Development Paradigm as Process-Oriented in the Bahá'í Faith

Processes of Development: The Bahá'í Approach

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.

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

 

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

Music video: The Gallantry of Illumined Souls

A fabulous 6 min video.

The Gallantry of Illumined Souls

Posted: 21 May 2009

This surely is a time for the gallantry of illumined souls. Very dear friends, we pray that you can be counted among this noble company.

Video at: http://www.vimeo.com/4604825

On May 14, 2008, six of the seven members of the ad-hoc governing body of the Bahá'ís of Iran were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin Prison. Last week marked the one-year anniversary of their arrests (the seventh had been arrested on March 5, 2008). Since then, they have been held without access to their legal counsel, Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi.

They have been charged on the baseless accusations of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and, most recently, "spreading corruption on earth."

They are men and women, mothers and fathers, some of whom have a history of persecution in their families. Among them are: a developmental psychologist, an agricultural engineer, an educator and school principal, a social worker, an optometrist, an industrialist, and a factory owner.

In a letter written on September 9, 2007 to Bahá'í students deprived of access to higher education in Iran, the Universal House of Justice wrote:

Service to others to others is the way. Let it be your watchword, 'Abdu'l-Bahá being your exemplar. Like Him, you can find practical ways of serving your fellow citizens. Strive to work hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder, with your fellow citizens in your efforts to promote the common good.

As we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and as we work, in whatever way we can, to speak out against this injustice, let us remember the poignant words of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá'ís in Iran, in a letter written on November 26, 2003:

Your long night will end, and you will have the joy of witnessing with your own eyes the might structures your sacrifices have raised.

Source: http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/current-affairs/2009/05/21/the-gallantry-of-illumined-souls/

Art project engages youth in Canada's Arctic region

Youth art project brings citation for Nunavut resident

26 April 2009

 

In this file photo from the Nunatsiaq News, Beth McKenty prepares materials for youngsters in Iqaluit who come her sessions to create art. (Photo copyright 2002 Nunatsiaq News. Used by permission.)

 

IQALUIT, Nunavut, Canada, 26 April - Beth McKenty moved to sparsely populated northeast Canada - to Iqaluit on Baffin Island - in 1999 to fulfill a pledge, made 45 years earlier, to devote part of her life to reducing youth suicide.

Within two weeks of arriving she had begun a project to help children build self-esteem by exploring their creativity. The Arctic Youth Art Initiative has since grown to involve hundreds of children.

Ms. McKenty's efforts were acknowledged this month when she was one of 75 individuals from across Canada named as recipients of the Caring Canadian Awards for 2009. Created in 1996 by the Canadian Governor General, the award is presented to individuals and groups whose unpaid, voluntary contributions over a number of years provide extraordinary help or care to people in their community.

It has been a long and often surprising road for Ms. McKenty from her birthplace of Snowflake, Manitoba, to Iqaluit, population 7,200 and the capital of the Nunavut territory. In addition to several decades in Wisconsin, where she worked as a freelance journalist and raised a family, she has lived in Japan, China, and Russia, and she has taught at the Navajo College at Tsaile, Arizona, in the United States.

"I started out on a farm in Manitoba, one of seven children," she said. "My father was from pioneer stock and a veteran who served at Vimy Ridge. My mother, a nurse, was an Icelandic immigrant. We grew up in a home with an openness to the whole world.

"In 1954, my younger brother took his own life. One way I dealt with the anguish was to make a promise to myself that some day, somehow, I would do something to help reduce youth suicide."


To read the rest of the article, which was first published by the Canadian Baha'i News Service, and see photographs, go to: http://news.bahai.org/story/711
For the BWNS home page, go to: http://news.bahai.org
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Copyright 2009 by the Baha'i World News Service. All stories and photographs produced by the Baha'i World News Service may be freely reprinted, re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha'i World News Service. For more information, visit http://news.bahai.org.
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The complementary forces of destruction and construction in the world

This is from Dale and Kathy Lehman's enlightening blog PlanetBaha'i.org

Tearing Down and Building Up

by Dale E. Lehman

Appeared: 04/17/2009

In my last article, "Can Leaders Save Us", I suggested that Bahá'u'lláh's teachings indicate that even the best political leaders can only do so much to effect transformation in the world. Without the remedy prescribed by Bahá'u'lláh, we will not be able to truly resolve the most pressing issues of our age.

After that article appeared, I got an email from a reader named Graham suggesting I had overlooked something important. There is a flip side to the story, he pointed out: the world is constantly moving towards implementation of many of Bahá'u'lláh's key teachings in spite of not being consciously aware of Him.

This comment, with which I certainly agree, got me to thinking about two great processes that are always taking place: the tearing down of the old and the building up of the new. As with so many things, this duality is a universal theme. We find it throughout nature, in human civilization, and according to Bahá'u'lláh, in the effects of the spiritual forces unleashed by the appearance of a Manifestation of God. In a passage with an outwardly apocalyptic tone, Shoghi Effendi told us:

A world, dimmed by the steadily dying-out light of religion, heaving with the explosive forces of a blind and triumphant nationalism; scorched with the fires of pitiless persecution, whether racial or religious; deluded by the false theories and doctrines that threaten to supplant the worship of God and the sanctification of His laws; enervated by a rampant and brutal materialism; disintegrating through the corrosive influence of moral and spiritual decadence; and enmeshed in the coils of economic anarchy and strife -- such is the spectacle presented to men's eyes, as a result of the sweeping changes which this revolutionizing Force, as yet in the initial stage of its operation, is now producing in the life of the entire planet.

(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 46-47)

I say "outwardly apocalyptic" because in spite of the doom-and-gloom language, Shoghi Effendi attributes these evidences of dissolution not to the wickedness of humanity, but to that "revolutionizing Force" unleashed through the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. This is, in other words, a work of divine reconstruction, not a work of wanton destruction.

Bahá'u'lláh Himself pointed this out in this well-known passage:

The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System--the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

(Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 181)

"Upset equilibrium" certainly describes the world today! But why would God desire to throw the world into apparent chaos and disorder? Isn't His purpose in sending His Messengers to build rather than to destroy?

It is. But how often are we able to build up something without also tearing down something? Some environmentalists might cringe, but we can't build a house without first clearing away any significant greenery from the site and generally digging at least a bit of a hole. Living organisms live and grow only by consuming resources from their environment, including other living things. Planets like our Earth only exist because previous generations of stars died in dramatic explosions that created and scattered heavy elements that could in turn take part in a new cycle of stellar birth.

We find similar examples in human social evolution. Be it in the field of human rights, technology, or government, progress tends only to occur through the course of trials and upheavals. We might wonder why this is necessary, but in fact tearing down is inextricably linked with building up, in human affairs just as in the larger world of nature.

Bahá'u'lláh has come to unify humanity. In order to achieve that, He must of necessity tear down the barriers that prevent us from being united. As imposing as those barriers are, the forces necessary to destroy them must be even more imposing. And thus, we find the world in the state described by Shoghi Effendi in the passage quoted above. The tearing down is part of the building up.

We can usually find more than one way to look at a given situation. Kathy, who has made a fair bit of clothing for children and grandchildren, offers an analogy taken from the tailor's trade. To make an article of clothing, you begin with a large piece of cloth. You then cut the cloth into a number of pieces, each with a particular shape. To the uninitiated, it's not always obvious what those fragments of cloth are going to be once the garment is constructed. Indeed, to an observer who didn't know what was going on, it might seem that the cloth was being hacked to pieces for no good reason! Only later when a finished garment begins to emerge does it become clear that this is a work of creation rather than destruction.

So to bring this back to my previous article, although there is only so much that even the best leaders can do to fix the world's ills, all leaders (as well as the rest of us) are nevertheless playing a role in an ongoing process that will culminate in a united humanity. I feel my previous point still stands: only when humanity recognizes Bahá'u'lláh and consciously implements His teachings will unity be established and its power be unleashed to solve global problems. At the same time, the spiritual forces operating in the world as a result of His revelation are at once breaking down the barriers that prevent us from attaining unity and building up the structures that will enable us to do so.

My thanks to Graham for his email and the chance it afforded me to obtain and share a glimpse of the larger picture.

A Deed of the Báb - the mystery of reward and punishment --[FORGIVENESS], [SACRIFICE], [LOVE], [JUSTICE]

Many thanks to Keyvan for translating and sharing this edifying story on the excellent blog kidsidebyside.org !

Story of the mystery of reward and punishment!

One of the early believers of the Bab, by the name of Haji Abu'l-Hasan Shirazi shares the following eye-witness account of his journey with the Bab and Quddus from Port of Bushihr to The Holy places of Islam in Arabia in 1844. At the time Haji Abu'l-Hasan was one of the Muslem pilgrims and a year later, when the Bab was brought to the Masjid Vakil for interrogation and humiliation by the government and Moslem clergy, Haji Abu'l-Hasan Shirazi recognised The Bab's station and became a believer. The divine power of meekness emanating from The Bab and the empathic capabilities of thousands of receptive souls was among the many ways that the loving and patient God assisted His ignorant and wayward servants to arise and recognize His new Revelation.

Through out the course of this journey which lasted two months and despite the rough sea, Haji Abu'l-Hasan witnessed the Bab, radiantly revealing verses and Quddus taking down the dictation. This Journey to the Holy cities was particularly full of sufferings for the Beloved Bab. From Bushihr He embarked on a small and crowded ship called Baghleh. Much of the crowd consisted of Persian pilgrims heading for the annual pilgrimage in Mecca.

The leader of the Moslem pilgrims was an ignorant and arrogant man by the name of Shaikh Abu Hashem. He was a power hungry, wicked, egotistic and vicious individual. Soon he became perturbed with jealousy and was burning with anger because the Bab refused to follow his lead in the group prayer. He felt insulted that the Bab did not pay respect to him in front of other pilgrims and missed no opportunity to do everything in his power to steer his group to insult the Bab and cause Him pain. His aggression became so blatant that the ship's captain reprimanded him and warned him about his behavior and told him to leave the Bab alone.

Eventually the ship's captain himself got into a dispute with him and the ignorant Shaikh insulted the Captain. This proved to be a deadly crime on board of a ship and was punishable by death. The captain was enraged and ordered the nasty Shaikh to be thrown into the Sea and off the board of his ship. In this instant the beloved Bab approached the captain and asked for the Shaikh's life to be spared. The captain was furious and could not stop screaming and ordering: "throw this cursed trash overboard".

The Bab knew that the captain was absolutely determined to have the Shaikh thrown into the sea. In order to prevent the Shaikh's execution, the Bab approached the Shaikh and tightly embraced His enemy to stop the Captain from killing him while asking the captain to pardon the Sheikh for His sake and release the Sheikh to Him. The captain was perplexed by the Bab's extraordinary action and his heart was touched by the Bab's request. He commented to the Bab that this cursed man has been hurting you more than any one else and of all people you should welcome his death. The Bab replied "These people are only hurting themselves, it is becoming for us to have a sin covering eye."

This intercession of the Bab and the radiance of His unconditional love awakened the ignorant and warmed the hearts of those who were sincere on board of the ship to the extend that they changed their behavior towards the Bab and from then on offered Him their utmost respect.

In one of His prayers the Bab reveals an unprecedented and unimaginable mystery about how God confers His blessings upon a servant when He so chooses and also how He ordains evil for a servant for raising against His Will and committing injustice.

"Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance."

- The Báb

Be awake

Keyvan
Story Translated by Keyvan from Payam-i Bahá'í

Spiritual education resources

From the U.S. Bahá'í website.

Spiritual Education Resources

Please email us at schools@usbnc.org with your suggestions of good sites for this section so that we can keep it growing.

Resources

The Baha'i Devotions Site
This site has LOTS of songs, and devotional programs that teachers (or anybody!) would love! It has good links as well and offers a rich resource organized by those who wish to serve. Sponsored by the Baha'i of Dallas.

Baha'i Distribution Service (BDS)
Good source for materials for study circles, children's classes and devotional gatherings. The e-commerce site of the Baha'i Distribution Service (BDS) provides a comprehensive catalog of Baha'i sacred literature as well as Baha'i books on history, social teachings, Baha'i-inspired music, videos, calendars, and other materials. Includes more than 2000 titles representing the efforts of hundreds of publishers around the world. BDS is the primary distributor for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i of the United States and its agencies; the Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States; and Baha'i World Centre Publications. Those who would like to rush an order are asked to call 1-800-999-9019 or 847-425-7950.

Baha'i Education Resources
A Web site presented by Linda Qualls, an individual who is sharing some of her work, including a 24-page paper on "Building a Strong Identity in Baha'i Children"...etc.

Baha'i Prayers
The Baha'i Prayers web site was created as a celebration of the beauty of the Baha'i scriptures. This site presents a wide range of Baha'i prayers in English, and has a substantial list of resources for Baha'i prayers in other languages. Sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Shoreline, Washington.

Baha'i Services for the Blind
Provides the literature of the Faith, including Ruhi materials, in various mediums which can be used by those individuals whose physical or mental handicaps prevent them from using normal print. To this end the Service for the Blind produces materials in Braille, large print and recordings on cassette tape. A Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.

The Baha'i Study Center — Audio/Visual Materials
We believe this site provides materials that could be useful to classroom teachers. It is one of the premier sources of audio-visual materials, published on the net in MP3 format that are easily downloadable for all sorts of individual and group use. It offers a variety of materials specifically oriented to those who are not Baha'is who seek to learn more about the Baha'i Faith. These materials are at different levels and are in the process of being encoded as "beginning through advanced." There are also illustrated text materials for introductory study of the Baha'i Faith, and for review by more seasoned Baha'is.

Brilliant Star Index
A Subject Index of issues of The Brilliant Star for more than a decade can be found here making it much easier for parents and teachers to search through their archives of past issues as they plan their classes. Index Search from 1991-2007.

Children's Baha'i Education Service, UK
A Web site of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom that is designed to help teachers and parents who are involved with Baha'i education of children, junior youth and youth.

Core Curriculum
A comprehensive and flexible curriculum developed into a nine-year Scope and Sequence, containing 172 distinct topics. These topics are distributed through three levels of learning, beginning with introductory topics and progressing to more advanced topics over the course of study.

The eGems Library 
A searchable listing of books designed to serve the needs of teachers and parents engaged in the spiritual education of children. These books are classified by reading difficulty and maturity level, and currently available in a library or bookstore. You can search for books and suggest books.

The Life of Baha'u'llah
A photographic narrative about the life of the founder of the Baha'i Faith.

Ocean—Free Software Library of the World's Religious Literature
Ocean is a free collection of the World's Religious literature managed by a unique book-centered research engine. It contains over 1000 books of 10 world religions in English as well as collections in six other languages (French, Spanish, German, Russian, Dutch, and Portuguese).

Ruhi Resources
Provides resources related to the Ruhi Books, which provide an organized presentation of the Baha'i Faith and its beliefs in a group-study setting.

Store.UnityWorks.net
The UnityWorks Online Store offers a variety of low-cost downloadable materials for Baha'i education, children's classes, the Five Year Plan, race unity, teaching and media. You will also find student handouts to accompany the Baha'i Children's Classes and Retreats series and other materials published by Resources.UnityWorks.net.

The Tranquility Zone
This site provides guidance in the creation of a unique devotional setting and includes samples of readings as well. Sponsored by the Baha'is of the United Kingdom.

United Nations International Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) Resources
Link to resources for children, youth and teachers. Children: Country overviews, real life stories and statistics from more than 180 countries around the world. Youth: Be in the know, join the discussions, and make a difference, about issues that affect you.
Teachers: Provides opportunities to explore ideas, discuss issues and take action, including assistance in professional development. Information about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF


Organizations
Baha'i Services for the Blind
Provides the literature of the Faith, including Ruhi materials, in various mediums which can be used by those individuals whose physical or mental handicaps prevent them from using normal print. To this end the Service for the Blind produces materials in Braille, large print and recordings on cassette tape. A Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.

Character Development of Tampa Bay
Character Development of Tampa Bay was created to inspire individuals, teachers, and institutions to recognize and embrace the idea that virtue is a latent capacity in all people and, when nurtured, endows the individual with a strengthened capacity to employ these hidden gifts in both personal growth and social interaction.

Desert Rose Baha'i Institute
Desert Rose Baha'i Institute is a Center of Learning promoting educational, spiritual, artistic, intellectual and agricultural endeavors on a developing campus which provides to all participants, an atmosphere of peace, comfort and rejuvenation. In addition to DRBI sponsored programs, the facilities are available for rental.

Marriage Transformation Project
The Marriage Transformation Project strives to educate and empower people to create happy, lasting, spiritually-based marriages. As a social and economic development project, we believe marriage education, which is learning in action through reading, practicing skills, and participating in educational workshops is an important and vital step to having a lasting marriage. We are encouraging relationship and marriage education become part of the culture of every family and community around the world. Many of our resources are interfaith.

Maxwell International Baha'i School
Maxwell welcomes students in grades 7–12 of all national, ethnic, and religious origins from around the world. Operating under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada, Maxwell infuses the spiritual vision and practical wisdom of Baha'i principles throughout the school.

Radio NUR
RadioNUR has several primary objectives including: to assist the individual believer to develop and maintain his or her unique Baha'i identity through the arts; to support the goals of the Global Baha'i community including the education of children, devotional gatherings and the use of the arts in every aspect of Baha'i community life; to provide a vehicle where those interested in hearing about the Baha'i Faith can be exposed to the Writings and Teachings of the Faith through the arts; to provide a forum for Baha'i performers throughout the world to expose their material to a wider audience. We try to fulfill these objectives by producing professional broadcasts which blend diverse musical styles.

United Nations International Children's Education Fund (UNICEF)
Statistics, Health, Development, Child Protection and other focus areas in regard to the well-being of children.

United Religions Initiative: Kids
The purpose of the effort called the United Religions Initiative is, according to their statement, to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the earth and all living beings.

The Virtues Project 
The Mission of The Virtues Project is to provide empowering strategies that inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life through programs of excellence and simplicity which support people of all ages to cultivate their virtues — the gifts of character.

Wilmette Institute
The Wilmette Institute is an educational agency of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. It offers courses and classes on the Baha'i Faith and related subjects to anyone interested in taking them. Its purpose is to develop human resources for the benefit of the Baha'i Faith.


Magazines/Publications
Baha'i Arts Magazine (Tabula Rasa)
Provides a link to Baha'i Arts magazine, Tabula Rasa, whose goal is to foster recognition of the motivating influence of the arts in education.

Baha'i Parenting
This bimonthly electronic newsletter distributed from the island of Grenada is dedicated to raising families with strong spiritual values. It seeks to provide a framework to develop a solid foundation for parenting and is based on the understanding that the well-being of society depends on the integrity of the family unit. It focuses on spiritual discipline, moral education, the elimination of all forms of prejudice and the need for service to the world of humanity. (Formerly titled "Parenting in the New World Order".)

Brilliant Star Magazine
Brilliant Star is the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly's primary communication with children ages 6-12. It is designed to strengthen their Baha'i identity, increase their love for the Faith, teach them about Baha'i history and principles, build their self-esteem, and reinforce virtues such as peacefulness, service, reverence, and trustworthiness. Through fun and engaging stories, cartoons, activities, interviews, puzzles and games, Brilliant Star appeals to children's creativity, humor, and sense of wonder. Each of Brilliant Star's six annual issues incorporates a theme relevant to Baha'i life today.

Resources.UnityWorks.net
UnityWorks Resources offers practical, easy-to-use teacher's guides for the spiritual education of children, youth and adults. The materials have been developed and tested in the field, and have been used successfully in multiple settings over many years. The series on Baha'i Children's Classes and Retreats includes theme books such as: God and the Universe, Baha'u'llah, and The Power of Unity. These activity books are filled with stories, songs, crafts, games, puzzles and more. Baha'i Public Speaking contains nine hands-on workshops that give participants the knowledge, spiritual insights and skills needed to more effectively serve the Faith.


Publishers
Badi Publishing Corp
Badi Publishing Corporation strives to provide quality Baha'i products at affordable prices to Baha'is around the world. Its vision to become a successful publishing house extends beyond Baha'i planners and calendars and includes a wide range of publications including Baha'i Writings, poetry and children's materials. Our current product offering includes planners and calendars, books and bookmarks, photographs, jewelry and other specialty items.

George Ronald Publishing 
This publishing house, located in the United Kingdom, was founded by David Hofman in 1943 in order to make available a wider range of literature on Baha'i subjects. At the moment it is not possible to order books on line but the Web site provides addresses of distributors who have Web sites and are happy to take on-line orders. It also offers instructions how to order directly.

Palabra Publications
Palabra Publications is an organization dedicated to the production and dissemination of teaching, deepening, and training institute course materials at low costs. These materials strive to address the spiritual education needs of diverse peoples with a variety of books.

Source is here.

Effect of beauty on the spirit, blessings of generosity -- [BEAUTY], [ORDERLINESS], [GENEROSITY],

 

This is from Druzelle's enlightening blog Luminous Realities: Exploring the Creative Process. Source is here. 

 

A Cherry Blossom Day

Posted: 05 Apr 2009 07:47 AM PDT

Cherry blossoms at Washington, D.C. Tidal Basin - Wikimedia

Early April in Washington, D.C. means the Cherry Blossom Festival is in bloom once again. The cherry trees – more than 3,000 – were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912, "a diplomatic gesture of goodwill." I can still recall from my own visit what a delicious feeling it is to walk along paths surrounded by such a graceful abundance of gentle beauty.

Even if you cannot be there, allow yourself to step out of the current flow of texting, twittering, and the rest of it to spend a few meditative moments in this video of A Cherry Blossom Day, sunrise to sunset. Let the haunting, instrumental strains of Sakura, a traditional Japanese folk song, seep into your spirit as the beauty of the day opens before you.

"Although sounds are but vibrations in the air which affect the ear's auditory nerve, and these vibrations are but chance phenomena carried along through the air, even so, see how they move the heart," wrote 'Abdu'l-Baha,* another 1912 visitor to Washington, D.C. "A wondrous melody is wings for the spirit, and maketh the soul to tremble for joy."

The physical realm exerts a powerful influence on the spirit, 'Abdu'l-Baha asserted in a more detailed explanation. This month's Scientific American Mind backs him up. Did you know scientific studies show that gazing on nature improves your focus? That the amount of light, height of celings, and other aspects of our living spaces have significant affect on how our minds work? People who care are paying attention to this emerging neuroscience and figuring how to apply it in the real world. Find interesting details for your own use in the article.

In the meantime give yourself the gift of a few meditative moments amongst the cherry blossoms.

* 'Abdu'l-Baha was the eldest son of Baha'u'llah. For more see The Master - Chapter 62 in The Story of Baha'u'llah.

 

Building Unity Slowly But Surely [RESPECT], [UNDERSTANDING], [LOVE], [UNITY]

An inspirational article from Kathleen at the intelligent website Planetbahai.org. Source is here.

Unity the Easy Way

by Kathleen Kettler Lehman

Appeared: 04/03/2009

A while back Elizabeth mentioned that she and a group of her college friends were sitting around discussing their "parts". For those unfamiliar with this great American tradition, it goes like this: a bunch of American kids engage in a conversation consisting of statements like, "I'm part Swedish, and part Irish, and part Italian"; "I'm Dutch and African-American"; "I'm Cherokee, English, and a little bit German"; and so forth. You get the idea. You don't have to be a kid to do this. All ages can indulge. It is, I think, a uniquely American exercise born of the many ethnic streams that have come together to make a modern American. Even if one of your ancestors came over on Mayflower, chances are more than one of them met somebody who came over on a different ship. Or walked over. Either way, very few Americans are purebred anything, and most of them are ridiculously proud of their various "parts".

Now that everybody's curious, okay: I'm German, French, and Ukrainian. How about that one? Dale's family has been here longer than mine (the earliest Lehman dates we're sure of are 1804; earliest Kettlers are circa 1832)—as far as we can tell, he's English, Swiss, German, and Dutch for sure, with a probable Welsh connection that no one can quite pin down. In our grandkids' generation, Bill has added Irish and Scottish to the mix, and T.J. has supplemented with Greek, Scottish, and Cherokee.

One of my favorite true stories about this sort of thing was told to me by a colleague at the Chicagoland library in which I worked. Her dad's family was Polish, her mom's Czech, and all four of her grandparents had come to America as children in the early twentieth century. Her parents were both bilingual. There is apparently enough similarity between the two Slavic languages (I don't speak either, so I couldn't say for sure!) that when she and her brother were young, and her parents didn't want them to know what they were talking about, her dad would talk to her mom in Polish and her mom would answer in Czech. Mom and Dad could understand each other, but the kids hadn't a clue.

Long ago, dynastic marriages were common—you know, the king of Country X married his daughter to the son of the king of Country Y to form an alliance. Muhammad Himself was a party to some of these arrangements. It was to be understood that this sort of thing created a more permanent sort of unity than a mere treaty. Frequently both courses were pursued simultaneously to strengthen the bonds between two nations. This ancient tradition continued into the twentieth century, when monarchy began to be déclassé.

I think there's a lesson here for everyone. In America we've been carrying out a grand, freewheeling experiment in hybridization for a couple of centuries. At whatever point in time Samara's widely separated ancestors parted—Greek and Cherokee—there was probably a lot of ice on the ground. Or maybe it was just starting to snow. The long-sundered lines are back together again. I suspect that we are seeing some of the effects of this in taller, more robust people with longer lifespans. Hybrid vigor is good, in lots of ways.

I suspect that the key to solving racial issues is here, too. We've allowed the artificial designations of race to overwhelm our common sense. The more often we put checkboxes on forms and keep census statistics, the more deeply we imbed this false distinction into our consciousness. We don't solve the problem by substituting "African-American" for "black" or "Negro", we just change its name. I don't think there's any point going through Samara and Gabriel's DNA and seeing if we can isolate the Cherokee fractions from the Greek, French, or English.

Unity, perhaps, will arrive in just this manner: little by little, day by day. One friendship at a time. One marriage at a time. One family at a time. One neighborhood at a time. One day we'll all have too many "parts" to count, and by then we'll have forgotten what they were, and it won't matter anymore anyway.

Maybe we should try something like this: let's all be Americans. Or, since I'm addressing a global audience, Cosmopolites. And let's hang up our various ethnicities in a big closet. We don't have to keep them there. We can take them out when we want to celebrate Oktoberfest or Kwanzaa. We should certainly check them over from time to time for wear and tear. We can't let moths get to them, either. But when we can be human one hundred percent of the time and American eighty percent of the time, we'll have gone quite a way toward solving some of the issues that are beginning to overtake us. When we've internalized that what everyone wants is peace and quiet and a chance to raise the next generation without fear and want—and we're serious about addressing the many difficult questions involved—we'll be halfway there. Right now we're just starting. But I have hope that the more we become Japanese Spanish Apache Norwegian Persians, the closer we will come to understanding that.

Ye observe to what a degree the world is in continual turmoil and conflict, and to what a pass its nations have now come. Perchance will the lovers of God succeed in upraising the banner of human unity, so that the one-coloured tabernacle of the Kingdom of Heaven will cast its sheltering shadow over all the earth; that misunderstandings among the world's peoples will vanish away; that all nations will mingle one with another, dealing with one another even as the lover with his beloved.

It is your duty to be exceedingly kind to every human being, and to wish him well; to work for the upliftment of society; to blow the breath of life into the dead; to act in accordance with the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh and walk His path -- until ye change the world of man into the world of God.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, # 47, p. 89)

Service to Humanity - workshop theme document

The source of this valuable document is here, PDF version here.

Service to Humanity

Purpose

To understand that:
?	Man's purpose is to work for the betterment of 
the world.
?	The value of one's service depends on the purity 
of the inner condition. 
?	To achieve both of these we must draw on 
spiritual powers through the use of prayer.


Section 1

Bahá'u'lláh teaches us that in order to fulfill our 
purpose in life, we should work for the betterment 
of the world:

 
"... the purpose 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."  				

"Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; 
let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will 
rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify 
the hearts and souls of men."  			
					 

"The betterment of the world can  be 
accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, 
through commendable and seemly conduct."  



True service springs from the spirit of altruism and 
love for others; it requires an attitude of selflessness 
and devotion.  The effectiveness of our service 
depends on our inner qualities and the purity of our 
intentions.  When service is motivated by love and 
is free of self-interest, it bears excellent fruits and 
exerts lasting influence in the world of humanity.

"The time is come when naught but the purest 
motive, supported by deeds of stainless purity, 
can ascend to the throne of the Most High and be 
acceptable unto Him."  

"Let them perform their services with complete 
sanctity and detachment... Let them... seek 
distinction in truthfulness, straightforwardness, 
and the pursuit of virtue and excellence; for 
vanity in riches is worthy of none but the base, 
and pride in  possessions beseemeth only the 
foolish. To attain to true glory and honor, man 
should exercise justice and equity, forbear to act 
in an oppressive manner, render service to his 
government, and work for the good of his fellow-
citizens."  
				 		
	 

1.   What is the purpose for which mortal men 
have, from utter nothingness, stepped into 
the realm of being?


2.   What should our thoughts be fixed upon?


3.   What are some of the fortunes that the 
human race has lost?


4.   What can you do to rehabilitate the fortunes 
of mankind?   Give examples.
		a)
		b)
		c)
		d)

5.   How can the betterment of the world be 
accomplished?


6.   In the words of Abdu'l-Bahá, what are some 
of the qualities that we should possess in 
order to render true service to our country 
and fellow-citizens?





Determine if the following  statements are true or 
false:

	1.   True service is to perform those acts that 
are of interest to us.
2. 	In order to perform true service we 
should love every human being and 
think of the welfare of others first.
	3.   We should serve in order to derive 
personal benefit.
4.   It is right to serve and in our hearts 
expect some reward or praise from 
others.
5. 	Our intention is pure when we endeavor 
to better the condition of the world by 
attracting the hearts of the people to 
Cause of Bahá'u'lláh.
6. 	Only those who have time or money can 
serve others.
7. 	If we purify our motives and improve 
our character, our services will be more 
effective.





Section 2

Moved by the conviction that the results of our 
actions depend on our spiritual qualities, we find it 
necessary to reflect often on our inner condition and 
on our progress in degrees  of spirituality.  Such a 
reflection helps us to recognize our own capabilities 
and limitations and to identify that which leads us to 
loftiness or to abasement.  Reflection alone, of 
course, is not sufficient.  As our understanding is 
deepened by reflection and meditation, we naturally 
strive to purify our motives and improve the quality 
of our actions.  As we meditate, for example, on 
how courtesy adorns the reality of man, we 
intensify our efforts to show respect and courtesy to 
others in our daily lives.  As we realize that 
integrity is among the most valuable treasures we 
can possess, we attempt to be upright, honest and 
trustworthy in all our dealings with others.  This 
continuous process of action, reflection, and action, 
helps us to grow spiritually and fulfill the maximum 
of our spiritual capacity.


1.   What do we recognize when we reflect on our inner  condition?


	2.   What do you think leads to our loftiness 
or to our abasement?


	3.   Is reflection alone sufficient?


4. 	What will deepen our understanding and 
how will this affect our actions? Give 
examples.


Section 3

One of the most cherished fruits of constant 
reflection on our actions and inner condition is the 
recognition that we have been created noble and 
that we share this nobility with the rest of humanity.

"0 Son of Spirit!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself 
down to poverty?  Noble I made thee, wherewith 
dost thou abase thyself?  Out of the essence of 
knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou 
enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of 
the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou 
busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto 
thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing 
within thee, mighty, powerful and  self-
subsisting."  						
		 

"We must strive unceasingly and without rest to 
accomplish the development of the spiritual 
nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy 
to advance humanity toward the nobility of its 
true and intended station."        


Nobility is only one of the qualities that we have in 
common with every other human being.  Reflection 
on spiritual matters will lead us to the knowledge of 
numerous other divine qualities that potentially 
exist in our souls.  We become conscious of the 
great bond of unity that connects us with every 
human being, a unity whose powers we gradually 
recognize.  But the heart is not satisfied merely to 
be connected with the rest of creation; it desires to 
draw closer to the Source of all love, the 
Unknowable Essence. Bahá'u'lláh shows us ways 
to become closer to God and fulfill the most 
intimate desire of our hearts.   One of the most 
compelling ways to achieve this closeness is 
through prayer.

Shoghi Effendi writes concerning the chief goal of 
the Baháí Faith:

"Its chief goal is the development of the 
individual and society, through the acquisition of 
spiritual virtues and powers.  It is the soul of 
man which has first to be fed.  And this spiritual 
nourishment prayer can best provide."  


1.   How have we been created?


2.   What should we strive for?


3.   What is the bond of unity that connects 
us with every other human being?


	4.   Why do we pray?


	5.   How will individuals and society 
develop?


	6.   What will we acquire through prayer?


Determine if the following statements are true or 
false:


1.	We potentially share all the divine 
qualities with every other human being.
2.	If we just reflect on our inner qualities,  
they will grow by themselves.
3.	Through reflection we discover that we 
have numerous divine qualities latent in 
us and through prayer and service we 
can develop these qualities.
4.	Through prayer we get closer to our 
Creator.
5.	It is not possible to acquire spiritual 
virtues and powers through prayer.
References:

  	Bahá'ú'lláh in "Trustworthiness: A Cardinal 
Bahá'í Virtue" (New Delhi: Bahá'í 
Publishing Trust, 1987), p.11

  Bahá'ú'lláh  Gleanings from the Writings of 
Baha'u'llah, rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í 
Publishing Trust, 1984), XLIII, pp.93-94

  Bahá'ú'lláh in "A Chaste and Holy Life", 
Pages: 57-62)

  The Báb The Dawn-Breakers: Nabil's 
Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í 
Revelation, trans and ed. by Shoghi Effendi 
(Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1974), 
p.94

  'Abdu'l-Bahá in "Trustworthiness", p.13

   Bahá'ú'lláh The Hidden Words, Arabic 
no.13, pp.6-7

  'Abdu'l-Bahá The Promulgation of 
Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 
'Abdu'l-Bahá during His visit to the United 
States and Canada in 1912 2nd ed. 
(Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), 
p.60

  Shoghi Effendi Directives of Guardian, p.86-
87



For more information on serving humanity 
internationally, contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá'í 
National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201  
Eml: pioneer@usbnc.org; tel: (847) 733-3508; Fax: 
(847) 733-3509

Country singer Dan Seals takes his flight to the worlds above

A most touching video, "We Are One", sung by Dan Seals, who passed away March 25, 2009:

Honor his blessed memory!

O my God, Thy Trust hath been returned unto Thee. It behooveth Thy grace and Thy bounty that have compassed Thy dominions on earth and in heaven, to vouchsafe unto Thy newly welcomed one Thy gifts and Thy bestowals, and the fruits of the tree of Thy grace! Powerful art Thou to do as Thou willest, there is none other God but Thee, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Bestower, the Pardoner, the Precious, the All-Knowing. I testify, O my Lord, that Thou hast enjoined upon men to honor their guest, and he that hath ascended unto Thee hath verily reached Thee and attained Thy Presence. Deal with him then according to Thy grace and bounty! By Thy glory, I know of a certainty that Thou wilt not withhold Thyself from that which Thou hast commanded Thy servants, nor wilt Thou deprive him that hath clung to the cord of Thy bounty and hath ascended to the Dayspring of Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the One, the Single, the Powerful, the Omniscient, the Bountiful.

—Bahá’u’lláh

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BP/bp-37.html

Song text

We Are One

(Dan Seals)

In a bombed out room in Belfast
A young boy is crying
He’s alone and he don’t understand
How the teachings of one book
Built on love and understanding
Could cause the hurt and killing in his land

In an old part of Jerusalem
Two children are playing
They run and laugh
The way it’s meant to be
But one will wear the star and one will wear the crescent
And they’ll grow up and change from friends to enemies

Chorus

But we are one
Flowers of one garden
We’re one the leaves of one tree
Let the walls come down
And stand here together
We are one family

In a Pakistani village
A young boy on crutches
Takes a fall
And lies helplessly there
And he holds out his hand
But no one will take it
They won’t touch him
Or the clothes that he wears

On a side street in Selma
A black child is sitting
In a squad car
Protected from the whites
‘Cause they’re burning a cross
To send her a message
And you can see
The fear in her eyes

Chorus

But we are one
Flowers of one garden
We’re one the leaves of one tree
Let the walls come down
And stand here together
We are one family

Ponder in our hearts
How we were all created
From the same dust
And searching we will find
That spirit of the age
Has come to find us
To find us

Chorus

But we are one
Flowers of one garden
We’re one the leaves of one tree
Let the walls come down
And stand here together
We are one family

The multi-coloured parade of humanity in all its diversity, moving together as one soul in many bodies [UNITY], [REVERENCE], [SACRIFICE]

Excerpts from an enlightening and inspiring blogpost by Robert Weinberg on his eloquent blog Where the World's Going, on the historical event that transpired at Naw-Ruz this year. Highlighting added.

Circles of adoration

On the day of the first Naw-Rúz He celebrated after His release from captivity - 21 March 1909 - 'Abdu'l-Bahá had a marble sarcophagus transported to the vault He had prepared for it. In the evening, "by the light of a single lamp, He laid within it, with His own hands—in the presence of believers from the East and from the West and in circumstances at once solemn and moving—the wooden casket containing the sacred remains of the Báb and His companion," wrote Shoghi Effendi.

"When all was finished, and the earthly remains of the Martyr-Prophet of Shíráz were, at long last, safely deposited for their everlasting rest in the bosom of God's holy mountain, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who had cast aside His turban, removed His shoes and thrown off His cloak, bent low over the still open sarcophagus, His silver hair waving about His head and His face transfigured and luminous, rested His forehead on the border of the wooden casket, and, sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him. That night He could not sleep, so overwhelmed was He with emotion."

Last Saturday, I was privileged to join some 1000 Bahá'ís – pilgrims, visitors, guests and staff of the Bahá'í World Centre - gathered on that same mountainside and, in an act of solemn reflection, circumambulate the Shrine of the Báb, 100 years to the day since 'Abdu'l-Bahá had completed that singular act which, wrote Shoghi Effendi, "indeed deserves to rank as one of the outstanding events in the first Bahá'í century." 

How transformed is this rocky mountainside since the night when 'Abdu'l-Bahá brought the Báb's remains to their final resting place, close to that circle of cypresses, in a mausoleum befitting a Messenger from God Who had declared His mission on the very night of the very same year that 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself was born.

Last year alone, the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb attracted some 640,000 visitors and their beauty is being universally acclaimed. Last Monday, in Jerusalem, a special reception was held to celebrate the addition of the Bahá'í shrines and gardens to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Commenting on the achievement, Israel's Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit, said that the shrines reflect peace, beauty and tolerance. He said it was not only an honour for Israel to have the Bahá'í Holy Places within its borders, but it was an honour for UNESCO to have them on its list of the world's most culturally significant places.

"The sacrifices of the Báb and the dawn-breakers of the Cause are yielding abundant fruit," wrote the Universal House of Justice at Naw-Ruz, the exact centenary of the interment of the Báb's remains on Mount Carmel, "The magnificent progress achieved over the past century demonstrates the invincible power with which the Cause is endowed."   

As we processed from the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, along the semi-circular arc path to the Shrine of the Báb, I turned back and glimpsed the multi-coloured parade of humanity in all its diversity, moving together as one soul in many bodies. I remembered the dramatic circumstances surrounding the Báb's own execution and the vain hope of the clergy and rulers of His land that, with His swift demise and the brutal massacre of some 20,000 followers, the fire He had ignited would be quenched. The vision of humanity I glimpsed on Saturday demonstrated to me the futility of such attempts to snuff out this inextinguishable light - efforts which persist in Iran to this day. "He doeth as He doeth and what recourse have we? He carrieth out His will, He ordaineth what He pleaseth."

'Abdu'l-Bahá's depositing of the remains of the Báb in the bosom of Mount Carmel marked the beginning of the World Centre of the Bahá'í Faith. It was an act of love and obedience carried out by a son on the instructions of His Father. A seed, still bursting with life and potential, had been salvaged from a savagely felled tree and planted in new soil where it could take root. The circle of cypress trees, silent witnesses to momentous events, are now overshadowed by the efflorescence of Carmel, both in the magnificence of the gardens that now adorn its slopes and the vibrant variety of human hues that gather there in their thousands to pay homage to the martyred herald of their Faith. Today, these are the fruits of that seed, of that act of obedience. 

As the Universal House of Justice noted, "It is but a portent of the ultimate realization of the oneness of humankind."

Read the whole post here.

Significances of the Naw-Ruz Festival

From writings and talks from the Bahá'í tradition regarding this great theme.

"... This sacred day, when the sun illumines equally, is called the equinox, and the equinox is the symbol of the Manifestation of God. The Sun of Truth rises on the horizon of Divine Mercy and sends forth its rays. This day is consecrated to commemorate it..."

--Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 301

The cycle of the year ends with a period of nineteen days of fasting to prepare for the coming of Naw-Ruz, the New Year, when both the physical and spiritual beauty blend and we advance to another year in which to mature the soul and prepare "for the everlasting kingdom".

--Compilations, Principles of Bahai Administration, p. 54

A TALK ON NAW RUZ (NEW YEAR'S DAY)

Given by Abdul Bahá, March 21, 1913 in Paris.

"I am extremely glad to see you on this Nau Rooz occasion. This day is the anniversary of many historical events...

"This day in Persia inaugurates a feast which continues for thirteen days and in which all take part, rich and poor alike. They adorn themselves with new clothes and their houses are open to all. Money is distributed, music is played and the houses are decorated with flowers, for it is a fête; work is put aside and enjoyment invited. Travelers in Persia feel this transformation, for the country is in a state of complete renewal. A town which seemed dead yesterday comes to life today. People who looked anxious yesterday, today have faces shining with gladness. The poor man of yesterday, with sordid garments, is well dressed today and the whole national life is infused with joy. From time immemorial this day has been consecrated, for in this there is a symbol.

"At this moment the sun appears at the meridian and the day and night are equal. Until today the north pole has been in darkness. This sacred day when the sun illumines equally the whole earth is called the equinox and the equinox is the symbol of the divine messenger. The sun of truth rises on the horizon of divine mercy and sends forth its rays on all. This day is consecrated to this commemoration. It is the beginning of the spring. When the sun appears at the equinox it causes a movement in all living things. The mineral world is set in motion, plants begin to sprout, the desert is changed into a prairie, trees bud and every living thing responds, including the bodies of animals and men.

"The rising of the sun at the equinox is the symbol of life and the human reality is revivified; our thoughts are transformed and our intelligence is quickened. The sun of truth bestows eternal life, just as the solar sun is the cause of terrestrial life.

"The day of the appearance of God's messenger on earth is ever a sacred day, a day when man commemorates his lord.

"Among the ancient Persians this day was looked upon as the holy day of the year — a day when hospitals and charitable institutions were founded, collections for the poor were made and every effort put forth that it might not be allowed to pass without leaving some divine trace and throughout Persia one sees these historical traces..."

--Abdu'l-Baha on Divine Philosophy, 74 http://is.gd/ohe2

Photo by Alex

Children's lesson plan on Steadfastness

This is from June's excellent blog Pearlz Dreaming.

Steadfastness

Posted: 23 Mar 2009 06:30 PM PDT

Adapting Ruhi lessons- an example lesson 7 book 3.

This term I have been working with the grade 1 lesson plans from book 3, but using these only as a basic building block for my lessons as they are grade 3-4 students.

One of the ways I have adapted the lessons is to extend the quote I draw from, pick a different quotation on the same theme, and vary the choice of stories. We also write the new words out on the board to learn to spell and say them.

Lesson 7 Steadfast (Ruhi book 3, lesson 7)

In this lesson I liked the story and thought it could do for any age but I read it over and over to adapt the telling style to the children I was sharing it with. This helped me to have the story firmly in my head.

***

There was 12 year old boy, Ruh'u'llah, who was just a bit younger than your older brother. He had the chance to meet 'Abdul-Baha. Imagine someone you have heard lots of stories about, and that they are very very kind.

What if you were going to meet Mahtma Ghandi (tell them who is if they don't know) or Mother Therese (tell them if they don't know who).

People often say upon meeting them they are inspired to do great things - like Steve Waugh (Australian Cricket Captain) meeting Mother Therese.

How would you feel if you were going to meet someone you know like this?
Could you sleep?

[Children: No we couldn't possibly sleep, we would be too excited]

So it was that Ruh'u'llah went with his father from Persia (Iran) to Akka to meet Abd'u'l-Baha. He loved being in his presence. It was just awesome. Ruh'u'llah said the prayers he knew by heart, and he learnt much in the presence of Abd'u'l-Baha.

Why is it important to learn prayers by heart?

[Children: Because you might not have a book all the time.
Teacher: Yes- remember that it's important for later in the story.]

Ruh'u'llah chanted beautiful prayers that he knew by heart. Ruhullah returned home and taught faith with his family through both deeds and words, both his mother and his father were kind and many people were attracted to listen and be with this family.

One day however both he and his father were imprisoned.

Life was very hard in the prison, they were both chained and the chains were very heavy – imagine those chains and such a little boy… he prayed, chanted, and made up poems of his love for Baha'u'llah.

[Children exclaimed about the chains: "and that's just so unjust."]

Cruelly his father was killed in front of him by a government official who asked even which he should kill first, Ruhullah's Father Varqa said "No take me first" and then the official tried to get Ruhullah not to be a Bahai any more

What do you think Ruh'u'llah did?

[Children: He stayed a Baha'i. Even if he dies he will be with his Father again and he will be a Baha'i and they can't hurt him anymore.]

Yes, that's true Ruh'u'llahremained true to his Faith, "no take my life – not my Faith." Ruhullah, although a child, gave his life for his Faith.

More questions (as teaching older children using theme from book 3)

Some questions
Do you know any more stories of steadfast Faith?
What about when Abdu'l-Baha's Father went into the mountains?
What about Tahirih?
How can you be steadfast?
What so far have we learnt is important about being a Baha'i?

[Examples raised by children, Joan of Arc]
[Examples raised by teacher, Buddha under the Bodhi tree, meditating and remaining steadfast, Ghandi in India steadfast in helping his people, the Wife of Baha'u'llah, Assiyih Khanum]

The discussion was very interesting and they then did some puzzles to learn quotations. We have a tanagram pack they work with- it is from Brilliant  Star.

I am really enjoying adapting the lesson plans.  The children have a memorization booklet which we mark when they attempt quotes and they are seeing how long it takes to remember each one.  They are absorbing the quotes very well.

If you have adapted a lesson please share your reflection (:

——June

Regarding the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and those who broke it

From a statement regarding certain individuals deemed Covenant Breakers due to their dubious claims to possess authority as individuals outside of the existing, established and continuous structure of successorship and administrative initiated by the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and perpetuated by Shoghi Effendi and, presently (and to last until the appearance of the next Manifestation of God, Who is not to appear before a full thousand years after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh in 1892), the Universal House of Justice.

Excerpts:

"In the perspective of more than four decades that have passed since Charles Mason Remey's violation of the Covenant, it is instructive to review the consequences to those who followed him down this barren path..."

"That reasonably intelligent men and women should be unable—after the passage of almost half a century—to free themselves from the relentless undertow of folly and ambition that has drowned every hope and scheme they ever cherished is a cautionary tale indeed. The fate of those who followed Charles Mason Remey is a case study in the nature and paralyzing effect of the virus of Covenant-breaking...

Statement 'MASON REMEY AND THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM' referred to by the UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

MASON REMEY AND THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM

Revised January 2008

INTRODUCTION

In addition to explaining the nature and dangers of violation of the Covenant, ShoghiEffendi several times reviewed briefly the fates of individuals and groups who had surrendered to this worst of human failings. To reflect on the consequences experienced by those who seekto undermine the unity of the Cause, he said, helps believers to appreciate more deeply the protecting power of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant. In the perspective of more than four decades that have passed since Charles Mason Remey's violation of the Covenant, it is instructive to review the consequences to those who followed him down this barren path.

I

COVENANT-BREAKING

The Nature of Covenant-breaking

What is Covenant-breaking? In a letter to an individual dated 23 March 1975, the Universal House of Justice wrote:

When a person declares his acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God he becomes a party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation. If he then turns round and attacks Bahá'u'lláh or the Central Institution of the Faith he violates the Covenant. If this happens every effort is made to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his actions, but if he persists he must, in accordance with the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker.1

The personal failings that lead people to violate the Covenant to which they know they have committed themselves have been described by the Guardian as "the blind hatred, the unbounded presumption, the incredible folly, the abject perfidy, the vaulting ambition"2 which, in varying degrees, afflict the persons concerned. While some of these may have been duped by others, 'Abdu'l-Bahá has said of them:

These do not doubt the validity of the Covenant, but selfish motives have dragged them to this condition. It is not that they do not know what they do—they are perfectly aware and still they exhibit opposition.3

The Danger It Poses

The Master has warned that, if unchecked, Covenant-breaking would "utterly destroy the Cause of God, exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in the past". He sets this warning in the context of the fact that the central purpose of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation is to create unity:

Were it not for the protecting power of the Covenant to guard the impregnable fort of the Cause of God, there would arise among the Bahá'ís, in one day, a thousand different sects as was the case in former ages.4

2

Apart from the danger that Covenant-breaking poses to the development of the Cause, it represents a spiritual contagion threatening the well-being of the individual believer because of its subtle appeal to the human ego. 'Abdu'l-Bahá called for the complete exclusion from the Bahá'í community of anyone found to be infected with the virus of Covenant-breaking and urged all believers to shun any contact whatever with the persons involved.

More on this subject is available here:http://info.bahai.org/article-1-3-3-4.html

Photo essay and quotations on serving at the Bahá'í World Centre

From the Baha'is of Tacoma, Washington blog.

 

You, too, may be of service

Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:04 PM PDT

There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men, who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who, before the gaze of the  dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven, shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of the blamer will never defeat.

                                                                                                                         Bahá'u'lláh

 

George Bowers (England), Phil Trutza (USA and Samoa), and Denver Morgan (Wales), inspect work being done on the roof over the ante-chamber beside the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.

 

 

 

 

Therefore we also must strive in this pathway of love and service, sacrificing life and possessions, passing our days in devotion, consecrating our efforts wholly to the cause of God, so that, God willing, the ensign of universal religion may be uplifted in the world of mankind and the oneness of the world of humanity be established.

                                                                                                                 'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

Carpenter Wolfgand Nieland (Germany and Canada), standing in the middle, helping to restore the roof above the ante-chamber to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.

 

 

 

 

Immerse me, O my God, in this most bounteous, rolling Ocean; give me to drink of this sweet, abundant Water; cause me to enter this Gateway of Righteousness; ordain me for this praiseworthy Station; cause me to obtain this Cup which is overflowing with the living water; light in the crystal of my heart this Lamp which is giving forth its illuminating, brilliant radiance; and strengthen me for the service of Thy Cause, O my Lord, the Forgiver!

                                                                                                               'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

Daryoush Hadjiyoussef (Germany), head of the ironshop, standing on the ladder, re-installs a refurbished lamp at Bahji.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all men should arise to oppose thee.

Go thou straight on and persevere in His service. Say: O people! The Day, promised unto you in all the Scriptures, is now come. Fear ye God, and withhold not yourselves from recognizing the One Who is the Object of your creation. Hasten ye unto Him. Better is this for you than the world and all that is therein. Would that ye could perceive it!

                                                                                                                 Bahá'u'lláh

 

 

Blaine Reed (Alaska), right, inventory controller and keeper of the supplies used by the Operatons Office (and purchased by the Supply Office), fulfills an order by Daryoush Hadjiyoussef.

 

 

 

 

O army of God! Whensoever ye behold a person whose entire attention is directed toward the Cause of God; whose only aim is this, to make the Word of God to take effect; who, day and night, with pure intent, is rendering service to the Cause; from whose behaviour not the slightest trace of egotism or private motives is discerned — who, rather, wandereth distracted in the wilderness of the love of God, and drinketh only from the cup of the knowledge of God, and is utterly engrossed in spreading the sweet savours of God, and is enamoured of the holy verses of the Kingdom of God — know ye for a certainty that this individual will be supported and reinforced by heaven; that like unto the  morning star, he will forever gleam brightly out of the skies of eternal grace.

                                                                                                                  'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

 

Gaston Mattheus (Belgium), head of the paint shop, installs gold leaf as a finishing touch on a beautiful iron gate manufactured by our ironworkers according to the architect's plans, just prior to its installation. 

 

 

 

 

Bahá'u'lláh proclaims in the Hidden Words that God inspires His servants and is revealed through them. He says, "Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation." Therefore, we learn that nearness to God is possible through devotion to Him, through entrance into the Kingdom and service to humanity; it is attained by unity with mankind and through loving-kindness to all; it is dependent upon investigation of truth, acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, service in the cause of universal peace and personal sanctification. In a word, nearness to God necessitates sacrifice of self, severance and the giving up of all to Him. Nearness is likeness.

                                                                                                                      'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

 

Zhena Goharriz-Zainy (England), secretary of the Operations Office, keeping tight control over all of those male craftsmen who came from around the world to serve at the World Center of their Faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The words thou hadst written have, as soon as they were read in My Presence, caused the ocean of My fidelity to surge within Me, and the breeze of My forgiveness to be wafted over thy soul, and the tree of My loving-kindness to overshadow thee, and the clouds of My bounty to rain down upon thee their gifts. I swear by the Day Star that shineth above  the horizon of eternity, I sorrow for thee in thy grief, and lament with thee in thy tribulation…. I bear witness to the services thou hast rendered Me, and testify to the various troubles thou hast sustained for My sake. All the atoms of the earth declare My love for thee.

                                                                                                               Bahá'u'lláh

 

 

Painter Tony Verderosa (United States), right, restoring windows from one of our holy places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We must partake of the bounty and grace of the Lord, for the Báb has admonished us to arise in service to the Cause of God, to be absolutely severed from all else save God during the day of the Blessed Perfection, Bahá'u'lláh, to be completely attracted by the love of Bahá'u'lláh, to love all humanity for His sake, to be lenient and merciful to all for Him and to upbuild the oneness of the world of humanity.

                                                                                                             'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

 

 

Painter Gerhard Gross (Austria) applies gold leaf to ironwork made by our ironworkers at the workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the Most Great Peace.

                                                                                                                    'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

 

 

Carpenter David Simons (Canada) and Aziz Ghalili (Iran and the USA), work on the restoration of the roof over the ante-chamber to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.

 

 

 

 

Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we, distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines, whether the occasion be great or small, ordinary or extraordinary, until all mankind are safely gathered into the impregnable stronghold of knowledge.

                                                                                                             'Abdu'l-Bahá

 

 

 

 

Bonnie Reed (Alaska) serves on her day off by doing some weeding in the Monument Gardens.

 

 

 

 

You, too, may be of service to Bahá'u'lláh, by serving at the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa, Israel, at your National Office or any of its agencies, or by serving the Faith in your own community.

 

 

Staff members from the Bahá'í World Centre enjoying a boat trip in the gulf off of Eilat. 

 

Photos circa 1984/85 by the Webmaster