The Tea House sessions are a great way to explore the Baha’i teachings as we use short presentations and follow up discussion to illuminate various aspects of its teachings. We try to make them as accessible as possible to the general public. They are recorded and made available on youtube and the sifterofdust podcast, available through the major podcast outlets.
All previous sessions are listed below with a set of introductory videos listed first.
Previous Introductory Tea House Videos
If you are new to the Baha’i Faith, you may find it helpful to view the following videos that were specifically made to help folks get oriented to the people and writings referenced in our discussions:
The Oneness of Religion is the idea that all the great religions of humankind are revealed to humanity progressively as we develop. This is the fundamental theological idea of the Baha’i Faith and the prism through which we can understand the claims of Baha’u’llah. We introduced these ideas in the presentation “The Oneness of Religion” and then followed up with more discussion in the “Oneness of Religion-Part 2”.
Baha’u’llah claimed to be a Messenger of God and produced a most remarkable set of Writings that represent sacred scripture for all humankind. We did an introduction to the Writings of Baha’u’llah but had some technical difficulties post-production and will be re-taping that shortly.
‘Abdu’l-Baha’ presented Baha’u’llah’s teachings to a variety of audiences and is worth everyone’s time and attention to get to know, as his writings are the clearest expressions of the meaning and significance of all religion. We introduced his writings in this video- “Introduction to the Writings of “Abdu’l-Baha'”
Shoghi Effendi led the Baha’i community after the time of “Abdu’l-Baha’ and helped explain the significance of Baha’u’llah’s teachings through many books and letters. His time of leadership was followed by the election of the Universal House of Justice, the permanent head of the Baha’i Faith. We introduced both of their major works in the video “Introduction to the Writings of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice”.
Previous Discussions
“Releasing Human Potential”
In its truest form, religion is intended to release human potential and bring unity to the human family. In the last Tea House discussion, Suzan and David Gould explored what form of education will enable each and all of the human family to realize their potential- “as mines rich in gems of inestimable value”- and how such a process contributes to the advancement of communities and our world.
“Raising a Family to Bring Peace”
In this Tea House discussion, Monette Van Lith led a discussion on how we can make our families the building blocks of a just and peaceful society. The family unit, the nucleus of human society, provides an environment within which essential capacities and world-embracing principles can be taught and nurtured. In her presentation and discussion, Monette explored some of the Baha’i Teachings on spiritual principles, as well as the habits and patterns of conduct that can contribute to building a just society.
“The Interconnected Elements of Social Change”
Change and improvement in any living system is something that occurs in an organic way, reflecting the interconnectedness of all things. Real change occurs at many levels and is reflected in a transformation of an individual and society. In this Tea House discussion, Dr Chitra Golestani-Maghzi discussed how societal change is a reflection of an organic change in our values and attitudes.
“Consultation- A Tool for Creative Problem Solving”
Consultation is one of the most important teachings of the Baha’i Faith and a source of light for the whole world. Baha’u’llah emphasized its importance by saying- “No power can exist except through unity. No welfare and no well-being can be attained except through consultation”. In this Tea House discussion, Karen Eshraghi presented the basic elements of consultation followed by discussion highlighting people’s experience.
“The Independent Investigation of Truth”
A core principle teaching of the Baha’i Faith is that everyone has the ability and indeed the obligation to explore truth with an open mind and heart. Only then can we find all the knowledge and truth that God has bestowed upon us as a species. In this discussion, Mr Mark Jolly brought his experience as a journalist and truth seeker to lead a discussion on this topic.
“What is spiritual growth?”
What does it mean to grow spiritually? And how does it differ from other forms of personal growth and societal development. In this discussion, we tackle this important and universal question. (March 2021)
“The Spiritual Path”
All the great religions outline a spiritual path that they then illuminate through their teachings. Those religions inspire us to move along that path by enriching our understanding about the nature of ourselves and the virtues and gems that can be found within us. In this Tea House session, Peter Guylay joined us from Australia to discuss this important theme. Peter is an author, teacher, and novelist, whose book “Walking the Mystical Path with Practical Feet” may be found on Amazon. (February 2021)
“God, Math, and Pythagoras”
Early mathematicians like Pythagoras were fascinated with the mystery of numbers and believed that they were the basis of the world, revering them with an almost mystical significance. As we have learned more about the world, the truths of this idea has become more prominent. In this Tea House session, Vahid Houston Ranjbar presented on how the nature of the world can best be understood, not as material objects, but the relations between things, relations that are themselves eternal. We then discussed some of the implications of this idea in light of the Baha’i teachings. (February 2021)