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Saturday, June 25, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Prayer and fate - "...purpose of asking for healing is to be protected from a contingent fate"
You have asked why these people have died, despite reciting supplications and reading prayers of healing for them. Know that these prayers and supplications for healing affect a contingent fate, not a fixed, irrevocable fate. Fate is of two kinds: contingent and irrevocable. An irrevocable fate cannot change or alter. If every sick person someone prays for were healed, no one would leave the elemental form and ascend from this world to the next to progress there because each time someone became sick, supplications would be made and he would be healed. This contradicts the divine and consummate wisdom. Rather, the purpose of asking for healing is to be protected from a contingent fate and to be guarded from a destiny that is not irrevocable. For example, notice that this lamp has a known amount of oil and when it is completely consumed, it will certainly go out. There will be no change or alteration. However, benevolent prayers and asking for healing is the glass that protects the lamp from contrary winds so it is not extinguished by a contingent fate.
- `Abdu'l-Baha, excerpted in Muntakhabati az athar hazrat `Abdu'l-Baha, 3:20.
- `Abdu'l-Baha, excerpted in Muntakhabati az athar hazrat `Abdu'l-Baha, 3:20.
Source: http://www.kashkul.org/2010/09/12/why-some-prayers-for-healing-are-not-answered/
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
(Spanish) Becoming a pure channel - Ser un Canal Puro
From Juanita's inspirational newsletter.
| Transformándonos | ||||||||||||
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Collective effect of our prayers and activities undertaken for His love
(Excerpt from a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly, 10 May 2010):
We hope that the collective effect of our prayers and activities undertaken for His love in the name of our Iranian brothers and sisters may be accepted by the Blessed Beauty, and that He may hasten the emancipation of His lovers in the Cradle of the Faith.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary-General
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary-General
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Subject: Call for May 14 Prayer Gatherings on Second Anniversary of Imprisonment of Yárán
May 10, 2010
To the American Bahá'í community
Dearly loved Friends,
As we celebrate the magnificent victories won by the worldwide Bahá'í community this past Ridván, our hearts are ever with those dearly cherished friends, the seven Iranian Bahá'í leaders formerly known as the Yárán. Their continued steadfastness has, no doubt, released mighty spiritual forces into the world.
This Friday, May 14, 2010, will mark the second anniversary of the imprisonment of these seven believers on baseless charges, at least two of which carry the death penalty. Although three hearings have been held since January 2010, no evidence has been presented against the Yárán and the Bahá'í International Community continues to categorically deny all charges against them. No date has been set for their trial to resume.
Currently, the five men and two women are confined to two small cells in Tehran's Evin prison, without beds or bedding. They have neither fresh air nor sunlight in their cramped cells. They are permitted outside for only two hours each week, and their circumstances have, quite understandably, had a harmful effect on their health. Contact with their loved ones is limited to telephone communications lasting not more than 10 minutes each week. Only rarely have they been permitted to meet with their families in person. The vast majority of such visits are conducted behind a glass barrier, thus depriving them of the comforting embrace of their spouses and children.
The Universal House of Justice has called upon the Bahá'ís of the world to organize special prayer meetings around May 14 for "the indomitable followers of Bahá'u'lláh in Iran, indeed, for all the people in that blessed land who are similarly subject to oppression, that the Hand of Divine Providence may grant them relief from their long ordeal." We hope that the friends throughout the United States will arise to this call.
The friends should be assured that, guided by the Universal House of Justice, our National Spiritual Assembly and our sister National Spiritual Assemblies are working with governments, organizations of civil society, and the communications media to do everything possible to defend the Iranian Bahá'ís.
We hope that the collective effect of our prayers and activities undertaken for His love in the name of our Iranian brothers and sisters may be accepted by the Blessed Beauty, and that He may hasten the emancipation of His lovers in the Cradle of the Faith.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary-General
May 10, 2010
To the American Bahá'í community
Dearly loved Friends,
As we celebrate the magnificent victories won by the worldwide Bahá'í community this past Ridván, our hearts are ever with those dearly cherished friends, the seven Iranian Bahá'í leaders formerly known as the Yárán. Their continued steadfastness has, no doubt, released mighty spiritual forces into the world.
This Friday, May 14, 2010, will mark the second anniversary of the imprisonment of these seven believers on baseless charges, at least two of which carry the death penalty. Although three hearings have been held since January 2010, no evidence has been presented against the Yárán and the Bahá'í International Community continues to categorically deny all charges against them. No date has been set for their trial to resume.
Currently, the five men and two women are confined to two small cells in Tehran's Evin prison, without beds or bedding. They have neither fresh air nor sunlight in their cramped cells. They are permitted outside for only two hours each week, and their circumstances have, quite understandably, had a harmful effect on their health. Contact with their loved ones is limited to telephone communications lasting not more than 10 minutes each week. Only rarely have they been permitted to meet with their families in person. The vast majority of such visits are conducted behind a glass barrier, thus depriving them of the comforting embrace of their spouses and children.
The Universal House of Justice has called upon the Bahá'ís of the world to organize special prayer meetings around May 14 for "the indomitable followers of Bahá'u'lláh in Iran, indeed, for all the people in that blessed land who are similarly subject to oppression, that the Hand of Divine Providence may grant them relief from their long ordeal." We hope that the friends throughout the United States will arise to this call.
The friends should be assured that, guided by the Universal House of Justice, our National Spiritual Assembly and our sister National Spiritual Assemblies are working with governments, organizations of civil society, and the communications media to do everything possible to defend the Iranian Bahá'ís.
We hope that the collective effect of our prayers and activities undertaken for His love in the name of our Iranian brothers and sisters may be accepted by the Blessed Beauty, and that He may hasten the emancipation of His lovers in the Cradle of the Faith.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary-General
Monday, June 22, 2009
Development Paradigm as Process-Oriented in the Bahá'í Faith
The most important successes of Bahá'í development initiatives are qualitative in nature. With an emphasis on grassroots action and evolutionary growth, Bahá'í development projects complement the many other elements of Bahá'í community life. Development activities are an integral aspect of Bahá'í efforts to create a pattern of living that releases individual potential and simultaneously promotes the collective good. The systems of belief and administration underlying the Bahá'í program of community building uniquely integrate the moral and the practical, provide a unity of conception that allows for great flexibility of application, and above all arouse and maintain motivation.
Upraising the quality of life through the systematic application of Bahá'í principles is, in some sense, the very definition of Bahá'í development. There are six main development processes that form the basis of a pattern of action by Bahá'í communities around the world:
Typically constrained by the limited resources of the communities in which they operate, Bahá'í projects are primarily focused on exploring new models of social change that encourage individuals, communities and institutions to develop cooperative methods of participation and decision-making. Specific endeavors designed to improve human well-being flow directly from the application of these models.
 A Bahá'í kindergarten class in Uganda. The two year kindergarten program was established in 1957 and now has 140 students. |
- Organic Growth
In general, social and economic development activities best begin with a relatively simple set of actions at the grassroots. The desire for change must come directly from individuals and communities and cannot be imposed from the outside. As experience is gained from action, grassroots initiatives can naturally grow in complexity. A tutorial school, for example, can in principle become a center for activities such as health education, family counseling and reforestation, but in most cases, it will start simply as a school focusing all its resources on the children it proposes to serve. Although simple, well-defined projects have the greatest likelihood of success, to raise local action to a reasonable level of effectiveness may eventually require that development initiatives extend beyond the village level to regional and national levels. - Capacity Building
Development is not a product to be delivered by the "developed" to the "underdeveloped." Rather, it is a process in which individuals and communities in all parts of the world, regardless of the degree of their material prosperity, become the principal actors in defining, analyzing and solving their own problems. While concrete action in any project should be directed towards visible improvement of some aspect of life, the success of a development initiative is ultimately measured by its impact on the capacity of a community to address development issues at increasingly higher levels of complexity and effectiveness.A people's ability to participate fully in its own process of development entails a number of interrelated elements. Generating and sustaining an integrated set of social and economic activities relate directly to the development of specific capacities at the personal and group level. Certain key capacities include learning how to take initiative in a disciplined and imaginative manner; adopting methods of decision-making that are non-adversarial and inclusive in nature; thinking systematically in understanding problems and searching for solutions; replacing relationships based on dominance and competition with relationships based on reciprocity, collaboration, and service to others; encouraging recognition of the essential nobility of human beings; fostering rectitude of conduct at all levels of society; and developing the skills and commitment necessary to generate and apply technical knowledge.
- Learning
Learning to apply Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to individual and collective life is the centerpiece of Bahá'í social and economic development. This learning takes place at all levels and involves all the members of Bahá'í communities, whatever their capacities and experiences. It entails not only study, but a systematic and ongoing process of consultation, reflection, and action designed to bring about consistent patterns of change. Such a learning process can occur in a very simple manner at the village and local level, but with greater sophistication at the regional and national levels. In this regard, every Bahá'í development project, regardless of size, endeavors to become a center for learning concerned with promoting material, moral, and spiritual well-being. - Development of Human Resources
Intimately related to learning and building of capacity is the development of human resources. Training methods--which foster participation and an open attitude toward learning--principally involve individuals and groups at the grassroots, but can also include professionals and students from other regions and countries. In this way, a worldwide process of learning is encouraged. That development ideas and projects are not imposed from above, and that institutions should respond to the aspirations and initiatives of communities at the local level, are established characteristics of Bahá'í development. However, the application of these principles does not preclude the possibility of utilizing proven and well-conceived approaches to training developed at the national or international levels. Thus, project sites may be seen as locations where training is provided for an increasing number of individuals from all parts of the world and from all sectors of society. - Contributing to the Advancement of Society
The application of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh to social and economic development is part of a larger process of creating stability and prosperity in human affairs. Development activities offer opportunities for the Bahá'í community to become directly involved in the life of society. Bahá'í projects are thus designed to engage and benefit all the members of a community and not only Bahá'ís. Collaboration with organizations and leaders of thought concerned with social, moral and economic advancement is an important component of Bahá'í development endeavors. - Integration
The world's experience has shown that fragmented activities in different fields do not bring about development. The knowledge that should be brought to bear on development problems does not fit into a single discipline. The integration of efforts across various fields, such as health, education, agriculture, and environmental preservation, is essential for real progress in a region. Such integration can be achieved when simple grassroots initiatives evolve to more stable and complex stages of operation. In Bahá'í development, the concept of integration also pertains to the integration of material progress and spiritual development. Social and economic development activities are therefore an expression of faith in action.
Underpinning the Bahá'í approach to development is the belief that every culture and segment of humanity represents a distinct heritage that must be encouraged to flourish and contribute to an emerging global civilization. The Bahá'í commitment to social change and progress derives directly from Bahá'u'lláh's vision of humanity as one people. Fostering unity of purpose among individuals, groups, and institutions is consequently an essential characteristic of all Bahá'í development pursuits.
 Bahá'í communities operate a number of low-powered radio stations, such as the one shown here in Ecuador. These stations broadcast a wide variety of cultural, educational, and community-service programs. Stations, for example, frequently provide agricultural and health advice. Here two Bahá'ís from Quechua background are speaking in their native language. The five stations in Latin America all broadcast extensively in indigenous languages, a feature which serves to maintain the cultural identity of local peoples. |
Friday, May 22, 2009
A spiritual journey - in photos
Photos of my spiritual journey
Posted: 21 May 2009
I wanted to share some photos from my recent journey to the Baha'i World Centre. The buildings and nature were gorgeous so I wanted to give you a glimpse of the beauty there. I've included some photos of my family too. Enjoy!
Elika Mahony
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