Month: March 2021

Spring is Here!

Published March 19, 2021 by admin

Tomorrow is the first day of spring! The vernal equinox. For many calendars, including for Baha’is, it is the beginning of the new year (known as “Naw Ruz” or “New Day”). It is also the end of the fasting period.

‘Abdu’l-Baha’ explained that, just as there are seasons in the physical world, there are also seasons in the spiritual and social world, when hearts become revived with new ideas and inspirations, and societies outwardly transform as part of the awakening of human consciousness. He told us that we are now living in one of those times.

Springtime is a time of renewal, or transition. It is the beginning of a new world, but also the end of an old one. The changes are beautiful, but they can also be painful. All around us, we can see evidence of both. As we weather through these changes, we can continue to draw on the insights and inspiration of the world’s great scriptures to remind us of spiritual truths, and to help us distinguish between what is transient and what is truly eternal!

At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere in the vegetable kingdom; the animal and human kingdoms are resuscitated and move forward with a new impulse. The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows.

Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that Reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens. It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth.

I beg of God that this divine spiritual civilization may have the fullest impression and effect upon you. May you become as growing plants. May the trees of your hearts bring forth new leaves and variegated blossoms. May ideal fruits appear from them in order that the world of humanity, which has grown and developed in material civilization, may be quickened in the bringing forth of spiritual ideals. Just as human intellects have revealed the secrets of matter and have brought forth from the realm of the invisible the mysteries of nature, may minds and spirits, likewise, come into the knowledge of the verities of God, and the realities of the Kingdom be made manifest in human hearts. Then the world will be the paradise of Abha, the standard of the Most Great Peace will be borne aloft, and the oneness of the world of humanity in all its beauty, glory and significance will become apparent.

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Blessed is the Spot

Blessed is the Spot

Published March 19, 2021 by admin

Blessed is the spot, and the house,
and the place, and the city,
and the heart, and the mountain,
and the refuge, and the cave,
and the valley, and the land,
and the sea, and the island,
and the meadow where mention
of God hath been made,
and His praise glorified.

-Baha’u’llah

Music by Paul Parrish, available at Ladderforyoursoul.com

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Kindness to Animals

Kindness to Animals

Published March 18, 2021 by admin

O YE beloved of the Lord! The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul…

Briefly, it is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature. For in all physical respects, and where the animal spirit is concerned, the selfsame feelings are shared by animal and man. Man hath not grasped this truth, however, and he believeth that physical sensations are confined to human beings, wherefore is he unjust to the animals, and cruel.

And yet in truth, what difference is there when it cometh to physical sensations? The feelings are one and the same, whether ye inflict pain on man or on beast. There is no difference here whatever. And indeed ye do worse to harm an animal, for man hath a language, he can lodge a complaint, he can cry out and moan; if injured he can have recourse to the authorities and these will protect him from his aggressor. But the hapless beast is mute, able neither to express its hurt nor take its case to the authorities. If a man inflict a thousand ills upon a beast, it can neither ward him off with speech nor hale him into court. Therefore is it essential that ye show forth the utmost consideration to the animal, and that ye be even kinder to him than to your fellow man.

Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and loving to animals. If an animal be sick, let the children try to heal it, if it be hungry, let them feed it, if thirsty, let them quench its thirst, if weary, let them see that it rests. (‘Abdu’l-Baha”)

Photo by Grant Durr on Unsplash

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Light on a Hill

Light on a Hill

Published March 18, 2021 by admin

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

-Jesus, from the Gospels

“Righteousness does not consist in whether you turn your faces towards the east or the west; what is righteous is to believe in God and the last day, and the angels, and the Book, and the messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain or suffering and adversity, and in times of war. Such as do so are people of truth. Such are the God-fearing.”

-Quran 2:177

Photo by Steven Hanna on Unsplash

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Drop of the Ocean

Drop of the Ocean

Published March 17, 2021 by admin

One of the beautiful ideas that is present in all the Revelations of God is that God is reflected in the entire universe. A famous passage of the Quran states “all things perish except His Face”. Baha’u’llah expresses this idea extensively in His revelation. It is very powerful and meaningful to see the Spirit of God reflected in nature-

“A drop of the billowing ocean of His endless mercy hath adorned all creation with the ornament of existence, and a breath wafted from His peerless Paradise hath invested all beings with the robe of His sanctity and glory. A sprinkling from the unfathomed deep of His sovereign and all-pervasive Will hath, out of utter nothingness, called into being a creation which is infinite in its range and deathless in its duration. The wonders of His bounty can never cease, and the stream of His merciful grace can never be arrested. The process of His creation hath had no beginning, and can have no end. (Baha’u’llah)”

Photo by Ant Rozetsky on Unsplash. Saint Petersburg, Russia

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The Lodestone

The Lodestone

Published March 17, 2021 by admin

Pictured above is a “lodestone”, on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Lodestones are naturally magnetized and attract other objects, as the small pieces of metal stuck to it illustrate. Within that context, we present to you the following passages of Baha’u’llah, followed by a song by Caity Bolton, sung in Swahilli. Enjoy!

“A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.

“Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with any one. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people…”

“Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

Many thanks to Baha’i Blog and Caity Bolton for her song. “Truthfulness if the foundation of all human virtues”, sung in Swahili.

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The Perspective from Inside the Apple

The Perspective from Inside the Apple

Published March 16, 2021 by admin

Baha’u’llah’s son ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ used many analogies to explain our relationship to God, like the profound idea expressed below-

And as we reflect, we observe that man is like unto a tiny organism contained within a fruit; this fruit hath developed out of the blossom, the blossom hath grown out of the tree, the tree is sustained by the sap, and the sap formed out of earth and water. How then can this tiny organism comprehend the nature of the garden, conceive of the gardener and comprehend his being? That is manifestly impossible. Should that organism understand and reflect, it would observe that this garden, this tree, this blossom, this fruit would in no wise have come to exist by themselves in such order and perfection. Similarly the wise and reflecting soul will know of a certainty that this infinite universe with all its grandeur and perfect order could not have come to exist by itself. (‘Abdu’l-Baha)

Quote from ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablet to Dr Forel, available at www.bahai.org/library. Photo by Timotheus Fröbel on Unsplash

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Humility

Humility

Published March 16, 2021 by admin

The word “humility” comes from the word “humus”, meaning earth. This post focuses on the quality of humility, one of the fruits of the love of God. The passages below are from the Writings of Baha’u’llah and the Gospels.

“They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy souls should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust will be thrilled by its influence. They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address to them such words as these: “I am to be preferred above you. For witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth—a wealth that supplieth the needs of all creation—behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men….” (Bahá’u’lláh)

“Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men. There can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance, and vainglory.” (Baha’u’llah)

“One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee…When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (The Gospel of Luke)

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (The Gospel of Luke)

Photo by Dylan de Jonge on Unsplash

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Unite the Hearts

Unite the Hearts

Published March 15, 2021 by admin

“O Lord! Unite and bind together the hearts, join in accord all the souls, and exhilarate the spirits through the signs of Thy sanctity and oneness. O Lord! Make these faces radiant through the light of Thy oneness. Strengthen the loins of Thy servants in the service of Thy kingdom.”

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Deeds not Words

Deeds not Words

Published March 15, 2021 by admin

This morning’s quotes continue along the path of how faith must be expressed in good deeds and actions. It must bear fruit, otherwise it “begins with words and ends with words“. Enjoy!

“Words must be followed by deeds; words without deeds are as bees that yield no honey, as trees that bear no fruit….” (Baha’u’llah)

“Although a person of good deeds is acceptable at the Threshold of the Almighty, yet it is first “to know,” and then “to do.” Although a blind man produceth a most wonderful and exquisite art, yet he is deprived of seeing it. Consider how most animals labor for man, draw loads and facilitate travel; yet, as they are ignorant, they receive no reward for this toil and labor. The cloud raineth, roses and hyacinths grow; the plain and meadow, the garden and trees become green and blossom; yet they do not realize the results and outcome of all these. The lamp is lighted, but as it hath not a conscious knowledge of itself, no one hath become glad because of it. Moreover, a soul of excellent deeds and good manners will undoubtedly advance from whatever horizon he beholdeth the lights radiating. Herein lies the difference: By faith is meant, first, conscious knowledge, and second, the practice of good deeds.“ (‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

O Son of Dust! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning. (Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah)

O Son of My Handmaid! Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now it is given by deeds. Every one must show forth deeds that are pure and holy, for words are the property of all alike, whereas such deeds as these belong only to Our loved ones. Strive then with heart and soul to distinguish yourselves by your deeds. In this wise We counsel you in this holy and resplendent tablet. (Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah)

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