contacts for a variety of approaches, and giving them the go-ahead to start making plans and even holding their first events. Although primarily designed to increase socializing amongst the Bahá’ís, people from outside of the community would always be welcome.

I really liked this approach to meeting, and then to addressing a need within the community. Although at any Bahá’í gathering, everyone attendance is entitled and encouraged to speak and to provide opinions, what made this special was that an action was decided upon that very day. There was no need to take the discussion to another authority, or to decide on how the building could be used. The proper authorizations had already been made and each group was able to plan, schedule and carry out their event as they saw best.

The meeting finished just in time to attend the usual devotions with the announcement that the meetings would continue every two weeks to help refine this initiative. Those not attending the devotions had the opportunity to begin cleaning the building. With more than three whole floors of meeting rooms, auditoriums, classrooms, libraries, etc., there was plenty to do to make the entire building a more orderly, inviting and comfortable place to socialize and, was the first community building event for the participants.

I have always enjoyed being a part of this community (although I am now just an occasional visitor), because of their interest not just growing the group, but making it stronger, by making it closer. Their initiative to make new events, and to try new approaches is an inspiration and I am always interested to hear what is happening and to be a part of it when I can.

We began with everyone mentioning what they thought of as silence, whether it be positive or negative and the different ways that silence is used, i.e. the “silent treatment” of punishment, and also the positive quality regarded by teachers of young children. following this introspection we went into our own silent phase and all remained silent (not just refraining from talking, but without making any noise at all), as we read quotes projected onto the wall. following the quotes, we spent 10 minutes in silent meditation with only some soothing instrumental music to accompany us.

Afterwards, we launched into a discussion of the quotes, and the experience of having to be silent. From de Gaulle’s comment that “silence is the ultimate weapon of power” with Lao-Tzu saying that “silence is a source of great strength”. we moved into Wiesel’s refusal to ever remain silent when people are suffering because “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Mother Teresa told us that “we need silence to be able to touch souls.” Naturally there was Depeche Mode and Simon & Garfunkel thrown in for good measure.

Personally, I find those times of silence to be the most introspective. I recall times that the silence was deafening because it was so real, so crisp, and so alive. The difference between silence being considered the absence of sound and considering it to be the presence of something else entirely, something which we cannot comprehend was also brought up. Gandhi, Buddha and Baha’u'llah told us of the importance of being silent in order to meditate, and contemplate the mysteries of this world. I hope that we were able to do some of that this week.

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness.

~ Ghandi

From meditation springs wisdom. From lack of meditation, loss of wisdom.

~ Buddha

Bahá’u'lláh says there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is impossible for a man to do two things at one time — he cannot both speak and meditate.

~ Baha’u'llah

After viewing this video with them, I had an 8 year girl, a 11 year old boy and their mother ask me about Anna’s Presentation and wanted me to give more details. It was Vilisi’s presentation that opened the door to the conversation and she is truly “a brilliant lamp and a shining star.” Thank you Vilisi (and thank you Elham for sending me the link).

We started with the three questions:

1. What is innocence?, What is it not?
2. Are we born innocent?
3. Can we become/stay innocent?, How?

This progressed nicely, and the discussion centered around how we define innocence and what it is that takes it away from us. We eventually moved on to the concept of ‘Original Sin‘ and the idea that we are all born not only with the desire to do things that would be an affront to God, but that we carry with us the burden of all of the sin that was committed before we were alive. That would hardly make us innocent. However, Christians believe that Jesus dies for our sins, which does raise the concern over whether or not we need to be careful about not sinning, or if it is okay because we will be forgiven anyway.

In the end, we came around to look at how we have allowed our differences such as whether or not a baby is born carrying the sins of his ancestors all the way back to Adam & Eve, who a piece of land belongs to, or who has the right to wear a scarf on her head and where she is allowed to do so. These are all differences created by man and may represent the true lack of innocence. However, all we truly need to do to receive God’s love is to love Him back.

The earth has one surface. God has not divided this surface by boundaries and barriers to separate races and peoples. Man has set up and established these imaginary lines, giving to each restricted area a name and the limitation of a native land or nationhood. By this division and separation into groups and branches of mankind, prejudice is engendered which becomes a fruitful source of war and strife. Impelled by this prejudice, races and nations declare war against each other; the blood of the innocent is poured out, and the earth torn by violence. Therefore, it has been decreed by God in this day that these prejudices and differences shall be laid aside.

Abdu’l-Baha : The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 316

Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

Baha’u'llah : The Persian Hidden Words #5

This program is recommended for anyone wanting to do interfaith research and or just wanting to explore the sacred (and many additional) texts from some of the world’s major religions.

Interfaith Explorer is available at: http://www.bahairesearch.com/

I related my first encounter with the Faith, which happened to be Haifa, Israel at the Shrine of the Báb. I liked what I learned about the Faith that day, but I was not ready to become a Baha’i yet. Likewise, I recall telling someone in Guatemala about the Faith once. She was not interested in becoming a Baha’i, but appreciated knowing that the Faith existed and that there were Baha’is in her country.

As we move into teaching opportunities, although we have been advised to work towards the direct teaching of the Faith, it is also important to remember that sometimes all we need to do is be good examples of the teachings of Baha’u'llah and let people know what we believe.

I got this idea from listening to the song, Spiritual Warriors by Dawnbreaker Collective.

I was very glad to see that Donna Lieberman of the NYCLU reminded us that although Westboro’s right to protest is protected under the First Amendment, they do not have the right to intimidate, threaten and harass and schoolchildren.  Even better, though, was the response from those schoolchildren who turned out in droves to peacefully, confront the group with signs of love.  By protesting the hate that was being spread, they won.

The Baha’i Faith teaches us to respect each other and to love each other whether we have differences or not, and whether we believe the same things or not.  We are forbidden from proselytizing the Faith and understand that people form their own judgments about people, about other religions, about homosexuality, and anything else in life through observation and direct interaction.  No amount of protesting, or slogans will convince someone and only serves to convolute the message.  We, as Baha’is, protest hate, and promote love and unity.

Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness, that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Baha, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Will and Testament, p. 14

Links

• http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/38/32_38_gk_beth_elohim_protest.html
• http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/students-turn-out-and-westboro-leaves/?scp=3&sq=westboro%20baptist&st=cse

O SON OF BEING!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #55

I recently used this quote in some devotions that I hosted focused on the topic of fire.  In particular with this quote, we contemplated using fire to test the purity of gold and in turn using gold as a temptation to test the loyalty and honesty of servants.  Upon further viewing of this passage I noticed something I missed the first time around though – the way that ‘We’ begins with a capital letter signifying that perhaps it is referring to God and and us alike.  Could humanity be like the gold that God is referring to being tested by the fires of hard experiences in our lives, while also being the servants of God and tested by the trappings of materialism?  Detachment is often associated with this quote and can be seen in the beginning words where we urged not to pay too much attention to the mundane things of this world, but to focus on the spiritual world.

Photo credit: Baha’i Media Bank: Award-winning fire dancer, Hogan Toomalatai, performing at the Baha’i jubilee festivities in Samoa.

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation. Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universe can be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorify His holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity.

~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 61

The principles of the Teachings of Bahá’u'lláh should be carefully studied, one by one, until they are realized and understood by mind and heart

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 22

I LOVE this quote.  There is something very special to me about the way that we are encouraged to slow down and focus on the meaning of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings—not to rush through, but to reflect.  However, there is encouragement that we can actually understood them by mind and heart by doing so.

"Each human creature has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God."

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 76

and

Thus every individual must bear his own responsibility, rather than someone else bearing it for him."

~ The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 90

Through the process, I was reminded of the way that just as God is responsible to us, we are responsible to Him.  I had been slacking on my daily posting to this blog, but I am hoping to renew my fervor for that activity now.  Through many of the activities that I do, whether teaching classes, writing a blog, or coming up with new and interesting ways to have devotions, I feel they are all part of the creative plan that God has for me, and it is my responsibility to carry out that portion of His plan, because nobody else will do it for me.

Even though we are a few days past the Martyrdom of the Bab, I still wanted to share this video of beautiful images of the Holy Land.  Behind them is a beautiful song by Grant HIndin MIller who sings about some of the leadership of the Baha’i Faith.

O SON OF SPIRIT!
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #22

We spend so much time and energy doing things that degrade our position in this world.  Instead, we should funnel those efforts into the service of God—the purpose for which we were created.

Nonviolence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute.

The spirit lies dormant in the brute, and he knows no law but that of physical might.

The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law—to the strength of the spirit.

~ Mahatma Ghandi

Are we not more evolved with brutes that we can stop our violent ways?  Most of us live our lives in a quite sophisticated manner, yet it is during some unfortunate times of anger, frustration, and vengefulness that we lash out with some of our most primitive behaviors and attack one another.  I am not speaking so much of the wars between nations, but the simple act of violence against one another to defend one’s honor or as a form of punishment.  In order to be truly dignified though and claim ourselves to be of a higher order of creature that we must be strong in our spirit and understand that violence will do nothing but perpetuate more violence.